1. Exercise before pregnancy. The biggest thing my OBGYN told me concerning exercise during pregnancy is that I was allowed to continue doing the exercises I had already been doing, but I was not to start anything new that would be too strenuous on my body. Luckily, I had been working out before pregnancy, so I was able to keep up a pretty active exercise routine. Unfortunately, pregnancy isn't the time to start anything new which might limit you if you weren't very active prior to pregnancy. My best advice is if you plan on getting pregnant any time soon, try to develop an exercise routine now. It doesn't need to be anything too demanding, but something that you will be able to keep up during your pregnancy.
2. Continue exercising during your first trimester. I was very nervous about exercising once I found out I was pregnant. My biggest regret is that I stopped running immediately after finding out I was pregnant. Being a long-time runner, giving it up completely was a big deal for me. I was just too scared to mess with it and was terrified of hurting the baby. If I had to do it again, I would have continued running just with less intensity. That being said, I did continue to do the elliptical at the gym, lift light weights with more repetitions, and go on long walks and hikes. It was very nerve-racking exercising in the first trimester for me and it might be for you as well. It's important for you to keep up what you had already been doing knowing that your body is used to the intensity and can handle it. Also, if you stop exercising in the first trimester, it's going to make trying to get back out there in the second trimester a lot harder. Stay consistent with your routine and your body will naturally adjust to exercising during pregnancy.
3. Stay active in your second trimester. Exercising in the first trimester was a breeze for me once I got over the fear of hurting my baby. I didn't experience any morning sickness, wasn't overly exhausted, and didn't have a belly. It basically felt the same as it always had. The challenge came in the second trimester when my belly got bigger, I felt more pressure on my stomach, and I lacked energy. What I soon learned is that for me staying active is key to feeling good and having energy during the second trimester. Not only did it give me more energy, but staying active has also allowed me to feel good during my second trimester. It has helped me feel like the weight I am putting on is healthy weight because I know I'm taking care of my body and my baby by staying active. I quickly learned that staying active doesn't mean I need to always be at the gym. I have found alternate ways to get out there and move around that don't always include much intensity and are low-impact. I go on walks a lot. I even started walking some days during my lunch break just to move around and get away from sitting at my desk for 9 hours straight. Sitting still for a long time isn't great for pregnancy and just caused me to get sleepier and my muscles to tighten. I also go on hikes and walk trails often which allow me to get in a good workout with much less intensity and stress on my body. Some days I just focus on doing basic tasks like cleaning the house, folding the laundry, and going grocery shopping which may not seem like a big deal, but they still help me get up and moving around. All of these things combined keep me active and feeling good. My best advice for the second trimester is to stay active despite your lack of energy and be creative with how you stay active. I try to do something active at least 5 days a week, but I usually only go to the gym 2 days a week. The other 3-4 days a week I just try to make an effort not to come home and sit on the couch all night which after a 9 hour work day and commuting is very tempting!
4. Take the time to rest and listen to your body. With everything I said about being active in mind, also remember how important it is to take the time to rest during pregnancy. We are growing a human inside of us and that's hard work! Some days it might be a good idea to take a nap instead of hitting the gym, believe me your body will thank you! Just like with any workout regime, it's also important to remember to have rest days where you give your body a break. For me, that usually means having a couch day where I do sit and veg, take a nap, and don't worry about having to get up and do anything. While trying to have fit pregnancy, it's so important that we listen to our bodies. Some days while working out, I take it down a notch because I can tell my body is tired or I'm feeling more pressure than normal. If you know you would benefit more from sleeping in than going on a walk, it's important to get that rest. Don't push yourself past where you know is a healthy point for you and that comes with listening to your body and taking the time to rest and relax. Remember that having a fit pregnancy isn't about losing weight. It's about taking care of yourself and your baby which includes rest and not pushing yourself too hard.
5. Recruit your husband in your pregnancy fitness journey. Exercise and healthy eating is always much easier with a partner than doing it alone. Get out there and walk with your husband! This has become a favorite activity for me and my husband. We love going on walks together a few nights a week. It allows us time to talk about our days and get in some low-impact exercise. We also love to go hiking on local trails around our house. We bring our dog and make it a family affair. That way I'm not having to sacrifice limited time with my family, but instead it becomes a fun family activity. If you can recruit your husband to stay active with you, it will make exercise much more fun and enjoyable -- you might actually want to do it!
6. Eat everything in moderation. My last point has to do with the thing pregnancy ladies love most: FOOD! There are so many lists out there of things you should be eating and things you shouldn't. When you are tired or not feeling well, you just want to eat what you want and not have to worry about where the carrot sticks are. There's also the huge topic of pregnancy cravings. You may not want healthy foods and may be craving anything but. So far I have tried to stick with the concept of everything in moderation. I don't have some strict, perfect pregnancy diet, but I also don't give in every time I want ice cream (and good thing because that's like 3 times each day). This has worked really well for me! I'm on track with my weight gain, but I don't feel like I'm depriving myself at all. I do make an effort to eat healthy, but I usually eat something small each day that feels like a treat (usually something sweet :) ). Sometimes I have days where I just eat all the junk food I want, but not every day. The key is to try to stick with an overall healthy diet and then when an unhealthy craving hits, you don't feel guilty for giving in. It's also important to remember that although you are pregnant; gorging yourself with food isn't the best option. It's easy to justify it, but not good for you or your baby. Try to stick with everything in moderation and I feel like you will be very satisfied!
Those are some of my fit pregnancy tips! Every pregnancy is different and what works for one person may not work for another, so definitely keep that in mind. I have also been extremely blessed with a healthy pregnancy so far and am able to carry these tips out, but I do realize that based on different circumstances it's not always possible. Please let me know if you found these tips to be helpful and if you would like me to do another fit pregnancy post in the future (I'm thinking something along the lines of "My Favorite Fit Pregnancy Foods). Also, if you have any advice on having a healthy pregnancy and how to take care of your body during pregnancy, I would love to hear it! Hope you all have a wonderful week!
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