exercising while pregnant: the beginning and week 20

This post is only for people who care to know. Everyone else, if you're over being pregnant ever again and/or have no interest, feel free to ignore.


Week 20. I know I said I wouldn't post belly pics, but this is for the sake of communicating information in a realistic light. Obviously, I am not a small-bellied pregnant gal. If you are when you are pregnant, don't talk to me.

I have always exercised throughout my pregnancies. I love to exercise and be fit and let's face it... life is just easier when you have some muscle and endurance. And maybe knowing that you have to stand in front of 35 people in tight clothes and a mic to teach a class a few months post-partum is motivation enough to stay in shape. As an instructor and a motivator within a group fitness class, it is important that I am physically fit. I generally need to be the one in the classroom with the best form, the greatest endurance (to be able to talk/yell while doing the moves) and with an ability to lift a role-model weight without giving into fatigue.

I've always enjoyed being physically active (thanks to my parents who are great role models of staying physically fit). I grew up taking dance classes (ballet and jazz), and in high school, I ran cross country and track. When I got to college, I joined a gym. I was at the kickboxing classes so often that finally one of the instructors said to me, "Noelle, you're always here. Why don't you just get paid to be here?" That makes sense, I thought. So my group fitness career began, and I continued teaching and exercising throughout all my pregnancies.

I thought I would chart my running progress on here with Baby #4, because when I was researching other moms who might have run/walked half marathons while pregnant, I couldn't find too much information - or at least not the information I was looking for. So here is me, charting my progress:

The Beginning

I am not one of those moms who is super tiny and barely shows when she is pregnant. I pop out at two months and there is no looking back. I am 4'11", and there is no way to hide baby. Pre-pregnancy, I was running about 12 miles a week and teaching/taking classes inbetween (BodyPump - weight lifting class; BodyCombat - kickboxing/martial arts based class; BodyFlow - yoga/tai chi/pilates based class). This is my fifth pregnancy (I miscarried during my fourth pregnancy at 9 weeks about 7 months ago). I know in my heart that my miscarriage was not due to my exercise regime and that it was simply nature taking its course. I do think that the most important things to consider while exercising while pregnant are overheating, over-exertion and dehydration. But if you were fairly healthy without any previous history of problems before and take great care to hydrate yourself before, during and after exercise and not push yourself to the point of over-exertion, then I feel there is no reason why you cannot continue to exercise throughout pregnancy. In fact, there are so many benefits to exercising while pregnant, not the least of which include: a larger, more efficient placenta/blood circulation/oxygen intake for you and baby than most, a body prepared for the marathon of labor/delivery, and a quicker ability to return to pre-pregnancy shape (though elective surgery might be the only way to ever get rid of that extra skin! Ugh.)

I have never been sick throughout my other pregnancies, but this fifth one had me retching like a cat with 50 hairballs through the first trimester. Fatigue was always a serious problem with my other pregnancies, but getting through one hour without running for the porcelain throne was the main culprit in keeping me from maintaining my regular exercise schedule those first three months. It was hard to make myself get out the door, but when I did, the fresh air helped. (Well, as fresh as you can get in Mexico City, right?).

Week 20

At 20 weeks, I am 36 inches around and have gained almost 4 pounds. I am also running about two minutes slower than I used to (I would invest in that beautiful Garmin 305 if it wouldn't be so depressing to watch my time fall and wear physical evidence of how slow I am getting.) With exercising while pregnant, I constantly have to make adjustments as my capabilities change so fast - even from week to week as baby grows from week to week. This was my exercise schedule this week:

Monday: Ran 40 minutes and taught a BodyFlow class.

Tuesday: Ran four miles. Stretched for 15 minutes.

Wednesday: Did the elliptical for 30 minutes and lifted weights (squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges). I generally do less weight and longer reps.

Thursday: Ran four miles. Stretched for 15 minutes.

Friday: Nothing!!!

Saturday: I will do five miles. We'll see if I need to start walking at all.

The first mile of my run is the hardest and my legs feel like dead weight. I have found that it is better for me to start with a 5-minute brisk walk to warm up my muscles and then gradually set into a jog/run. After about a mile-and-a-half is when I find my rhythm and can set into a comfortable pace. Sometimes after a run, I will feel some pain in my pubic symphysis, but it helps if I go back to the brisk walk for 5 minutes afterward to help my body cool down. I want to be especially conscious of this pubic symphysis pain, because though it is normal for it to separate during pregnancy, I don't want to cause permanent damage there and have my pelvic bones totally separate. I feel greater soreness in my thighs and hamstrings and some soreness in my ankles and knees then I did a month ago, which I think is from the extra weight and shift in my center of gravity. I have been using the Gabriella Maternity Belt, which Bruce brought back from the States for me this week, and I really love it! It is helping to hold in my belly and lessen my need to pee!



I can't stress the importance of stretching enough. Though you want to be careful not to overstretch (as our ligaments loosen with the advent of pregnancy and can lead to overstretched, inflamed ligaments). But stretching and maintaining flexibility is what helps prevent injuries. You know that feeling in the morning when you stretch your body before getting out of bed? It feels so good, right? When we take the time to stretch after a great workout, we are giving our body its reward for working hard and it is the perfect time to take advantage of lengthening those warm muscles. While stretching, I think more about lengthening my spine rather than rounding it out, and I also try to maintain an open chest. I generally hold each stretch for about 20-30 seconds, using my breath to exhale into the stretch and sink into it a little deeper. Very effective.

Anyway, I'm going to try to give updates as I go along and maybe this will help someone who wants to continue staying active throughout their pregnancy!


Post-Edit: Written Saturday, June 5th, at 9 a.m. Ran the five miles this morning without any need to walk and still felt like I could keep going. Good sign. Still some stiffness in the legs, but no round ligament pain around the abdomen. Only had to go to the bathroom once! The maternity belt is working! :)