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How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant?
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I need some help staying motivated to stick to my workout schedule now that I’m pregnant. I’m 17 weeks along, have no complications and have quite a bit of energy but without any races on the horizon, I find it hard to get myself out to exercise! I’m trying to stay healthy but I’m just getting bigger and slower every day. Now that I’ve scaled back my training, the weight is coming on faster then I would have expected and some days I just feel like throwing in the towel on staying in shape.

For you ladies who’ve had kids (and kept training) what motivated you to keep in shape and do you think it benefited you in the long run? I’m hoping to race again next summer but at this point I’m already concerned that I’ll never get back to my pre-pregnancy fitness level and weight!
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations! I have two boys. I did not train with the first (I was working hectic hours) and stayed active for the second pregnancy. Here's what kept me motivated:
1. I picked a goal race for after Small's birth. I ran the Disney Marathon shortly before his 1st birthday. This gave me something to look forward to during pregnancy and postpartum.
2. Modified training will make your pregnancy and delivery much easier. I've done pregnancy both ways. The last months were far more comfortable with Small, and labor was a breeze in comparison.
3. Find stuff to do that works for you. During the third trimester, I did not like running with a belly. I walked with a steep incline on the treadmill instead.
Take good care of yourself and get plenty of rest. You will be racing again before you know it.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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You are being too hard on yourself. You will get your pre-baby body back - more or less (there will be changes you can't reverse) so don't get demoralized now and don't have unrealistic expectations either. You are going to get big & round & chubby - that's just what happens. Instead of trying to stick to your current routines, try different ways of being active. Walking is one of the best things you can do, so find a few places you like to walk and get out there. Also, do some upper body weights. I lost sooo much upper body strength through my pregnancy, it took forever to get it back. Pre-natal yoga can be nice as well, if you like yoga.

Basically ditch your planned schedule and just do what you want, mix it up, try different things, and you'll be just fine.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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Good point. Take the long view. Growing a little person is a lot of work. I found staying active helpful during pregnancy and I liked planning my return. However, I made rest a priority. Your body will come back (w/ a few modifications).
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [tri2volley] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed. I ran til week 22, rode til week 32 and swam until THE DAY. I found it helped to stay active - specifically it helped me survive the three days of labour I went through and it helped me recover from the unplanned c-section I ended up having... ;-)

When tired - rest. When not - do something enjoyable.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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three days of labor! Holy crap you are one tough woman! That must make triathlons - and honestly everything else in life - seem like a breeze in comparision!


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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe try thinking of it from the baby's perspective. . .
So, I have not been pregnant personally, but, as part of my job, I go to births on a regular basis to take care of the neonates. After watching literally hundreds of women give birth (usually in the middle of the night), I am very impressed by the advantage the strong, fit, appropriate-weight women have during the birthing process. There are less complications for the babies, too.
Just a thought.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [lilpups] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, IMWA seemed pretty easy in comparison. ;-)

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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Listen to AP. She's giving you good advice. Also, remember that the more active and fit you are, the better you're going to feel in your third trimester. I also believe that your labor and delivery will good easier for you if you are strong and your recovery will be better too.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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I would second the advice on taking it easy on yourself. Keep active -- walk, swim, run if you feel like it. As long as you're eating healthy and in appropriate portions (bigger than pre-pregnancy), I wouldn't worry too much. I believe that each woman has a particular amount her body "likes" to gain in pregnancy. With my first, I started at 125 (I'm 5'7") and gained 60 pounds. I swore I was going to do better with the second -- and gained only 55 pounds:) My docs didn't complain and the weight came off both times. Yours will too, I promise.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations on the pregnancy. Hopefully you did not have a bad first trimester. I was VERY sick the whole first trimester so I was not able to work out. After the 14th week I was able to go back to a pretty normal routine of working but scaled down drastically. I ran through the 7th month (kind of...I could not run longer than 20min through months 5 and 7...then had to stop running after that) and did the elipical and trainer up until the day I went into labor. I tried to get 50min of cardio 5 days a week (I can't say that this alwyas happened but I did the best I could with working).
I made it my goal to do a triathlon the first summer after giving birth to keep me motivated. I had Katelyn in October and my first tri since having her is on June 1st (2 weeks away...AHHHHH!). I am nowhere near as prepared as I have been for previous races but my priorities have changed. I am hoping just to finish in one peice. Getting to that finish line now carries with it different meaning than it did in the past. Instead of looking for that person in front of me hoping to pass them, all I want to see is my husband, my baby, and our dog at the finish line!
Do what you can but don't be too hard on yourself. Listen to your body. If you are having a rough day and don't feel well, don't push it. It is only 9months...and the result is worth any and every sacrifice. Your body will go back (for the most part)so don't stress about that.
I do think I benifited from working out. Being in medicine...I read just about every book there was on working out and pregnency. I was only in real labor for about 5 hours. For the most part I would say the delivery was pretty easy (I HIGHLY recommend an epidural as soon as you can get one!!). My doctors kept telling me that working out would help with the labor and recovery and I think they were right. 6weeks after delivery I ran about 5 miles without much of a problem. It has not been as hard as I thought getting back to my previous cardio shape. The weight will come off in time but don't be too hard on yourself. My baby is 7mo and I am 3lbs away from my pre-baby weight.
Good luck and enjoy the experience of being pregnant.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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This is a timely thread. I am 26 weeks along with my 2nd pregnancy and finding it much harder to work out this time than the first.
As far as motivation...I just feel better when I work out a bit. My body feels better, my back doesn't hurt as much and I feel a little more like my triathlete self than the curvaceous pregnant women I see in the mirror. I'm really enjoying running though it's slow and makes my round ligament pain (left groin) a bit worse. I'm also swimming 1-2 times a week.

For me being in better shape during pregnancy did a few things:
1)Super quick recovery from childbirth. I felt physically recovered less than a week after delivery. Was walking around the neighborhood at 3 days and ran in the 2-3 week postpartum timeframe
2) It wasn't too tough to get my fitness back, though I really didn't start being serious about it at all until 5-6 months postpartum
3) while it didn't make labor and delivery shorter (or if that was short I can't imagine long!!!) but I was able to go drug free like I wanted and just keep pushing my body when I needed to.

I agree that you should take days off when you need to, if I work out 4 times a week that's pretty normal. And get lots of sleep and eat well.

Good luck.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [mj] [ In reply to ]
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It can always be worse...

a woman I work with is carrying triplets. Her doc told her to eat 4500 calories a day. Everytime I speak with her on the phone, she's chewing something.
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [golum] [ In reply to ]
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I wouldn't try to "train" as much as I'd just try to stay active and healthy. Training implies pushing yourself or setting specific goals for time, distance, etc. I agree that it's very important to stay active throughout your whole pregnancy, and that doing so will make delivery easier on you and the baby, but I don't think you should worry about how much weight is coming on, or being able to maintain your pre-pregnancy speed and endurance. Right now your body needs to grow a baby, and if you're having trouble being motivated, listen to your body and do what you can get motivated for.

I was fully planning on working out right along. I wanted to run a 1/2 marathon at 6 months, and at least go mountian biking until I delivered. However, I just couldn't do it. I was so frustrated at how tired I was all the time because I knew I wanted to stay active, but the "goals" I set for myself felt so insurmountable. Finally my husband got me to just go out and walk with him, and I found a few great pregnancy yoga DVDs. I scaled back my activity level to what felt managable and "right" and I ended up feeling great.

I don't know that I'd agree with the other post that recommends getting an epidural right away. Everyone is different and we all have different pain thresholds, but I did not have an epidural or any other interventions, and I had an absolutly fabulous birth experience. For me it was like finishing the best race of my life. It was hard and yes, uncomfortable, but you feel so alive when your body is working so hard to do something it was designed to do. And for me, being able to walk, stand, dance with my husband, and move at will was key to my easy delivery, just as staying fit was.

Oh, and don't worry about the weight you gain now, especially if you're planning to breastfeed. I'm 4 months post partum with my first, and I weigh 5 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight. I'll admit this is muscle that I need to gain back.

Good luck and congrats!

http://www.athletefocus.com
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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I'm at week 19, and do 30-60min of exercise, 4-6 times a week. I can't say I train, but I stay active. I get motivated by the fact that I want to race again next year. So I think that if I stay active, it will be easier to resume my training after child birth. For, me it's the only way to get motivated. I have to have a goal to get motivated. I'm like this.

I still run, but it's getting harder every week, I don't think I'll continue to run until the end. I did elliptical at the gym this week. This will be the substitute for the run in the next weeks. It's a hard exercise, and it's good for the arms as well. But I never push myself. I listen to other women who all say that my pre-pregnancy shape will come back after delivery. Good luck!
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [nalitri] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
...I had an absolutly fabulous birth experience. For me it was like finishing the best race of my life. It was hard and yes, uncomfortable, but you feel so alive when your body is working so hard to do something it was designed to do. And for me, being able to walk, stand, dance with my husband, and move at will was key to my easy delivery, just as staying fit was.
Great quote, especially the part about feeling so alive. Your birth experience is something I aspire to. :)

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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [trybcic] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
I need some help staying motivated to stick to my workout schedule now that I’m pregnant. I’m 17 weeks along, have no complications and have quite a bit of energy but without any races on the horizon, I find it hard to get myself out to exercise!



No races on the horizon? I beg to differ. You have a major endurance event about 23 weeks from now. This "major endurance event" may last longer than 17 hours, so maintaining your physical stamina is important.

Also, from what I read in Dr. Clapp's book Exercising through your pregnancy, women who exercise usually have lean (low body fat, but healthy) babies who arrive earlier at term, and their labors are shorter.

I didn't take Dr. Clapp's advice seriously, neglected my exercise, gained 80 pounds, had to be induced for "oversized baby" (a side effect of excessive weight gain) and ended up with an emergency C-section. If I get pregnant again, I won't make the same mistake twice.



"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"
Last edited by: SaraJean: May 27, 08 10:14
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [SaraJean] [ In reply to ]
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Nctrigirl, it sounds like you and I had similar experiences. My son is 8 months old today, and I was able to stay active while I was pregnant with him up until eight months. At that point, school, cross country (I'm a teacher and was also coaching xc at the time) and grad school started up and I didn't have time for anything. I considered walking and standing around at cross country meets to be my workouts.
I had a really difficult first trimester and was barely able to work out at all. I found that when I could muster the energy to go for a run, it was the only thing that stopped me from feeling pukey, so that was my motivation. During the second and third trimesters, I was able to resume most of my activities, and even did a triathlon at 18 weeks (slow and easy, just for fun). That was the last time I rode bike, though, because I was starting to show and got freaked out about crashing. And I despise the trainer, so I never did that. I guess I was just hoping to conserve what I could as far as muscle mass and fitness so I would be able to get back in shape faster. Plus, it seemed like everyone I knew (husband included) was training for IM Moo, and I kind of felt left out. That was the hardest thing, actually -- not being able to race or go on group workouts, and feeling pushed to the sidelines among all my tri friends.

Now I am looking forward to my first triathlon coming up in a week! I have been able to get back into running shape, but work/grad school/hubby's training (which always has to take priority since he's training for Kona -- kind of a source of contention at our house) along with the demands of being a new mommy have made it challenging, to say the least. I haven't done a swim workout since before I had the baby, and I've only been on the bike a handful of times. Definitely not going for a pr here! But as long as I do better than last year, I'll be happy. :) I have also signed up for a marathon in October, and that was always in the back of my mind throughout my pregnancy and recovery.

Back to the point, I do think that staying active helped my delivery and recovery a lot. I was able to do some light jogging 2 weeks post partum, though I wasn't able to get into a consistent routine until...well, I still don't have one. I am below my pre-pregnancy weight (though as a previous poster said, I know a lot of that is muscle lost). I'm still very squishy around the middle, but that's my own fault for ignoring all those Pilates DVDs I have. But I was able to get back to feeling normal relatively quickly, and I'm convinced that it was because I stayed active. I did not hold myself to each and every workout, but I made sure I got out a few times a week at least. I did more yoga/elliptical/swimming stuff than ever before. Basically, if it feels good, do it. If you would rather rest, listen to your body and rest. As far as exercise goes, anything you do will be better than nothing. Good luck!
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Re: How do you get motivated to train while Pregnant? [SaraJean] [ In reply to ]
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Also, from what I read in Dr. Clapp's book Exercising through your pregnancy, women who exercise usually have lean (low body fat, but healthy) babies who arrive earlier at term, and their labors are shorter.[/reply] yea....With my first I exercised quite a bit, even at the end 3-4 times/week. I gained 25 lbs. My baby was 10 days late, I was in labor for 2 days and my daughter was 8lbs 9oz. BUT I was in great shape for L&D and recovered so quickly. My point is that exercise isn't a guarantee to the short labor, early delivery but there definitely are benefits.
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