Recommended Heart Rate for Mum 2 Be during exercise

[LMS]

Does anyone know the recommended heart rate for an exercising pregnant mum? This morning I got it up to 156 BPM during my brisk walking. Is that ok for me and my b2b?

[Nelle]

Not sure. I think it would depend on a lot of things, like how fit you were before you were pregnant. I know you have to be gentler than usual - were you breathless?

[catherinemoses]

From memory it was somewhere around 120-150.
Like Nelle said it would depend a little on your fitness prior to pg

[LMS]

I am pretty fit, I was walking up some pretty steep hills with a pram and I am walking around 8kms a day or every 2nd day at the moment....it's raining so much!!! I wasn't out of breath but on my way there, (a conversation may have had a few pauses!). When I did stop I drank water and waited till I got my breath back.
I was just concerned that there was a limit that I should be aware of.

[*Ali*]

I work with a group outdoor personal training group and we had a preg lady in our group, and she wasn't allowed to let her heart rate get above 140 bpm and she was pretty fit before hand, she was one of the top runners in the group

[Taurean]

they say a maximum of 140bpm

[MeganH]

Hi Kanda,

Rather than go by your heartrate go by how you feel. You do what is comfortable for you. As long as your are not breathless, feel fain or dizzy and you feel ok then I wouldnt worry too much about it. Everyone is different and has different levels of fitness. Some days you may feel different to others, one day you might get it up to 150 another you may keep it round 130.

If you are concerned just take it a little easier.

I have asked this question many times and from all advice I have received I found this to be the most practical.

Its your body and you will know if you are uncomfortable or if somehting is not quite right.

Kind Regards,

[LMS]

Thanks Everyone,
Does anyone know why? Is there less oxygen going to bubs if you are getting out of breath?

[tenar]

Ask your GP, OB or midwife,

I asked mine when I realised that my cycling was pushing my heart rate well over 140 on the hills. I was reaching around 140 at my normal flat-road commuting pace. The midwife told me that this was fine because it was exercise I was used to doing, and that it was good for me to continue as long as it was comfortable for me.

I did find that I got increasingly breathless, which wasn't comfy at all, so slowed it down and eventually stopped riding on hills roads at all. These days my cycling is limited to flat off-road paths, which is boring. On the other hand, I'm quite amused that I'm still cycling at all given that I'm now nearly 41 weeks pregnant!

[misty]

I was told not over 130.

[Rommy'sMummy]

I asked my OB this at the start of this pg. She said not over 130

Mind you I am pretty fit and was at the gym three times a week and getting HR up around 190 when really working out. So going to 130 has been a drag. I do think it is because there is not as much oxygen getting to bubs when our heart is racing.

The other things to look out for are not getting a sweat up, not getting breathless and obviously not working so hard that you get dizzy. It really is something that I would ask your care giver about though. I would think it would be different for some women than for others - I am considered a high risk pregnancy so maybe my OB was being more cautious than what you would need?

I miss that rush at the gym though!