Starting to Work Out at 17 Weeks... Late I Know:(

1. talk to your dr first...

walking is generally ok.. weather it is walking outside or on a treadmill.. but stop if you have contractions.. pain bleeding..

I think most places say do not start an exercise while you are pregnant..

B is right, walking and swimming. Swimming is considered the number one best excercise for pregnant women: it keeps the weight off your joints and back, you get both cardio and muscle strenghening and you burn two to three times as many calories (if weight maintenance is an issue).

If you decide on a fitness regimen you MUST talk to your doctor first and get on a regimen that takes your pregnancy into account. Many run-of-the-mill fitness programs have some parts that are NOT indicated for pregnant women, especially if it is something your body is not used to. You can really harm mostly yourself by putting to much strain on your joints, ligaments and muscles. This is true anytime you start a new fitness routine, but especially in pregnancy when you ave the extra weight and all of your joints and ligaments softening and loosing.

Good luck.

If you haven't been exercising, please talk to your OB before you start, especially during pregnancy.

Walking and swimming are your best bets.

Don't start something new without first talking to your OB.

When I was pregnant, I went to an aerobics class specifically for pregnant moms at the hospital. It was a fun experience and I am still friends with some of the moms today.... 18 yrs later!

I also did a lot of walking, always have.

Pregnancy was my first experience with yoga and I found it to be helpful. There are many prenatal yoga routines to be had, I'm sure. I don't have one to recommend.

(And, though there's reason to be careful when starting a new type of exercise, and there are a few exercises to avoid with pregnancy, my OB nurses and midwifes told me there is nothing you can do to cause or to prevent a miscarriage.)

Not the time to start something new.

As others have posted, check with your OB before beginning anything new. But, if he/ she said it's ok, I think that exercise during pregnancy is great! I exercised routinely during my first pregnancy and had a great, short labor. I didn't exercise as much during second pregnancy and had a longer, more challenging delivery. I personally think my body was more physically prepared for labor the first time. So, if your doctor says it's ok, go for it ! Walking on the treadmill is easy and good exercise! Good luck to you !

Please, please be careful.

I started pregnancy exercise classes at 20 weeks and ended up in preterm labor at 24 weeks. The last class I took was the day before my labor started, and because the classroom was suddenly "unavailable", we power-walked down the sidewalk instead. I could not go to the bathroom and had to hold my bladder throughout the walk, and I have wondered many times if that is what threw me into labor.

Before they sent me home from the hospital to complete bedrest and medication, they explained to me that the uterus is a smooth muscle tissue and becoming dehydrated can cause it to contract. A full bladder pushes against the uterus and can cause it to contract. Once the uterus starts contracting, sometimes it doesn't stop and like a pebble that rolls down a hill, unchecked, it can gain speed, become a boulder and boom - there's no stopping an early delivery. I'm lucky I didn't give birth that early - I made it to 37 weeks, but at the cost of having to leave my boss in a lurch and be a burden to my husband and family members who had to take care of me, not to mention the stress of worrying about my baby.

The upshot - drink and pee, drink and pee. NEVER hold your bladder, M., even though it's pain to go pee all the time. Don't push yourself in exercising. It's great to do some, but please be careful.

Best of luck!