Is it Ok to do situps when you are pregnant?

Question

My g/f has been doing 50 -100 situps everyday. Are situps OK to do when you are pregnant? She is only 12 weeks along and only has a little pouch so far.

Answer 1

You really should ask her doctor. She should not be doing so many. It puts way to much strain on her abs and could potentially harm the baby.

Answer 2

It's great that she's keeping her abdominal muscles in shape. She will not reduce the size of her "little pouch" with ab exercise because that's the baby causing it, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. The hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen the muscle tissue and ligaments all over the body as it prepares to stretch and change shape to accommodate the growing baby inside her.

Doing a few situps is ok IF (and that's a big IF) she did them prior to becoming pregnant. Notice I said "a few".

She should taper off the ab exercises completely and do more overall body exercise like treadmill walking or an elliptical walker to keep in shape. Staying in shape is important so her muscles are toned to help her give birth. It'll be a lot less painful if she's in shape.

Please have her consult her Oby/Gyn about her exercise routine during pregnancy. Some doctors are a lot more conservative than others about exercise, so she should be honest about her pre-pregnancy routine.

Answer 3

My understanding is that sit-ups/crunches are only "safe" during the first trimester. So if yer lady is 12 weeks along, its probably best for her to begin using other means to keep her core (abs and such) nice and strong. Try the yoga-based "cat/cow" exercise. Here's how to do it. Get on all fours, hands shoulder distance apart and aligned with knees. Inhale deeply through the nose as you arch your back, push out our belly and chest, gaze to the ceiling. Then, exhale fully through the mouth as you contract your stomach muscles, curving your back the opposite direction, tucking chin to chest. Repeat several times. This is an excellent exercise for mom and baby and it feels great! Congrats to you both and best of luck.

Answer 4

No, it is not ok. It might not be a problem this early, but it will be. Suggest that her doctor send her to a physical therapist to teach her some appropriate exercises. My OB sent me to a Phys Therapist so that my insurance covered it all since it was part of my prenatal care. It is important to stay healthy and fit while pregnant, but a pregnant woman's needs are very different.

Answer 5

it is okay to do a few situps during your first trimester since the baby is not very big yet but once you get into the secong trimester and the her uterus start getting larger she should try to keep from laying on her back all together. the growing uterus puts pressure on the veins in your back that carries blood through your body and to your legs. when there is too much pressure being put on that vein it will cause her to get cramps in her legs, or create charlie-horse in her legs. her body will let her know if it is hurting her or not... but she should not ignore any pains and just keep on doing strenuous excercises once she start getting bigger.

Answer 6

Anything she was doing before she got pg is OK to do after, exercise wise that is! As long as she is comfortable doing it.

Answer 7

omg-no it is not safe to do any kind of stomach or ab exercises during pregnancy--
if she wants to keep in shape, the best thing for her to do would be to take a walk--or check out the library (or online) for safe exercises for pregnant women.

Answer 8

I have to agree with the persson above me, but he should check with her ob/gyn... They will give you a timeline on when to slow down

Answer 9

You cant do straneous (sp) workouts when yours pregnant. Is she ashamed of her baby pouch? Tell her to show it off!

Answer 10

ask the dr, like yesterday!