Part Two: Exercising While Pregnant

On Wednesday I talked a bit about how my exercise history has not always been consistent.  But when I knew I wanted to start a family, I was willing to add a bit more discipline to my regimen and I am so thankful that I did!

We found out we were expecting in June and up until then, I had been running regularly.  Of course, fatigue was one of the first things to set in and my running routine was one of the first things to go.  Not only was I just too tired to think about running, it was too hot!  I was paranoid that I would overexert myself in the heat and cause damage during those first crucial weeks.  Luckily, I live in a neighborhood that is perfect for long walks so I adapted my routine and started taking leisurely two and half mile strolls when the sun went down enough and the heat subsided.  Even more luckily, I knew of a DVD program that I wanted to get to help me with my exercise plan.

Sara Haley is an international fitness expert and a certified Pre/Post Natal trainer.  When she was pregnant with her son, she created a DVD series called Expecting More and I was anxious to try it out! I know Sara from my NY days and I had been following the launch of this program, looking forward to the day when I could justify buying it.  The day had come!

The program includes six different workouts, ranging from strength training to cardio to yoga, and it came with a training calendar.  A training calendar!  This was huge.  I need goals when it comes to working out and having a daily goal is even better.  The calendar is divided into trimesters and is on a four week rotation.  She mixes up the workouts throughout the week so that you never get bored.  Um...awesome!

I got my DVDs and started the program in my sixth week of pregnancy.  Before I started though, I broke out my Excel program and made a spreadsheet of each week leading up to my due date.  Then I added the workout that Sara recommended each day, based on the included calendar.  I also added a 30 minute walk/run to each day.  I left room in the margins so that I could check off each day that I completed and keep track of my weight.  Another small fact - I never owned a scale before I got pregnant.  As long as my clothes fit, I felt like I didn't need to know the actual number on the scale.  But now that I'm gaining weight - and I'm supposed to! - I wanted to make sure I was doing so in a healthy way.

I'm now in my 23rd week of pregnancy and have kept up with this program the entire time.  I even brought the DVDs when I traveled to the east coast for three weeks in July.  I'll admit, I wasn't as diligent during those weeks as I've been the rest of the time - there was a gigantic heat wave happening that rendered me practically immobile - but on days that I was feeling up to it (and had good air conditioning!) I took advantage of it.  I haven't gotten bored yet and I've maintained my level of fitness. The great thing about Expecting More is that it was created for women who are used to working out and want to continue to workout while pregnant in a safe way.  Sara was in her third trimester when she filmed Expecting More and it is very encouraging to see her doing everything when she was way more pregnant than me (at least so far)!  And she always reminds you to listen to your body because every day is different.  Some days you'll be able to do all of the reps and "bump it up" and some days you'll take it slower and steadier.  She always shows you modifications so that you can choose the level you need on any particular day.  And she keeps it fun!

So that's how I've exercised while pregnant:  long walks (which are no longer leisurely) and Expecting More.  Usually I do one or the other, depending on how I'm feeling that day.  If I'm feeling extra peppy, I'll do both.  I also still go on a weekly hike with my friend Corinne.  We just go a little slower if it's warm out.

Here are the top six reasons I'm happy that I've worked out throughout this pregnancy:

1. I've felt great!  Aches and pains that are a natural consequence of pregnancy could be much more difficult to deal with if I hadn't been strengthening and conditioning my body while it's been growing.
2. Labor is going to be a marathon.  And when that day gets here, I'll feel more prepared to face it because I've maintained my level of fitness until then.
3. Baby weight is typically lower in moms who workout while pregnant.  I may still end up with a ten pound baby (yowzas) at birth but, statistically, my baby has a good chance of being a more manageable six to seven pounds.
4. Exercise is great for baby!  Studies show that your baby's heart health benefits when you work out.  Not only that but babies whose moms exercised while pregnant tend to have higher IQs.  Smarty-pants.
5. My weight gain has been steady.  And healthy.  And I eat all...day...long.
6.  Kegel reminders!  Sara is great at reminding you throughout your daily workouts to do your kegels!  I've heard that this is one of the most important exercises to help with delivery and post-natal recovery.  And they are easy to forget about.

The general rule of thumb about exercising while pregnant that I've heard is that you can maintain the level of exercise you were used to before getting pregnant, with certain modifications of course.  But if you weren't working out regularly before, you can still start an exercise routine that works for you!  Check out this article from The Mayo Clinic for good tips on how to get started - whether you're used to working out or not.  And, it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine.

Happy work out!