So is the 140 beats/min thing wrong?

mckenya · May 2011

Hi All,

Just got my BFP today. I'm a runner and have been running for the past 5 years (4 marathons and several other races) but I'm nervous since all the advice I read is "keep your heart rate under 140 per minute". I have a hummingbird heart and my HR is routinely >180 beats per minute (thanks Garmin) so I am concerned that keeping under 140 basically means no running.

I'd like to run through-out my pregnancy (if I'm able). I average 25 miles per week and more if I'm training for a race. Does anyone have any advice on the HR thing? And if you didn't use the HR as a check on your training, how did you ensure that you were keeping safe?

I love running but obviously I love my baby more.

Thanks in advance!

chillyupnorth · May 2011

First of all, congrats!!

I would definitely talk to your doctor about this at your first appointment, or even call their office sooner and see if you can leave a message for a nurse or a prenatal care specialist. It depends a lot on your resting heart rate - mine is routinely 48-52 bpm, so for me 140 bpm is really high!

If you have been running that consistently for that long, I don't think there is a reason to change that. You probably don't want to increase your mileage or speed, but continuing with your regular program is good for your body and baby. Some people continue to run through their whole pregnancy (I'm not one of these lucky ones, since m/s wiped me out for about 3 months). Trust me, your body will let you know if you need to slow down !

beachbodymommy · May 2011

It's not wrong, just outdated.

First, you should ALWAYS get your Dr's approval first - this is the MOST IMPORTANT THING! Your health and the health of your baby are too precious.

Second, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has lifted the 'ban' of 140 bpm and now suggest using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). So, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the easiest thing you've ever done and 10 being the hardest) you should stay between a 4-6.

I have a breakdown of exercising during pregnancy on my blog, so in an effort not to type it all over again ( Wink ) check out my blog post:https://coachkarimoore.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-top-7-tips-on-exercise-during.html

Congrats!!

Melirose1 · May 2011

I agree that you should talk to your doctor. But, as a person who exercises 5 days a week and has my entire pregnancy I will say that you know if you are pushing yourself too far. I am 34 and 1/2 weeks along and I can tell when I need to back off. I think it is okay to continue your regular routine as long as you are comfortable. At the beginning of my pregnancy I could do just about everything (it was hard with morning sickness). Now I am winded much more easily and feel my heart rate go up more quickly. My advice is to listen to your body it will let you know when you need to slow down.

tokenhoser · May 2011

Listen to your body.

The RPE advice is good - you can work out, you can run, but you shouldn't strive to make big fitness gains while pregnant. It's about maintenance, and it's about knowing when to cut back. Places you may have powered through pain/discomfort before are places to take it easy now.

As for the "talk to your doctor" advice, go for it, but frankly, my doctor's advice was "exercise is good". She couldn't tell me how much to run or how much to lift. There isn't one right answer, it all depends on how your body copes with your pregnancy. Assuming you have no complications or pre-existing health conditions, it's perfectly safe to continue and see how it goes.

Mandy747 · May 2011

Congrats!

I'm a runner too. I just kept up my typical routine until my first doctor appointment. Personally, I didn't follow the 140 beats/min (as pp's have said, it's dated) and just based everything on how I felt. During those first few weeks, there's not much you can do to affect your baby one way or another, so unless you're having any scary signs (cramping & bleeding, etc.), then I don't see why you would wait until your first appointment.

In fact, even now my doctor has been pushing me to keep up my prior routine and not make any adjustments yet.

GL and enjoy!!

SFAug07 · May 2011

Congratulations!

As everybody else said, the 140 pbm is outdated. I never monitor my heartrate and kept up my running routine as before. I naturally get slower as I get further along the pregnancy. With DD1, I was able to run until I delivered at 40 weeks and was still logging about 40 miles per week then.

blu-eyedwife · May 2011

SFAug07:
Congratulations!

As everybody else said, the 140 pbm is outdated. I never monitor my heartrate and kept up my running routine as before. I naturally get slower as I get further along the pregnancy.

This exactly. I haven't had to stop running (except for this past week because I've got some sort of bug and I don't want to chance it). My doctor hasn't said anything about me not running and I was training for a half the first tri so I was logging in a lot of miles. I slowed down and get dehydrated far more easily now than pre-pregnancy (I have to carry water with me for 3 milers, which I never had to do). I don't worry about my heartrate, I just listen to my body. It lets me know exactly what it's capable of doing.

cairolio · May 2011

I was training when I got my BFP (ran 12 miles the day before I got pregnant) and my MD told me not to worry about the heart rate thing... just to keep on keepin' on! Enjoy!

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