A really popular question these days as I am about half way through my pregnancy is, “Are you still working out?!,” “You need to be careful Kat.” While I appreciate the sentiment, as a Personal Trainer, I wanted to share with you why it is safe and actually recommended to exercise while pregnant and also share what my weekly workouts look like right now. First, I think many women believe that because they are pregnant they need to drastically change their daily routine, and often times that means they cut back or stop working out because they fear they might hurt the baby. Let me just start by saying, that’s not the way it works. If you are someone who works out prior to being pregnant, you can and should continue to workout through out your pregnancy, unless you have a medical condition or injury that prevents you from doing so. Now there are a few things to be mindful of while you are continuing to workout throughout your pregnancy. For one, you want to be mindful of your heart rate. You don’t want to feel dizzy or feel as if your heart is going to pop out of your chest at any time. Personally, I really enjoy HIIT workouts, so I have had to make modifications to those types of workouts by performing the same exercises, but at a slower pace and allowing for more recovery time between exercises. Secondly, you don’t want to perform crunches or anything that requires you to be on your back for a long period of time after the first trimester. When exactly you should stop lying on your back is different for everyone, but your body will tell you when it is no longer comfortable. I know many women experience some sort of unpleasant symptoms during their first trimester. Whether it be some queasiness like myself or full blown morning sickness, you should still try to complete some sort of aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes a day. Aerobic exercise, like taking a hike or going for a light jog, will actually help increase your energy levels, improve your mood and help you sleep better. If you are a mama that didn’t exercise prior to being pregnant, then walking for 20-30 minutes a day can absolutely help make your pregnancy (& labor) easier! Believe me… there were times during my first trimester when literally all I wanted to do was close my eyes and I could of fallen asleep anywhere, but if I at the very least grabbed my dog and went for a 15 minute walk I always felt ten times better. I promise! Once the baby arrives, all moms tend to carry their child on one side more than the other and this can cause some serious back issues and discomfort. To prevent having back issues it is important to keep your core strong and balanced. One of my favorite functional movements to help strengthen my back and core right now is to perform walking lunges with a medicine ball. Lunge forward with one leg and reach the medicine ball on the inside of that front foot toward the ground. Step your back foot forward and stand with your feet together. Alternate sides. These movements pretty much replicate a motion we will be doing quite a bit once the baby arrives, picking up toys and clothes off of the floor. My Weekly Workout Schedule Right now I am about half way through my pregnancy and my energy is high. I am sleeping great, my appetite is more than good and my energy levels are high. So for me I am able to exercise daily and reap the benefits. Here is what a week of workouts looks like for me right now: Monday: Monday I teach two fitness classes. I teach spinning and functional strength training. I am able to perform the exercises and take both of these classes right now and feel really good doing it. Again, my spinning intervals are tapered a bit as I am watching my heart rate, but other than that I am keeping up with class so far! Tuesday and Thursday: Strength Training. I am completing two days of strength training in the gym. Mixing up the variety of exercises I am performing and depending on the exercise I am completing anywhere from 3-4 sets and 8-15 repetitions. Here is a look at a workout I completed this week: Dynamic Stretch Warm-up (10-15 minutes) This starts with lateral lunges with a medicine ball, skater lunges, arm circles etc. and moves into exercises with a resistance band. Then I performed the following supersets, four sets x twelve reps: Dumbbell Squats --> Lateral Pull-down (pronated grip) Step Back Lunges --> Bent Over Barbell Rows The next few exercises I also performed in supersets, three sets x fifteen reps: Rear Delt Fly with Dumbbell --> Single Leg Box Squats Dumbbell Bicep Curls --> Triceps Dips with my Feet on a Stability Ball I finished my workout with some Core: High Plank Taps Downward Facing Dog Taps Plank Up Downs (I’ll post a workout video on my Instagram account tomorrow of these core exercises! Find a link button to my account below.) Wednesday: I went for a 40-minute bike ride on my Specialized Rock hopper that I am totally loving!! It’s a comfy fit for my spreading hips and growing belly and still allows me to get outside and do what I love! I try to get out on my bike as much as I can and vary the intensity. Most days just getting outside, soaking up some Vitamin D and getting a bit of sweat on makes me and baby feel great! Friday: This week Timmy and I are going to a 90- minute Restorative and Relaxation yoga class tomorrow night and I can’t wait! Yoga and meditation, more than ever, have been key aspects of my pregnancy. I plan to write a totally separate post about that soon! I practice yoga frequently throughout my week and take time to mediate daily, even if it is just for 10 minutes. Yoga and walks with my dog are things I add into my life daily. p.s. Remember that you absolutely do not want to be in a calorie deficient during this time in your life. You need your calories to help nourish both you and your baby. I recommend a 200 calorie snack before you exercise if your last meal was more than two hours ago and replenish with a snack or light meal once your workout is done. So there you have it! Pregnancy Fit from yours truly. Stay active my Mama’s. xoxo
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