iVillage logo
Search iVillage
Pregnancy
Parenting
Health
Food & Drink
Diet & Fitness
Beauty & Fashion
Relationships
Home & Garden
Work & Money
Entertainment
Horoscopes
Travel
Brilliant blazers
This season's must-have jackets
'I'm actually very shy'
Posh puts the record straight
Olympic countdown
Are you ready for Beijing 2008?
Pregnancy & Baby 
  |  Pregnancy  |  Concerns  |  High maternal heart rate: Is it OK to exercise?
Advertisement
Topics
Childcare
Baby
Fertility
Pregnancy
Diaries
Twins
Feeding
Tests
Nutrition and fitness
1st Trimester
2nd Trimester
3rd Trimester
Financial/benefits
Complications
Concerns
Labour/delivery
Newborn
Loss
Community
Just For Mums
Toddler
Pregnancy galleries
Parenting
pregnancy videos
iVillage shopping

Hot stuff
Vote for a good cause
Olympics 2008
Baby Mama the movie
Baby development tracker
Special offers
Competitions
Pregnancy calendar
Find your fertile days
Bond with your baby
Shop for your baby
Newsletters
sign up for FREE!




 
Promotions
Is there a link?
Deodorants and breast cancer investigated

High maternal heart rate: Is it OK to exercise?

by Dr. Fred Coleman

question
I am 33 years old. This is my fourth pregnancy, with no live babies. I am now 14 weeks pregnant. My concern is that I am overweight and my heart rate is about 100 beats per minute. My cardiologist told me to diet, exercise and relax. I'm scared to exercise because I worry that I may have a heart attack. What is your advice?

answer
Your heart can usually take that kind of rapid rate for years or decades before having any problems. While some people have had heart attacks at your age, most people don't - unless there is an underlying cause such as high blood pressure or hyperlididaemia (too much fat in the bloodstream).

I would agree with the cardiologist. You can take some exercise during your pregnancy. I wouldn't recommend losing weight; but try not to gain excessively.

While there are drugs that can slow down your heart rate, it is usually reserved for those with very rapid rates over 140.

You may be nervous throughout this pregnancy because of the past losses that you have had. Try to avoid letting it get out of hand. Just keep reminding yourself ‘So far, so good’.

iVillage TV - Pregnancy experts

View video in larger player
Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon