Pregnancy & Baby Index: Pregnancy - Trimester 1: Can you get your legs-butt-abs safely in shape during early pregnancy?
Can you get your legs-butt-abs safely in shape during early pregnancy?
Lisa Stone
What can you do to get your legs/butt/abs in shape during early pregnancy? Lisa Stone, an ACE-certified Pre-and Post-Natal Fitness Instructor, has the answer.
Your question
I'm about seven weeks pregnant and didn't get around to getting in shape before pregnancy. Are there things I can do to get my legs/butt/abs in shape without increasing my risk of miscarriage? What about the Buns of Steel or Tae Bo videos?
The expert answers
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I am familiar with the two videos you mentioned, and they are very good. If you were not exercising regularly before getting pregnant, however, I would not recommend starting with those very intense workouts at this point. You'd be better off with a video geared toward pregnant women and adding some additional squats, lunges, and abdominal exercises to compliment those in the video.
I have to get in a cheap plug for the
Fit For 2 video here because it does include strength training exercises for the upper and lower body as well as the abdominals and pelvic floor. Also, walking on hilly terrain, stair climbers, and step aerobics are terrific for building strength and definition in the legs and buttocks.
One word of caution: don't overdo it at this stage of the game! Your main goal is to stay healthy and grow a healthy baby, both of which can be accomplished with moderate-intensity exercise for 20-30 minutes at least three times a week.