Excercise

[HelloKitty]

Hi, wanting some advice about excercise. Im normally active and excercised (jogged/aerobics) 3 times a week. Since being pregnant i have lost all motivation to do this. I am walking 20 min but i feel that i am loosing my fitness and starting to feel a bit blue :gloomy: Any advice about pregnancy excercise and tips to get motivating.

Cheers

[Sarie]

Hi! I didn't do any exercise in my first pregnancy. But in my second I developed Gestational Diabetes and probably went to the extreme.
I did 10-20 min on the exercise bike after each meal and we'd walk 3-4 km every night. By the end of my pregnancy not only had I gotten my BS levels back to normal but I felt fantastic and I handled the birth so much better.

[DellaWellaWoman]

I used to go for a 45-or so minute walk most nights after work & over the weekend.

Then I got pregnant - and had "afternoon sickness" - so much for feeling like doing ANYthing, let alone getting out and exercising!

The afternoon sickness is gone now, so I'm trying to fit in a few walks a week (harder now it gets dark while I'm still at work), as well as doing pre-natal yoga.

I guess I don't really have any tips, other than to keep in mind that the fitter you are the better you (supposedly) will recover from the birth.

I've got the next two weeks off work, so I'm going to try to get in at least a half hour walk each day - they're nowhere near as fast as they used to be since I waddle now, but I figure any exercise is better than none.

Good luck!

[tanyia]

I have been walking most days and have also bought a couple of DVD's which I have found really great.

The first is Preggiebellies which is exercise/aerobics on a fitball and the second is Great Expectations which is also a workout on a fitball. I was reasonably fit before I fell pregnant but had never used a fitball. Both these DVD's are designed specifically for pregnant women. Preggie bellies is quite a hard work out but Great Expectations is a lot gentler with lots of stretching and pelvic floor exercises.

I have found using the fitball is really fantastic for my lower back and is much lower impact than standing doing aerobics (also bought a Pregnancy aerobics DVD which I found awful) and I feel like I am keeping up some level of fitness. I also plan to use the fitball during labour all going well!

Good luck with the exercise, I think it is fine to do as little or as much exercise as you feel like when you are pregnant. You have to listen to your body and be kind to yourself.

[Tam-I-Am]

I was going to recommend Preggi Bellies too, I found it really good, although I only did it occassionally, and walked lots. Since having DD I've lost all my fitness, motivation to exercise, and have put on 7kg. I think I should start doing it again!

Preggi Bellies website: http://www.preggibellies.com.au/