Exercise and busy SAHM

[Cathmomof6]

Ok I need some outside perspective! I am a 36 year old woman expecting baby #7 in March! My last baby was born in May of 2012. Since my early 20s I have been a runner. I usually ran 25-30 miles per week and finished two marathons in 2004 and 2006. I kept this up(although slower) through all my pregnancies. Midway through my last pregnancy, I developed left hip pain, which kept me from running. Three orthopedists have told me I have significant osteoarthritis in both hips with more in my left and there is nothing they can do until I am ready for a total hip replacement!! Needless to say I can no longer run for exercise and even walking is hard because I limp!

I am taking this really hard! My highly active lifestyle has suddenly come to a halt. My only options for exercise are the elliptical and bike riding. We have an elliptical at home and a YMCA membership. I guess I don’t know what is a reasonable expectation for exercise for me now. I feel my body is telling me to slow down since everything seems to be falling apart since I hit 35!!! My blood pressure seems to be creeping up, I developed a small umbilical hernia that will need to fixed, and this whole arthritis thing! Since I have arthritis already, I’m afraid I will be a mess before I am even 50!

I am 17 weeks pregnant and have gained more weight than any of my other 6 pregnancies! I have been nauseous, tired, and lazy to say the least. I think I have an unrealistic expectation for exercise! I just have such a hard time making the time now! I used to get up early to exercise on the elliptical downstairs but my 16 month old STILL gets up twice a night and just getting up to get my older kids to school is killer! Nights are totally out because of supper, homework, baths, and kids activities. About twice a week, I try to go to the YMCA and do the elliptical for 4 miles and lift weights for an hour. I usually go with my mom so that makes me go! She is on vacation this week so I haven’t gone once yet. This really takes my whole morning to get everyone ready, drive there, exercise, drive back, shower, etc! And sometimes my kiddos don’t want to go and make it even harder!! If I do it at home it takes forever too because I have to stop a million times to do something for the kids.

Any suggestions for me? I have moments where I get really depressed! Not to send like a baby, but I don’t feel this is fair! Running was supposed to keep me healthy into old age, and now I feel like I am falling apart! Why did I even bother?

 

[manualman]

How about swimming laps? Swimming is terrific aerobic exercise, while also being much lower impact than many other forms. Worth asking the doctor about.

 

[Della]

You need low impact exercise, yes? I learned to do Tai Chi Chuan 24. It has nothing to do with religious beliefs–I just thought I say that first to ward off objections. Anyway, I have FMS which makes most forms of exercise too hard for me to do. Tai Chi is great for limbering up since it’s mostly stretching and releasing.

If you are allowed while pregnant, you could try swimming. Your local YWCA may have classes for pregnant women. Doing exercises in water is much less stressful, especially on arthritic hips, but still gives you a decent workout.

All the best to you. Don’t despair. Sometimes we have to give up one good for another, although it doesn’t seem like it at the time. At 65 there are a lot of things I can’t do that I once loved to do, but I’ve learned to seek out alternatives to keep me active.

 

[Cathmomof6]

I’m sure swimming would be fine, but I must hyperventilate or something when I swim! One lap and my lungs just about want to jump out of my chest! Plus there is the whole availability thing. I would have to go the Y and it seems like it would eat up even more time! And sometimes when I kick I must overextend my leg and I get a sharp pain! But maybe I am just making excuses for myself:shrug:

 

[Della]

I’m sure swimming would be fine, but I must hyperventilate or something when I swim! One lap and my lungs just about want to jump out of my chest! Plus there is the whole availability thing. I would have to go the Y and it seems like it would eat up even more time! And sometimes when I kick I must overextend my leg and I get a sharp pain! But maybe I am just making excuses for myself:shrug:

No, I don’t think you are. My Tai Chi instructor told us, “If it hurts, don’t do it.” Makes sense. The whole “no pain, no gain” thing is a myth. Steady exercise done on a regular basis is better than trying to knock yourself out.

Addendum: Perhaps you could see a physical therapist who could give you some exercises that you can do? Just a thought.

 

[Cathmomof6]

The elliptical is probably my best bet since it is available and it doesn’t usually bother me! I used to take spinning classes but the Y doesn’t offer them when they have childcare available so I guess I am stuck with that! But what is a reasonable amount of time? I tend to think in extremes and if I can’t do that, I won’t do anything! I know yoga or tai chi would also be great for me but again the y does not offer those when childcare is available either!! Maybe a DVD someone could suggest?? But again that would be on top of cardio and lifting weights! Who has time for all of that???

 

[Della]

The elliptical is probably my best bet since it is available and it doesn’t usually bother me! I used to take spinning classes but the Y doesn’t offer them when they have childcare available so I guess I am stuck with that! But what is a reasonable amount of time? I tend to think in extremes and if I can’t do that, I won’t do anything! I know yoga or tai chi would also be great for me but again the y does not offer those when childcare is available either!! Maybe a DVD someone could suggest?? But again that would be on top of cardio and lifting weights! Who has time for all of that???

Oh my goodness. You poor gal–driving yourself so hard. Please don’t. You don’t need to be Arnold S. All you need is enough to keep you healthy, yes?

Perhaps you should talk to your doctor about being obsessive about exercise. A lot of people get hooked on it because they produce endorphins that make them feel good. So, it becomes an addiction.

Find one exercise routine that gives you what you need and stick to that, and that alone. Overdoing it does not help you physically or emotionally. You have to deliberately break yourself of pushing yourself like this. It’s not necessary and it can be very harmful. It’s better to have a professional work out a program for you and then do it than to make an impossible one for yourself and get discouraged, yes?

 

[manualman]

Personally, I swim like a brick, so I can relate. But my wife promises that practice improves breathing technique. You can also change to side stroke every other lap to get your breath back.

 

[Corki]

About twice a week, I try to go to the YMCA and do the elliptical for 4 miles and lift weights for an hour. I usually go with my mom so that makes me go! She is on vacation this week so I haven’t gone once yet.

When your mom gets back try to go back to this. Really, it’s enough. It seems your body is telling you to slow down and this pregnancy seems to be hitting you a little harder than the previous ones. Arthritis is like an immune disorder and it effects the whole body even if the pain is localized. Listen to your body.

 

[Cathmomof6]

When your mom gets back try to go back to this. Really, it’s enough. It seems your body is telling you to slow down and this pregnancy seems to be hitting you a little harder than the previous ones. Arthritis is like an immune disorder and it effects the whole body even if the pain is localized. Listen to your body.

I think this is what I wanted to hear since it seems to be all I can get myself to do. It is just so drastically different from what I was doing that it doesn’t seem enough to keep from gaining weight like crazy! Unfortunately, I seem to constantly cycle through extreme hunger/exhaustion/nausea which eating seems to help and not usually healthy foods. This seems to be getting a little better, but I have never felt this lazy all my life. I feel very little pain sitting or laying down. All my pain is with weight bearing so it makes it very tempting to be lazy all day!!!

 

[Joe_5859]

I will leave it to others (and perhaps also your doctor) to suggest forms of exercise that won’t aggravate your hip problems.

But I will say that it is easy to drive ourselves crazy thinking of all the things we are “supposed” to do. We are supposed to exercise every day to be healthy. And pray every day to be spiritually healthy. And keep up with the news to be informed citizens. And read books to be well-rounded individuals. And spend quality time with our children, to be good parents. and spend quality time with our husband or wife to be a good spouse. And keep up with the maintenance of our house, our car, and our possessions to be good stewards of our resources. And volunteer at our parish to be good Catholics. And volunteer at other social service groups to be good people. Etc., etc., etc. There comes a time where we have to stop and realize that we simply cannot do everything all the time. Something has to give.

My wife and I are trying to be healthier and exercise more. There are days when our son has kept us up half the night, but we get up early and plow through as best we can. We can do this because those long nights are more sporadic lately. If the sleep interference were more regular, I don’t think we’d be able to sustain that pace. You can only do what you can do.

Not to “de-motivate” you o), but I wouldn’t worry too much if you didn’t go this week while your mom was on vacation. My goodness, you have six children and are pregnant with #7. I think you deserve a week off!

Maybe this is just me, but I find I have to actively guard against the mentality of “why bother?” Just because you can no longer run several miles a day does not mean that it’s all for nothing. Every little bit helps.

 

[Cartesian]

One more vote for swimming (I am sorry for repeating).

As for the breathing I believe with practice you would improve. Meanwhile to ease you could try to incorporate some artefacts like floaters or foam kick boards. I have seen even people training with swim fins and/or snorkel.

I am also incurable runner. If I go 3 days with no running I can’t do nothing else because of depression. The only sport (with cardio) where I could experience close experience was with swimming although I am still learning . My goal is precisely to have more swim days to avoid injury. It is more time consuming but it does the job .

 

[Della]

If traditional swimming is too difficult you can do ordinary exercises in the water. The water makes it possible to do what you cannot do. I really think a professional would help you find the right exercise for you in your present condition and for your future needs.

 

[Caroline723]

Do you have a nice elliptical, like a Precor? That makes a big difference in the workout, than using a cheap elliptical.

If you have the $$ you could get a Precor AMT (adaptive motion trainer) for home, or find a gym that has one. It’s a free motion machine so you could “run” on it without the impact on your joints.

I haven’t tried the Cybex Arc but I hear they are excellent as well. Or how about a boot camp class?

More than anything else, I think you need to relax a bit and be patient with the process of change. I think hip and knee problems are common in runners. You’ll find a new way to exercise. It’s really admirable you have stuck with an exercise routine through 6+ kids!

 

[LittleRose]

. I think hip and knee problems are common in runners. You’ll find a new way to exercise. It’s really admirable you have stuck with an exercise routine through 6+ kids!

Yup. I used to run too, and then my body started to fall apart, unfortunately not due to anything as cool as having 6+ kids. It’s so very frustrating to face this kind of thing when you are used to feeling healthy. The way you feel about it is quite understandable.

The best thing you can do is work with your doctors to figure out a good way to exercise. A sports medicine specialist or a physical therapist would be really great sources of advice. Exercise may help with the depressed feelings you are having, on top of all the other benefits you already know about, so anything you can do safely is good. It’s ok to change your routine and slow down if your body demands it.

Also, have your OBGYN check your progesterone levels and your thyroid, if it hasn’t already been done, to make sure your body is supporting your pregnancy properly. Sometimes hormone imbalances can make pregnancies harder and contribute to the “falling apart” feeling in the body (and mind).

I have personally found Annette Fletcher’s Stretch and Joint Mobility DVD to be useful and informative, though being pregnant you will probably have to modify some of the movements. Again, that’s where a physical therapist’s advice can be handy. They are pretty creative when it comes to working around limitations. amazon.com/Stretch-Mobility-Therapy-Annette-Fletcher/dp/B00095MBNK

Best wishes for a healthy #7. You are amazing!

 

[turtle18]

Can you try aqua jogging? Your head is above the water the whole time. It is boring but you can pray while doing it.