Pump For The Bump

Pregnancy and Fitness

After discussing physical fitness and pregnancy with my doctor here is what I have found.

1. Overall: First and foremost, always consult your doctor no matter what, but generally it is good to continue and/or  start working out when pregnant. According the the Doc, exercise during pregnancy can help relieve stress, fight gestational diabetes and may help you have an easier pregnancy and delivery.
Personally, I find that morning sickness is not as severe on the days that I workout (exciting!). If there is a day when I find my energy zapped from the babies I will at least get a good stretch in.

2. What if I have never worked out?: Rules: Start SLOWLY and WISELY. Start with 10 minute workouts at first and then go for a walk. Eventually, you will work up your way to 30 min workouts that are comfortable. Great workouts to start and keep up are: Swimming – Low-impact Aerobics (do squats when they jump) – Prenatal Yoga – Stretching.

3. I workout regularly…now what?: Now comes the interesting part where you have to pay extra attention to your body. Beforehand, you may have been used to pushing yourself to your new limits every workout. While it is typically safe to continue your existing routine that your body is used to… now it is time to consider modifying. Your aim is to maintain. Some things to keep in mind are: Squat instead of jump (one foot on the floor at all times) – keep a pace that you can breath in – stay cool – avoid lying flat on your back.

4. The Conversation Rule: When working out you should be able to comfortably carry on a conversations. For this reason I am switching my workouts to weight training. I’m excited to say that my Les Mills Pump workout is on it’s way! This way I will be able to have cardio through reps and keeping myself strong through weights.