Fitness in Pregnancy

I whole heartedly believe in the ebb and flow of life in all things, to include with fitness and movement. In pregnancy a woman's body goes through so many monumental changes and these changes must be acknowledged and taken into account while trying to continue/start a fitness program. Hormones being the biggest driving factor of ALL things in pregnancy impact joints causing ligaments that support those joints to become more relaxed opening them up for risk of injury. The change in weight can impact balance shifting center of gravity. Which then adds additional stress on those joints and muscles particularly the ones in the pelvis and lower back. This causes an increase risk of falling, tripping, or twisting. I have ran into so many walls, cabinets, and even a car door because of this. I often move quite quickly and can't tell you how many times a knee or shoulder has come into some serious contact with some permanent fixtures. Another huge player in limiting movement, mom's oxygen and blood flow are largely impacted as well during exercise. The blood flow is re-routed from your uterus to those muscles being used. This largely impacts one's ability to complete strenuous activity. So many different things working against us! 

All movement should be approved by your doctor before participating in or starting. Some other things to consider while pregnant first and foremost is hydration status. Drinking plenty of water in pregnancy can prove to be more difficult for some than others in general let alone enough to support additional physical activity. Dehydration can cause a racing heart, dizziness, and will be indicated in little urine that is extremely dark in color. Hydration can also help keep mom from becoming overheated, wearing loose fitted clothing during exercise is a good idea as well. Some exercises call for lying flat on the back or standing still in one place for a long period of time, these should be avoided. They cause blood to either pool in the lower body which can cause dizziness or fainting or reduce the blood returning to the heart and ultimately to the rest of mom's body to include the uterus. 

Some exercises should absolutely be avoided altogether to include sky diving, contact sports (hockey, boxing, soccer, basketball, water/snow skiing, etc), surfing, off-road cycling, horseback riding, hot yoga/pilates, scuba diving, or activities completed at high altitudes. We can save these all till postpartum. 

Funny story, this girl didn't even know she was pregnant till halfway through her 1st trimester. I was in Alabama killing it doing 2-a-days, running 6-8 miles a day, lifting in the mornings and also doing a 10 mile run on the weekends. To be honest, I didn't feel fatigued or overly tired most days until the end of my night. I must admit, I have never been a napper BUT I did get sleepy whenever I would slow down. I did experience nausea for about 4 weeks on and off during this trimester toward the very end. It subsided quickly with crackers, toast, or even exercise, walking and movement really helped me. Movement in pregnancy or in any stage of life is so important, whatever that may look like for you. Fitness has always been a HUGE part of my life and who I am, so in pregnancy I have continued my love for fitness. It is not something I feel pressured to do, it has always been part of my day and will continue to be until it doesn't feel right or until it simply can't happen in life. 

Second trimester was good to me, I didn't feel very much different at all. My belly started growing and there are some movements I was not able to do such as some abdominal exercises and also going as heavy while weight lifting since tightening my core as hard as I normally like to with heavier lifts honestly didn't feel comfortable. It wasn't a pain feeling, it was more of a tight squeeze of my entire abdomen and wasn't something I felt great doing. In this trimester my body limited my movements and pace at times and I just fell in line and listened. It really doesn't take too much convincing, my breathing often limits my higher intensity movement, and again my strength was impacted because I can't pull that core in tight. Some movements I simply can't put up the weight I was pre-pregnancy, so they couldn't be done. I know someday I will return to these weights and it will be a new goal/challenge once the baby is here. 

Third trimester so far (1 week in) is continuing to limit me. I don't feel like I have a ton of energy to bring to the gym to take and leave there, which is usually my most favorite thing to do. I was just telling Chris the other day how I just can't wait to go all in and exert it all. This is what I'm finding that I miss most in the gym. I used to love exhausting myself in some way during workouts and I just can't seem to hit that threshold which is totally understandable and I know now is simply not the time for it. I still miss it and honestly crave it. I know getting in the gym is all I really need though to fill my cup and hey as my third trimester progresses if I'm not feeling like I have any energy to spend I will listen to my body and do what I can or do whatever movement I can that sounds good. That's the beauty of fitness, it's for life and it will always be here no matter what. I often talk about that with clients when they are hard on themselves when a time in their life is making it hard to complete workouts. I have been enjoying walking, the elliptical, and even the stepper more than anything so far. I can get my heart rate up at a sustained rate and work up a nice sweat which feels nice since having to cut back on my high intensity movements. 

The biggest takeaway for pregnant women is to listen to your body, understand that your body is doing some kickass work, and you are sharing not only nutrients and water but also your blood and oxygen! Your awesome body is growing and developing a human and that should always take precedence over any fitness or wellness goal. Grant yourself some serious kindness and use this time to take a sit back and possibly get into some other slower activities that you normally don't participate in. I have been adding some breathing techniques lately along with yoga and stretching regularly. These are things I don't normally add to my fitness regimen so it's a nice switch up! Give yourself grace momma & love this time before your little bouncing baby arrives.