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Subscribe to RSSMost experts say pregnant women can continue running, if they do it right. WNBC's Glenn Zimmerman reports.
When it comes to pregnancy, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions. Popular wisdom dictates that a lot of workaday activities are best avoided, but often without citing any viable, concrete reasons. Last month, Time Magazine’s Healthland blog posted an interesting item called 5 Pregnancy Taboos Explained (or Debunked) that got to the bottom of certain pregnancy no-no’s like coffee and air travel. Even with the support and empirical evidence from the medical community, however, some expectant mothers are reluctant to deviate from the age-old guidelines.
Not all women agree, however. WNBC’s Glenn Zimmerman went to Central Park to meet an expectant mother and former marathon runner who is intent on keeping with her active running regimen, even while seven-months-pregnant. And she’s not alone.
What do you think? Do believe running and pregnancy mix? Watch the video and share your thoughts in the comment section.
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I have always had exercise including running explained to me this way, If it is what the mother was doing before pregnancy, she can do it during pregnancy. While it is important to make sure you are doing it properly and safely, now more so than before, that is no reason to discontinue exercises. Also walking, running, yoga, and such activities are being linked to healthy pregnancies and easier labors and birth.
Count me among those who think running is a bit too much. I'm a former OB/GYN nurse, but that aside, just on a basic physics level, I should think running would have the same effect as "shaken baby syndrome". Would you like to be tossed up and down for an extended period of time? I just don't see how that can be healthy, at *any* stage of pregnancy. Early on, you have implantation to consider, and later, trauma to the fetus. Why take the risk? All of the other exercises, done carefully, should be fine, as far as I can see, but not running. Walking vigorously probably is pretty safe as well.
Shaken baby syndrome? Are you kidding? Being a OB/GYN nurse doesn't qualify you to make uneducated/unsubstantiated statements.
Baby is protected by fluid.........I think perhaps you suffer from the effects of shaken brain syndrome youself.
Implantation takes place before the woman even knows she is pregnant. And amniotic fluid protects the baby. There is more risk to the mother and fetus from the mother being in poor physical condition and developing gestational diabetes from excess weight gain.
I ran a full marathon at 12 weeks pregnant, I took it slow and listened to my body. I ran when I felt good. I had a stillborn little girl at 22 weeks, 2 weeks ago. We were given no explanation through autopsy and further testing. I will always wonder whether the running could have played a factor. My doctors tell me it likely had no effect, but how can I not wonder. We are hoping to try again in the near future, I am still up in the air as to whether I will continue to run, likely not a full but maybe shorter distances. Running makes me feel so good about myself that it is a hard decision to just stop when the risks are just not known.
I'm so sorry for your loss!
Seeing as you were only 3 months along when you ran the marathon, I can't see how that could have had any effect on the pregnancy ten weeks later. Don't let it stop you from continuing to run when you're ready to start again.
As for running later in the pregnancy, I don't see how anyone can do it. Pregnancy takes so much out of a woman's body in the last trimester, I can't imagine running being very beneficial. It's a good time to rest and take it easy; I mean sure, go walking if allowed, but enjoy the "calm before the storm", especially if it's your first!
Hmmm...
Pregnancy is such a delicate condition. Why take risks? It's the one time in life you have permission to sit back, relax, have an extra bite to eat and take it easy. Your body is trying with all it's might to hold onto its energy reserves to grow a baby! Why fight it with strenuous exercise? You NEED fat reserves in order to produce good fatty milk after your baby is born. If you are able to breast feed once you have the baby, you won't need to do anything but that in order to get back to your normal weight once the baby is born. That was my experience anyway. (And the weight lifting of your baby his/her first year helps too.)
Not all women lose the baby weight just from breastfeeding. I sure didn't.
Pregnancy is not a delicate condition. And labor is hard work. Would an athlete prepare for a 1 to 2 day sporting event by eating too much and resting for 9 months?
I am 51/2 months pregnant and just finished a 1/2 marathon. My body feels better and stronger than ever and I know it is completely safe. The prior comment about "Pregnancy being such a delicate condition" is silly. Pregnancy is the most normal and common condition. Women have been having babies for hundreds and hundreds of years. Farmers, fire fighters, landscapers and runners have healthy babies every day! Do you think when it is harvest time the pregnant farmer puts her feet up and lets the harvest take care of itself. No, she continues her routine. The safest thing you can do is continue doing what your body has always done just make sure to hydrate, stay well rested and listen to your bodies natural signs. Also, in response to the prior comment, yes it is true that your body NEEDS fat reserves but what makes you think running depletes your body of FAT and who says running is "strenuous exercise". You are speaking in very general terms. Running for me is not strenuous it is therapeutic. Which is good for my baby.
I'm a little over 5 months pregnant and it's really affected my coordination and balance. Running like I did before would definitely be putting both me and my baby at risk. That may not be the case for everyone but why risk it when there are so many other ways to stay fit during pregnancy?
I worked in a factory as a punch press operator making parts for Ford and GM. During my pregnancy I was told to do everything I did before gettting pregnant and for me that included running. My daughter is now ten years old and very healthy and running does not look to have affected her in any way at all. I would say it had a good benefit, as she seems to enjoy running herself and being active. As for breast feeding giving back your pre-baby body, that does not happen for all moms. My sister had six kids and has gained weight from all the births and while she has lost some of it, for the most part she still has much that needs to be shed and she breast fed all of her children. I say for those women that were running before pregnancy keep up your running schedule, it will help you keep your inner balance and peace. For those women who want to take up running while pregnant I would strongly urge you to wait until after the birth of your child. Your body is not used to the extra exertion that an extended run would put on it and consequently you could do more harm to yourself then good. I would suggest water arobics for expectant mothers. The bouyancy of the water helps to alleviate some of the internal stresses being placed on your body while giving you a good workout. Ask your obstetrician for local places that may hold these types of classes or look online. Where I live they have what is called Fit Moms and that is who you would contact about the water arobics information. To all the women who read this article and are currently pregnant I wish you the best of luck in the births of your children. To all the women who already have kids, I hope that your able to guide them on the right path and they learn the ethics, morals and values that you want them to have.
I would absolutely NOT run during pregnancy! I agree...why take the risks? I would resort to walking which I was told to do and was ok. My OB/GYN doesn't like any of her patients "running". It just is not necessary during the only 9 mos. that you are pregnant. That just seems like obsessive exercise behavior that can be avoided to not place undue stress on the fetus. You can exercise but not running. I've never liked running of any kind even as a child. I have always prefered sport exercise such as tennis, volleyball or walking. I don't get any of these people that run as it is let alone during pregnancy...My doctor never told me to do what I did before I got pregnant. She said it is a time to take it easy with very moderate exercise and I have always had easy deliveries with only walking as my exercise. If anything did happen to your pregancy, then you would always say, should've, would've or could've. For what? Take the 9 mos out to be safe rather than sorry! I say, you can't fix stupid..
"I've never liked running of any kind even as a child."
Which is why YOU shouldn't run while pregnant. Runners who consistently are not straining their body when they run at an easy pace. You shouldn't use pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy. The video clearly stated to listen to your body and not to push yourself. I know MANY pregnant runners who run throughout their pregnancies and were able to bounce back after labor much more quickly than some. Laziness is stupid and a bad example for your child.
Every woman is so different, their bodies are different and their pregnancies are different. Why make it one decision for everyone? I value all of the comments above and think that each answer is right for them. I was 38 when I finally got pregnant with twins. I continued to run (at a much slower pace) until my 5th month. During this time, I walked if I felt like walking, and didn't put any pressure on myself to run. I listened to my body and wore a heart rate monitor (which sometimes told me to stop way before I felt the need). My point is that if you listen to your body and take care of yourself and remember the bundle you are carrying needs you to protect it, you wouldn't push yourself to extremes and therefore are just excersing to keep yourself healthy. I don't see anything wrong with that!
I agree that every woman is different; so listen to your body. However no one is talking about the consequences of not exercising. I know someone who eat a lot of fast food and salty food when she was pregnant. She didn't exercise. She had high blood pressure and a premature birth. Every woman should get some form of exercise when pregnant, even in a modified form.
Every woman is different, so it just depends on the person. I run, but it affects my body & menstrual cycle to the extent that when I get pregnant, I will probably not run, b/c for me, I don't think it will be worth the risk. I will stick to the eliptical machine, walking, yoga, etc. Running doesn't bother some people as much, so they can still run during pregnancy w/o any problems. As with anything, you can discuss the issue and do all the studies in the world, but it all boils down to the woman that's pregnant, her body type, and her particular pregnancy, and from there, her dr. and her can decide what's best.
I wish I could've kept running through my pregnancy. Initially I kept exercising as usual but at my 20 week ultrasound I was found to have a low placenta and cautioned to take it easy. I found it very difficult to lose the baby weight after my daughter was born and really think it would've helped immensely if I could've kept running and exercising in general. I'm back at it now but feel like I'm constantly fighting an uphill battle.
As others have said, I think you just have to listen to your body. If your body is used to exercising and you feel good, keep it up! If your doc has a good reason for asking you to stop, listen. But just being pregnant is not a good enough reason in my opinion.
It's only recently that pregnancy has been treated like a disease. Unless you have complications, why should you change your activity level? Your body will let you know if it's too much... just use your common sense for Pete's sake!
BTW, miscarriages in the first trimester are very common. I had one and it for sure had no relationship to running. Eggs are never replenished in the body. What you have originally are the same ones you have your whole life, and they age like the rest of the body. Some are just not viable and they don't make it past the first 3 months. That's the way of life... it's no one's "fault."
I can see there are still a lot of misconceptions in this comment thread! I'm 14 weeks pregnant and plan to continue to run (short distances) until it becomes physically uncomfortable. Once my belly is really protruding, I think any kind of running stress would be hard on my back, hips, joints, etc, that are all being relaxed by the hormone "relaxin." It sounds funny, but most women by 6 months along are experiencing significant joint laxity. Continuing to run could possibly cause injury (much like women athletes are more prone to injury just before their periods, when they produce the same hormone).
As for lying around for the last trimester, I have to disagree. Keeping active, even if it's just doing basic movements like walking, swimming, etc, will help a woman give through childbirth, and afterward. Keeping a base level of fitness is important for immunity, recovery, as well as mental health. Of course, if there's a medical condition that prevents activity, so be it. I know most women (myself included) felt utterly huge and tired in the last trimester, but every time I dragged myself to the gym for a swim, I felt so much better the next day. I think the key is to listen to your body and motivate yourself with short, manageable exercise sessions.
I think for people that run it is an addiction. They love the high they get from it. So when they get pegnant it is hard to stop. I would have never risked it, and cannot imagine runnning after the first trimester. That would hurt! It is not worth the risks, I had three perfect pregnancies and was a little overweight with all of them. I did not do any excessive excersising. The result was healthy babies! I guess it is ones personal decision. However, I would not recommend it.
I've known women who have played soccer well into their pregnancies and have done so with their doctor's blessing. I also watched a woman swim laps throughout her entire pregnancy. She disappeared for a couple weeks - and then started coming back and swimming laps - this time with a baby in a carrier that she would leave well back on the pool deck during the evening adult lap swim. Other women I've known that have been swimmers or runners and have kept that activity up during their pregnancies (within reason of course) have told me that it was the best thing they could have done - they felt better and their recovery time was easier. A friend who had to be on bed rest said it was the WORST thing in the world -- she struggled after her child was born and it took a long time to feel like she was back to her normal self (not talking weight - talking abilities).
The best advice is to work with your doctor and listen to your own body. The world doesn't stop turning and things don't stop needing to be done just because a baby is growing...
I ran up until my 5th month, when I really got too winded from it, but I continued all the other exercise I normally do - elliptical, step class, bike, yoga - up until two weeks before I gave birth, and I was 10 days late! I am so happy I exercised throughout - I never swelled, had no issues with mobility or joint pain, and made it through 3 hours of pushing, which I can't imagine doing if I hadn't been exercising. I don't know about BF helping take the weight off - I have been back at my PP weight since my son was 7 months old, but I've also been working out six days a week. I didn't feel like it "melted off", as you read all over the place.
This doesn't address running and I don't think it's equivalent, but it is something to think about. My 23yo daughter was 3 months pregnant with her first child, very fit and thin. She jumped on a TRAMPOLINE. I wasn't aware or I would have warned her against it. Three days later, she started having abdominal pain which gradually increased to the absolutely unbearable stage. Pain meds only dulled it for a few minutes. She had exploratory surgery and they found that one Fallopian tube had twisted SEVEN times! Her ovary was dying. They had to remove that ovary and tube. The OB-Gyn had never seen anything like it. The baby was born full term and is very healthy, but now she is certainly aware of the risks associated with excessively jarring motions while pregnant!
There is no reason to exercise so vigorously during pregnancy! Exercise moderately yes - running - no! There is absolutely nothing that is worth risking that precious baby's life and if you have to give up running for 9 months then so be it. How do you know whether or not you have any kind of condition (especially early in the pregnancy pre-ultrasound) such as placenta previa that could cause severe bleeding, and risk yours or the baby's life? Walk briskly, do yoga or other low impact exercises, but nothing more strenuous than that. Can you imagine the guilt, the pain and the heartache you would suffer if anything happened? It's just not worth it!
Obviously you don't know much about placenta previa. I was diagnosed with a complete previa and possible placenta accreta at 16 weeks, and it wasn't expected to move. Two days ago, we found out it actually had moved, but that's beside the point.
You can't have a previa in early, early pregnancy because the placenta hasn't even fully formed yet. It's usually detected at your 20 week ultrasound (or whenever your doctor does it). Unless you are bleeding or having other complications, most doctors don't put any restrictions on you other then "try to take it easier." My doctor said elliptical workouts were fine, but did limit my running because I was experiencing slight cramping. Previas usually cause bleeding between 28-32 weeks, and rarely before 24 weeks. Therefore, running in early pregnancy will NOT cause issues if you have placenta previa. Moreover, 90 percent of women's placentas will move off the cervix. Once that happens, there are no risks for the rest of the pregnancy (at least as far as previa goes)
By the way, I was said to have a pretty severe case of previa at that 16 week appointment. Once we discovered that it had in fact moved at 24 weeks, my doctor took off all my restrictions and told me I could resume running. Yesterday I did an easy 10 minute jog on my treadmill and was fine. Listen to your bodies, ladies. Your body will tell you when to stop.
One more note: I did elliptical workouts when I was pregnant with my daughter until the very end. I ran until about 18 weeks, when the baby was bouncing too much on my bladder for it to be comfortable. I ended up having to have a c-section because my daughter was too big for me. I was walking around and pretty darn mobile the day after the c-section and recovered MUCH faster then friends who had c-sections who didn't work out. I really think exercising throughout the pregnancy helped my mobility after the c-section and plan on continuing throughout this pregnancy in case my VBAC plans don't pan out (this little boy is bigger then his sister!)
It's hard to believe this discussion is still going on. My first child is now 27 years old. I was a runner when I got pregnant, andI kept on running till I was about 5 months pregnant. After that it just didn't feel good, so I switched to low impact aerobics. But the bottom line is you have to listen to your body. Run if it feels OK, stop if it doesn't. And being in shape definitely helped with the delivery, and I got back into my old jeans just a month later. And btw, my daughter is perfectly healthy.
I ran for the first six months of my pregnancy, after that my stomach was just too big for it, so i ewalked after that up to the day of my delivery. such an easy delivery. my perfect baby is now a 24 year old marine. you should do what feels comfortable for your body. YOU are the expert, not all those idiots telling you how to live your life. They should live their own lives instaed, then they would not have time to tell you how to live yours.
I suppose as a man I am not qualified to comment on this issue but I am a runner. It seems like the issue is about common sense. I would expect that running helps keep the muscles in tact as well as the heart which would be beneficial for giving birth later. On the other hand is a full marathon really necessary? What are you going to gain by doing a marathon. It probably makes sense to gradually as things become more uncomfortable to cut back on the running. However, my wife gave birth to three children over a five year period. If she didn't exercise during that time then at the end of five years she would have a lot of reconditioning to do to get back to her former shape.
From reading all of these comments, obviously everyone that says they would NEVER run while pregnant won't actually run while NOT pregnant as well. Like someone else on here said, runners need to run. It's in our blood. Non-runners just don't get it. God forbid a doctor tells me I can't run when I'm pregnant. Unless I'm having complications, I'd find a new OB/GYN immediately.