I need to first make a couple of statements. You should not work out if your doctor has told you not to. You should also not do any types of workouts that you were not doing BEFORE you got pregnant. You should always use common sense when performing exercises while pregnant. For example, don't do poses on your stomach if you are to the point in your pregnancy where it's uncomfortable to lay on your stomach. Don't over exert yourself. Always keep your heart rate at a responsible level and don't over heat your body.
Here's a little of what I do and let me just say that it is WHAT I DO. I'm not a doctor and I'm not telling you that you need to do this. Always check with your doctor to see what you can and cannot do.
I teach Pilates 3 days a week. There are days that I can do more and days I have to do less reps and teach by voice, not example. Some days I feel great, others not so much. I have eliminated moves that require laying on your belly. If I do feel like doing those during a session, now I simply describe the pose, rather than show it. I am still doing as much ab work as I was at the beginning and before my pregnancy. The stronger my core is the better and hopefully the easier or even shorter my labor will be. Again, I do nothing that is uncomfortable. If something starts to hurt, quit immediately. Know the difference between soreness and pain. Being sore from a workout is usually ok. Pain is not. They even make prenatal Pilates and prenatal yoga videos that you can do.
I am also still running. I have been a runner my whole life and was not about to stop when I got pregnant. When I was pregnant with my first baby I ran through my entire pregnancy. I went 6 miles on a Saturday and went into labor the following Monday. My doctor told me that it definitely helped with my labor. This is not a guarantee. Some people can sit on the their asses their whole pregnancy and still only labor for a few hours. Then there are some who are super active and still have a long labor. Just remember, you may be doing it for the labor benefits, but it's actually helping your body throughout pregnancy and for post-partum recovery. You may bounce back you pre-pregnancy shape quicker than you would've had you stopped working out...you may not. It also helps your blood flow through your body and to your babe.
As far as running goes, you may be concerned with mileage. Again, unless you run marathons for a living, I wouldn't recommend training for a race like this while pregnant. If you're used to running distances as far as 5, 6, 7 miles, then test yourself and see if you can still go for it. Just don't expect to be running the same times as you were before. What used to take you 50 minutes may now take you over an hour. At this point, you shouldn't be pushing any limits. Keep your baby safe in there. You may also notice that you may have to...GASP...stop and walk every once in a while. Something you NEVER used to let yourself do. This happened to me several time when I was pregnant with Lila. I would get a side stitch and just stop and walk for a couple minutes. It didn't kill me. :)
It's also safe to continue weight training if you were training before pregnancy, although I would lay off heavy squats. By the second trimester, I would think you would mostly be going for keeping your body toned and not trying to build a lot of muscle. I'm not huge on weight training right now, just really focusing on my core strength.
So the BIGGEST thing to remember and consider is what your body may be telling you while working out. If you're used to "pushing through" like I am, it's a hard pill to swallow, but it's not just you now. You have to remember that more so than usual, if something is telling you to chill, you probably need to. Don't push too hard and remember what is really important. You don't want to do more harm than good.
To reiterate what I said before, this is simply what I can do. You may be able to do more or you may have to do less. If you can just walk a little every day, it could help. But make sure to go over this with your doctor and before you start any kind of workout regimen while pregnant. I "check in" with my doc every month and just let them know that I am still teaching Pilates and still running, just so they know. Let them know what's going on with you or they can't help!
