Since announcing my pregnancy, I’ve gotten a lot (maybe more than any other topic) of DMs and emails about working out while pregnant and what I was doing…so I figured I’d just write a blog post to recap what it’s been like so far! I’m just short of 22 weeks as I write this post, so about halfway there.  I may need to write an updated version of this as the pregnancy progresses!  But for now I’ll talk about my experience Working Out While Pregnant and what’s different for me so far.

Working Out While Pregnant

What’s Been Different

I am writing a post later this week that will kind of touch more on my pregnancy exercise habits more in depth, but I wanted to give an idea of some of the things that have been different in my workouts.  First off, in general I am just not doing anything as intensely as I was prior to getting pregnant.  Everything has certainly been dialed back a few notches and I’m just focusing on listening to my body and doing workouts that feel good.  So where I used to run an 8 minute mile, now I’m running about a 10 minute mile.  And that’s mostly because of the pounding on my bladder!  Baby girl is definitely sitting right on top of it, so every step just feels like a punch to the bladder…even if I’ve fully emptied it before heading out on the run, it always just feels like I’m going to pee myself.  So while I feel like I could do a longer run (I had a good bladder day once and did 5 miles, but hasn’t happened since) I generally stick to about 3 miles because that’s all my poor bladder can handle.  Then I’ll just walk the rest and walking is so great during pregnancy.

Another example of something I’ve modified would be exercises that require jumping of some kind, like a squat jump.  I may still do the entire movement, but I’m doing it a little slower and I’m not exploding off the ground into a high jump.  My toes may only just barely leave the ground now, which allows me to better control the impact.  A note here- I of course talked to my doctor when I found out I was pregnant and she let me know that given my high activity level prior to pregnancy that I had no restrictions and just to listen to my body.  If women are free of medical complications, they can generally follow the same schedule as before.  I also have a pre- and post-natal fitness certification so that helps me too just to know what I should and should not do.

Lastly, I haven’t been doing any traditional abdominal work that requires laying flat on your back like a crunch.  It’s best to avoid supine positions.  Therefore I’ve been doing a lot of TA engagement and plank work.  As my belly grows I will just see how I feel when it comes to plank-type exercises and if I can continue with good form.  It was okay during the first trimester because my belly wasn’t really heavy or adding any extra pressure to my abdominals.  I have started to notice certain plank positions are starting to create that so I may start modifying those and/or cutting them out depending on how it feels as belly gets bigger.  Standing core work is an option instead…for example bringing your knee to same side elbow for a standing crunch.  I’m also not doing any twisting movements through my midsection.  Reverse planks are also an option and bringing knees in one at a time.  Side planks are great!

Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy

Continuing to exercise during pregnancy has so many benefits for mom, including a reduced risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.  It also helps regulate weight gain, which is important for many women due to excessive weight being retained postpartum that can potentially signal the onset of obesity and its associated health problems.  A reasonable amount of weight gain for a pregnant woman is 25-35 pounds if already at a healthy weight range (20-25 BMI).  If you are underweight you may need to gain more and if you’re overweight you may need to gain less.  Your doctor would be able to give you a better idea on an individual basis.

Also, regardless of mom’s BMI pre-pregnancy, physical activity during pregnancy can help mitigate both fetal and maternal health issues.  If you don’t already exercise prior to conceiving, first off always talk to your doctor about what you should and should not do, but gradually working your way up to 30 minutes of exercise per day is a smart approach.  Start with low intensity exercise for short periods of time and gradually increase.  Walking is a great option for just about everyone because it’s low impact.  You always just want to listen to your body and not do anything that is uncomfortable.

Exercise can help a pregnant woman increase her strength which may aid in posture and balance, since stability and falling is a concern.  You definitely want to avoid activities with an increased risk of falling.  Exercise can also help with emotional health…I know this is a huge reason why I exercise in general!  It really helps me clear my head and relieve stress.

My Exercise Schedule

Again I plan to go more in depth in a post later this week about pregnancy nutrition and exercise, but really I’ve been able to maintain my 6 days a week workout routine.  M-W-F I do a strength training or circuit workout, and T-Th-Sa I do cardio which is usually running or a spin class.  I walk any chance I can get.  Just doing my best to maintain what I was doing before but being mindful and making modifications where necessary.  I’m not pushing myself, not letting my heart rate skyrocket, and I take more breaks.  My goal is to just be strong for baby and continue to move with the hopes it helps with an easier labor (studies suggest this may be the case) but I know everyone is different so I’m just doing what I can.  I’m training for labor! 😉

That’s pretty much it for now.  I can write an updated post to this later in the 3rd trimester if that is of interest since I’m sure I’ll continue to modify as my belly grows.  If you have any questions feel free to leave them below!

Have a great day!

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xo,

Bess

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