Slowing Down: New Workout Rules for the Second Half of Pregnancy

I fell into a workout pattern after I was given the green light by my doctor to run in the first trimester. I did 4 runs of 3-5 miles each per week at a pace that was 1:00-1:30 minutes per mile slower than my pre-pregnancy pace. I also spent one day swimming and one day in the gym doing the elliptical and arm weights. I foolishly thought I’d be able to keep up this regimen until 30+ weeks.

So I’ve made some rules for myself for the second half of pregnancy:

• Don’t plan anything. Choose exercise for the day based on how I’m feeling that day. A run, a walk, or a nap on the couch all work.
• Replace some runs with swims. Eventually, I’ll completely give up running in favor of swimming. Starting now will make the transition much easier to swallow once it happens.
• Ignore the pace. I ran a race at 19 weeks pregnant and had zero abdominal pain. Why? Because I ran really slowly for me, 3:00 minutes per mile slower than my pre-pregnancy pace. If going slow is the key to running further into my pregnancy, I’m happy to do it.
• Head indoors. The Carolina heat and humidity has officially gotten to be too much for my pregnant body, even on 6:00 am runs. I’m sticking to the treadmill until Fall comes.
• Take more breaks than I think I need. I now make sure I walk at least once every mile I run, and take a rest break after every 300m in the pool.
• Stop if I ever feel pain. No workout will ever feel as good as seeing my healthy baby boy in December. If my body tells me to stop, I’ll listen.

I would like to stay active for most of the rest of my pregnancy. I’m hoping as long as I remain flexible, it will be doable. But once 2012 rolls around, I’ll be more than ready to get in training mode again