Ab exercises

MrsLillyG

Does anyone know what is safe during pregnancy?? Can I pretty much do anything during first tri?

MeghanCF

My doctor told me no ab exercises.

"This is not the time to get abs of steel"

MrsLillyG

MeghanCF said:

My doctor told me no ab exercises. "This is not the time to get abs of steel"

lol! I heard that ab exercises helped labor... guess not!

MeghanCF

::shruggs:: I dunno. It's what my doctor told me! Good luck!

jess123456

I've heard the same thing from my doctor. I should avoid twisting too. I am sticking with jogging, light hikes, swimming, and walking.

Bandia12

I've been told no ab exercises during pregnancy as well. 

mb314

I did planks and pelvic rocks when pregnant with DS. pregnancy weakens your ab muscles, so you should do what you can to keep them strong. I have heard not to do crunches, but I dont know why. maybe bc you are lying on your back (which isnt good later on). i hope to go back to planks/pelvic rocks once I am no longer nauseous and exhausted 24/7.

Loopyseven

My trainer tells me I can do just about anything pregnant that I did not pregnant.  Obviously, at some point you won't really be able to lay on your belly, and later on you should avoid laying flat on your back.  We were doing ab twists today, and I was feeling pain in my round ligament areas, so instead of bringing my knee to the opposite elbow, I brought it to the same side elbow and cut out the twist part.  Use common sense.  If it hurts don't do it.

skschumacher

I have been given the same advice by my doctor: whatever exercises you did before you were pregnant are fine to do while you're pregnant. But like some ladies already mentioned, the bigger you get the harder it is to do some things. I plan to keep my routine like before, except I'm slowing down my running pace and using smaller weights.

strasbjl

Usually sit ups are fine until you start to really show.  Then if you continue to do them sometimes it can cause your ab muscles to separate.  I switched from sit ups to planks around 24 weeks with my last pregnancy.  Good ab muscles can help during delivery and help you recover faster afterward.  Just listen to your body and don't do anything that hurts. Find some good prenatal workout videos.

CTri17

first tri anything is pretty much fine, after that I would stick to mostly planks/pelvic rocks on the ball

mtusnow

try searching thebump.com and other baby sitesand you'll find example exercises, including ab exercises. I've got some saved somewhere but couldn't find them quickly. I had the best of intentions saving them, and 6/7weeks later I have yet to take them out.

rsmall326

My dr told me ab exercises are fine and helpful for labor later just don't use any machines and keep the workout simple. In the second trimester avoid laying on your back but u can still do standing crunches or just tightening the muscles

dfilarski

Ive been running walking and some eliptical with light weights. Ive just kept my HR lower however with the MS I have I cant seem to do much lately but walk.

carafern

I've also heard mixed things, the midwife we saw early on said no ab exercises (but she also told me to take two prenatal vitamins for twins, which I found out later was not good), the nurse practitioner I saw last week said what PPs have said: that first tri, everything is fine...but later you'll have to modify. I am definitely taking it a little easier and slower, but I'm still doing ab exercises. I have also hear that it helps with labor.