Joining a gym and starting an exercise routine at 21 weeks? (Sorry, long-ish)

MNmama7112

I'm 21 weeks pregnant with baby boy #2 and I'm going to be starting a new chapter as a SAHM to my 16 month old in a few weeks. We are joining our local YMCA and I'm looking forward to being able to bring my little guy(s) there to play in the childcare center while I workout. I have always (pregnant or not) been inconsistent when it comes to exercise. I'll get in a kick of working out several times a week and then go through periods where I'm not doing anything (minus chasing after my toddler). When I first got pregnant this time around, I walked around 3 miles at a fast pace a few days a week, but didn't do much outside of that. But between MS, exhaustion, and honestly laziness, I've really slipped out of the habit of exercising over the last few months. Well, now that I'm joining the Y, I'd love to get back into a workout routine. I know it would be good for both me and the baby. I love taking classes when I'm a gym member, so I'm wondering what classes are OK for me to do considering I haven't been doing much physically for a while now. Yoga seems like a safe bet as long as I ask the teacher to show me modifications when needed. Can I do things like BodyPump (weight lifting)? What about spinning? I have a HRM so I could monitor that if needed (and if I knew what I should keep it at or under).

Any advice would be helpful! Thanks!

jlanderson18

My doctor is very open to exercising as much as you want as long as you are watching your heart rate and don't start training for an event that you've never done before. She put no limits on classes or types of exercises. She said to go for it as long as you are comfortable! I'm sure every doc has a different opinion though so maybe check with yours for reassurance. Good luck!

ajbook

I took spin classes until I was about 6mo pregnant, then the instructor had a conflict and stopped teaching a time that worked for me. I also did Zumba until 7mo and ran until 39w5d. As pp said, watch your level of exertion and slow down or take breaks when needed. Talk to your doc, if you haven't yet, and see what he/she suggests.

APendola

Most exercises are fine to do while you are pregnant...but starting something that is new to you would be a challenge.  So if you haven't done it before, it's definitely important to talk to the instructor before the class begins so they can give you some modifications.  I would also suggest talking to someone at the gym about what classes they recommend.  If the receptionist can't help you, maybe they could have a group fitness or personal trainer or someone give you a call with some suggested classes for you.

I would probably start with lower intensity classes.  Does your gym have some low-impact cardio classes?  Spinning can be pretty intense...on the other hand, you are in control of how fast you go and how much resistance you have, so you can do what feels right for you.