Staying active and fit during my pregnancy was something I thought about long before I was actually pregnant. Being fit, notice not skinny, but fit and strong was a priority of mine before I was pregnant and a key way to my lifestyle-so why shouldn't it be while I am pregnant? Today I wanted to share with you ways that I stay fit and give you some practical ways to workout and modify exercises.
When I first became pregnant I was scared straight to exercise. No joke! I thought that if I ran I would jiggle this tiny person growing inside of me so much that it wouldn't last. I also was just filled with a lot of fear in general at first. But my body was used to working out 4-5 times a week, and these workouts were usually high impact, heart-pumping sessions. I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up the intensity of my workouts while pregnant, but that my body needed something. Working out, for me, boosts my mood big time. Hello endorphins! It took me a bit to figure out a good balance between working out and giving myself the ability to rest because I was dog-tired for the first 10 weeks. Trust me, I rested all right. But there were days that I would feel so guilty for not working out. And my amazing husband would gently remind me that I'm growing a baby. Staying fit doesn't mean just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. So I needed to not feel guilty all of the time, give myself a break, and celebrate the times that I was exercising.
For the first trimester, my goal was to exercise at least 3 times a week. If got in 3 days I week I felt proud of myself, not ashamed. I quickly learned that I couldn't keep comparing my fitness level to the pre-pregnancy Jamie. Now that I'm just at 22 weeks pregnant, I'm still able to run and do so many exercises I did before hand.
Staying fit and active has SO many benefits. First off, you use (so I've heard) a great amount of your cardiovascular system when labor comes. Staying fit will keep your heart healthy and help you when it's time to push. I've also heard that exercise helps with the aches and pains associated with pregnancy as well. I'm currently dealing with some sciatica pain, but exercising makes the rest of my body feel great. Plus, exercising increases your endorphin levels and helps you feel happy-not large and in charge!
Here are some of my top exercising tips to stay fit during your pregnancy:
1. Do what you did before you were pregnant! This isn't the time to take up a new activity. Running, strength training, and yoga were all things I did before hand and can still keep up with.
2. Know when your body needs a beak! Being tired all of the time was very new and hard for me to accept. I'm an on-the-go-gal and I'm used to my body keeping up with me. Looking back on my first trimester, I'm glad that I backed off the workouts a bit because I feel amazing now and can exercise way more.
3. 70% is the new 100%. You can't get out of breath when you're exercising because it cuts off the oxygen supply to your precious baby. So, scale back the intensity a bit. This included jumping! So, instead of doing box jumps I do step-ups on a bench, really focusing on form. I can still do burpees but when I'm getting tired I don't jump my feet back in, and rather walk them in one at a time. I'm still working the major muscle groups and am able to continue the exercise.
4. Have a buddy! Daniel has become my new running buddy. However, he hates to run, so it has forced me to accept less running. But having a buddy helps because he forces me to walk when he hears me getting breathless, he checks on me to see how I'm feeling, and most importantly- he is watching to make sure I don't over do it.
5. Drink a ton of water! Before, during, and after. And know where the bathrooms are at all times. When I'm at the gym, it never fails that I have to go right after I warm up. There's a park by our house with a restroom, and we have become best friends :)
On a side note: I'm currently IN LOVE with GPP Fitness and their workouts! They post a daily workout each day, and they are practical, functional, and give you a good sweat session. I modify the ab moves so that I'm not on my back and either go into side plank or regular plank.
Next week I'll be sharing the other part of staying fit: what you eat!
Good for you Jamie!! :)
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