I had an ultrasound a few days ago. Unfortunately, the scan showed subchorionic hemorrhage so I was advised to take it easy in order for the hemorrhage to disappear quickly on its own. Although the hemorrhage was a small one and my doctor wasn’t worried, we wanted to take extra precaution with everything in light of my previous miscarriage.

I ended up worrying about my body slowly degrading to its former state of unfitness. Staying home and lying down most of the time will once again condition my muscles to be lazy. So I vowed to continue exercising even while pregnant once the hemorrhage clears.

During my first pregnancy, I didn’t have to take up any regular exercise regimen. I was employed full-time as a teacher and my daily activities were more than enough for an exercise. This time however, I knew it would be tempting to just lie on the bed with Mateo once we get home in the afternoon.

So thinking that this blog is not strictly a running blog but my personal fitness blog, I’ve decided to share some things I’ve researched on exercising during pregnancy.

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Although pregnancy could provide a lot of discomforts and inconveniences, it’s a good idea to stay fit while pregnant. Aside from feeling better and looking better, it will also prepare your body for the birth of your baby. Of course, getting back into shape is so much easier if you continued exercising throughout your pregnancy. It is very important though to ask for your doctor’s approval regarding any exercise regime you might have in mind. Below are some common exercises that are often safe for pregnant women.

• Swimming. This is one of the most popular exercises for pregnant women. Aside from feeling light while in the water, it is also very gentle on your bones and joints. Make sure though that the water you swim in is not very deep. Remember, your body feels different so some movements which you might have found easy before your pregnancy might not be so easy with your protruding belly.
• Walking. Another common exercise for pregnant women. It is very easy to pace oneself by regulating the speed, time, or distance.
• Running. Although some materials say that it is okay to run or jog during pregnancy, there are a few who don’t recommend it. If you’re a runner before becoming pregnant then it might be okay to continue with some modifications and an approval from your doctor. However, running can be dangerous especially since a pregnant woman’s body is constantly changing her sense of balance. It is very easy to make a mistake and have an injury while running as opposed to just walking.
• Yoga and Stretching. Although yoga and stretching are pretty much safe for pregnant women, it is best done under close supervision of a trainer especially with yoga.

Whatever exercise you choose to continue during your pregnancy, the key is to listen to your body closely. Once you feel dizzy or out of breath, stop and rest. Even so if you feel pain. It is generally advisable not to let yourself reach the point of fatigue and exhaustion.

I plan to stick to walking and occasional swimming. Hopefully, I get a clearance from my doctor soon so I can resume with my exercise. I hope to start with just twenty minutes of walking every day. Maybe I would have to regulate it as my tummy grows bigger.

I’ve been more or less consistent with my vow to regularly exercise. I’ve set a running goal for myself by running my first race in a few weeks and here’s how I’ve been doing:

• November 17, 2009, Tuesday – The day I started running again. I ran a total of 3k: 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 0.5k running, 0.5k walking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take note of my time.
• November 18, 2009, Wednesday – I ran a total of 4k: 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 1k running, 1k walking. Total time is around 20 minutes. I  must remember to be more accurate in taking note of my time. Aside from the usual stretching before and after a run, I did 30 crunches which just goes to show how flabby my middle is
• November 19, 2009, Thursday – Rest day imposed by Ramil
• November 20, 2009, Friday – I was set on trying a tempo run but it was a date night for my sister so Ramil and I ended up bringing along Mateo. It ruined my mood even while we were just getting dressed to run. To make me feel better, Ramil offered to be the one to run with Mateo so I can go through with my plan. It turned out that our little boy had it in him because he excitedly ran with so much fervor, I couldn’t help but slow down a little and make it a family affair. The three of us were able to cover 2k while mostly running. Needless to say, I was pretty amazed with my two-year-old that I decided to just think of that day as my easy run.

• November 21, 2009, Saturday – We had to attend a birthday party, got home late and pretty much tired to run. We did a lot of walking that day though so I still had some light exercise.
• November 22, 2009, Sunday – Again, my sister had plans which means no one could look after Mateo. Even though I would have loved to bring Mateo along, Ramil was tired already. Instead of running by myself outside, I settled for running inside the house for 20 minutes. I was able to work up quite a sweat because I was doing sprints every 4 minutes. Again, aside from the usual stretching before and after, I was able to finish my exercise off with 50 crunches.

So there, I think I’m doing pretty okay. However, I hope to run my first 5k race in three weeks’ time so I need to train myself harder if I want to make decent time. Although I’m not looking at placing, I don’t want to be among the last ones in the 5k race. To hype up my running routine, these are my plans for the week:

• November 23, 2009, Monday – Cross-training by biking for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how I fare. The ultimate goal is to do moderate biking for an hour.
• November 24, 2009, Tuesday – Run 5k: 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 0.5k running, 0.5k brisk walking.
• November 25, 2009, Wednesday – Rest day
• November 26, 2009, Thursday – Run 5k: 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 1k running, 1k brisk walking, 0.5k running, 0.5k brisk walking.
• November 27, 2009, Friday – Another attempt at a tempo run.
• November 26, 2009, Saturday – Easy run
• November 27, 2009, Sunday – Rest day

Please take note that the schedule  I’ve set above is not a schedule taken from any program. It’s just my own running recipe based on how I’ve been doing so far. Please also take note that I’m not a PE teacher or a graduate of any course related to sports so if there’s anything I’m doing incorrectly, I would appreciate some feedback.

Whew, I feel tired just looking back on what I’ve been doing and giving a rundown of what I plan to do. I’m just hoping I’d be able to write a good post about my running progress  in the next few days.