Working out while Pregnant!

I have always enjoyed working out. Before realizing a little munchkin was on his/her way, in fact I was running and completed a 6 mile obstacle race 1 month pregnant, I was still working out. But that quickly came to a halt, because running was becoming harder and I was getting more and more exhausted. I had always mentioned to Mark that I would like to continue working out and stay in shape during pregnancy. Well, for the most part I have been able to stick to that. Of course for the first three months I was exhausted and just getting through the day was a feat in and of itself. However, once I hit the 12 week mark, I was feeling much better and hence started working out more. I started walking and returned to the gym for BodyPump class. (Body Pump is a one hour total body weights class) I love BodyPump and stopped earlier this year when training for Hood to Coast picked up. I went back starting in December, but I stuck to very minimal weight. It felt good to go back and I always feel so energized after class. Since then, I have made it a point to go to class two days a week. I've been able to stick to this for the most part, aside from a week off when I didn't feel good and the occasional scheduling conflict. I have been increasing my weight and my doctor says that I can continue as long as I feel good. I've also bee continuing to walk at least 3-4 if not more times a week. I guess we will see how long I can keep this up! Either way I'm hoping that by staying in shape it will not only help me during the rest of pregnancy, but also help keep baby healthy and ease labor (fingers crossed)!

*Disclaimer: You should always check with a physician before starting and/or continuing a workout plan while pregnant. And if you start working out with weights, start out with light/no weight and work up to a safe level that you are not working yourself too hard.