Running Pregnant

I'm an obstetrician, and I always encourage my healthy patients to exercise.  Usually, my advice is that they can continue to do whatever they were doing before they became pregnant, but should watch for any symptoms like lightheadedness, faintness, nausea, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or any other concerning symptoms -- which should make them stop and rest.  For those who don't already exercise, I encourage walking, light gym workouts, the elliptical machine, stationary bikes etc.  Of course, there is always that caveat that says you need to check with your physician before beginning or continuing an exercise program, and any information, advice or stories I give in this blog, are told with the understanding that a person has or will do this.  If a patient has any medical problem which would prevent or limit them from exercising then my advice always changes.

It always surprises me that some physicians still give the advice to STOP all exercise during pregnancy!  A lot of these doctors tend to be of the older generation.  But it also surprises me the number of normally very active women who automatically stop exercising when they find out they are pregnant (with or without the advice of their doctors).  Some women even use pregnancy as an excuse to stop exercising.  I hope that eventually the word gets out to women to keep it up!  Exercise has so many great benefits during pregnancy, both for those who regularly exercised before pregnancy and for those who did not. 

Believe me, I totally understand that early (and sometimes later) pregnancy is fraught with fatigue, nausea, vomiting and a myriad of other symptoms that prevent, limit or discourage women from keeping up with an exercise routine.  But little do women know, that exercising can even help limit those symptoms.  Many women report that exercise decreases their nausea.  It can even give a boost of energy to those who are really fatigued.  It keeps a woman healthy and strong, ready for delivery.  A woman who is in shape will likely get back on her feet quicker than a woman who is not.  And best of all, it helps to minimize weight gain and pregnancy related diseases.

I've had a fair share of patients who are runners.  I've even had patients tell me that they chose to see me because they know I'm active (and figure or hope, I'll give them the green light to keep up their exercise routine).  One of my patients was a marathoner and did a marathon at 14 weeks.  I've also had cyclists, swimmers, gym goers, and even an elite snow skier.

This blog isn't going to be all about running in pregnancy. And it's not even going to be just about running.  It's going to be about my life, about my experiences and my thoughts (some of them formed while running and about running).  And hopefully it will be an inspiration, yes for others, but also for me to keep blogging and keep running.  Run on!