Exercising While Pregnant

Doctors almost unanimously agree that you should continue your normal exercise routine, modified if necessary, throughout your pregnancy.  Of course, you should always talk to your doctor about your specific needs, but several studies have shown that exercising while pregnant helps you "increase circulation, avoid excessive weight gain, decrease fatigue, nausea, risk of blood clots, and lower back pain, improve your posture, reduce your risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, increase your third trimester comfort, diminish depression" and my personal favorite: "shorten labor". - Fit & Pregnant by Joan Marie Butler, RNC, CNM
 
 However, I'm finding it incredibly difficult to keep up my normal exercise routine, let alone find one that is eco-friendly.  Before pregnancy, I normally ran a 5K most mornings, then did sit-ups or lifted hand weights, and mixed it all up with some elliptical work when I got tired of running.  I was pretty active and determined to stay that way throughout my pregnancy.   It didn't take more than a few weeks for my running routine to cause "stomach problems" and at around my fourth month, I started having dull lower back pains for 24 hours after I ran.  Obviously something had to change.

There are a lot of guides to healthy exercising while pregnant.  My favorite is this book: Fit & Pregnant: The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Exercise by Joan Marie Butler, RNC, CNM.  It goes beyond the basic, easy pregnancy routines for women who weren't really active before pregnancy, explains some of the studies behind pregnant exercising (while leaving out the bulk of the super-scientific debates), talks about nutrition, describes what you shouldn't do, and goes through a variety of activities, one-by-one, explaining what you can do and how to modify the activity as you get larger.  The various topics include stretching, pilates/yoga, aerobics, weight training, running/walking/hiking, swimming/water aerobics, cycling, and winter activities.

A few online guides are available also, which can help get you started, but tend to focus on what you can't do:

WebMD: Exercise During Pregnancy
BabyCenter: Healthy Exercises for Pregnancy & Answers to Exercise FAQs

What you can do, it turns out, is continue doing almost everything to a degree.  I've found that the absolute best exercises for me have been swimming (anything that helps support your extra weight is a great thing) and yoga.  I've been using Shiva Rea's Prenatal Yoga DVD, which, for each pose shows a modified pose for each trimester.  I am a yoga beginner and can't say enough wonderful things about it - it makes me feel like a million bucks every time.  The breathing and control exercises supposedly help you get through labor as well.

I've also found biking, hiking/walking and the elliptical machine (lower impact exercises than running) to be excellent.  One other adjustment I've made is to move my routine to after work, instead of morning.  This gives me more sleep at night and helps with the fatigue of pregnancy!

Continue to be Planet-Conscious

Now that we know what we can do - how do we turn these activities into eco-friendly ones?  Easy!  Almost all of the exercises mentioned above can be done outside if the weather allows it.  Go for a fabulous hike or walk through your neighborhood or a nearby park.  Use a real bike instead of a stationary one, or check out this device, which turns your outdoor bike stationary and stores the green energy you produce to power small appliances!  Once you learn a fun yoga routine, lose the DVD and take it outside (my personal favorite is yoga on the beach if you live near one) or walk to a class.  Swim in a clean lake or salt-water pool (sometimes this can be hard, so cut yourself some slack and use a normal, chlorinated pool if you must - I tend to think the benefits of staying healthy translate to your child and trump long drives to a lake or the ocean).  Is it winter?  Grab some cross-country skis or snowshoes or find a gym with an indoor track.  Do your kegels and stretching anywhere, any time.  Like yoga, this also can be a great stress-relief and helps get you through labor.

Whatever you end up doing, staying active will make you feel loads better during your pregnancy.  Be flexible with your routine and schedule, knowing you can get back into your normal routine in just a few months!