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Safely Working out at 26 Weeks

Hello Week 26! It’s nice to meet you! I look forward to meeting your seemingly distant cousin: the third trimester!

All kidding aside, I am officially done with my school year and am happy to have the dog days of summer to hang out with my little man! I am really enjoying our time together because I know in a couple months our little family of three is going to have our hands fulls with our new addition!

This week I had another doctor’s appointment and got a clean bill of health. I even passed the glucose test (which if you’ve even been pregnant, you know what a relief that is!). And the anxiety of stepping on the scale wasn’t so bad either: 13.5 pounds gained…not too bad!

When I was pregnant with Nick, I gained about 30 pounds throughout the pregnancy, and even though that was considered a healthy weight gain, I still spent a lot of time eating junk: ice cream, chips, sweet teas, cookies, and anything else that was loaded with salt and sugar. Yes, I have absolutely indugled this time around as well, but I am a lot more conscious of how I feel when I eat those foods, and it’s not so good!

For me, staying fit during pregnancy is not about burning calories and it’s certainly not about losing weight or getting toned. Instead, it’s really been about maintaining my healthy life style: I workout, I make clean choices in the kitchen, and ultimately I feel really healthy. Not to mention, I know the post baby weight will come off much easier!

Here are some of my tips to safely working out during pregnancy!

1. Check in with your doctor! I discussed my workout regimen with my doctor at length during our first visit. In most cases, it’s a great idea continue working out (with modifications in mind), but every pregnancy is different and working with your doctor or midwife should always be your first priority!

Breakfast for baby beast!

2. I eat- A LOT! I am still eating 5-6 small meals a day. My breakfast tends to be my largest meal and it keeps me full for some time, but the extra calories are needed if I am still working out. If I don’t eat enough throughout the day, I’ve noticed I tend to pick more at my food and have great cravings. Yes, I still take my shakeology and have added a folic acid supplement as well.

3. Common sense, if it’s dangerous, don’t do it. Sorry, but I don’t recommend mountain biking or downhill skiing or horseback riding. I don’t think your doctor would either!

4. Warm up and cool down. If you don’t spend some time warming up before a workout you could strain muscles and ligaments. This can cause some discomfort after your workout. Yep. I learned this one the hard way. Spend at least 10 minutes cooling down to get your heart rate down and prevent sore muscles.

5. Drink, drink, drink. Water that is. Before, during and after a workout I drink a ton of water! I always have my 20 ounce jug throughout the day and fill it at least four times. My general rule of thumb is to drink half my body weight. I also avoid any sweetened drinks and fruit juices. I am however a fan of tiramisu decaffeinated coffee from Gourmet Coffee!

It’s all about modification!

6. I avoid all exercises on my back. This position puts pressure on a major vein called the vena cava, which will reduce blood to your heart and may diminish blood flow to your brain and uterus, making you dizzy, short of breath, or nauseated. Chest presses will have to wait until after the baby comes!

7. Don’t overdo it. Here’s my rule of thumb: If you can’t hold a conversation, you are going at it too hard.

8. Make it a habit. I spend at least 30 minutes a day (5-6 days a week) either cardio or resistance training. I’ve found the resistance bands to be a great alternative to my usual weights! I know that maintaining this routine will make it easier to take off the baby weight!

Thanks for checking in! I am by no means a fitness expert, but I have worked closely with my own doctor to make sure that my baby’s health comes first. If you have any questions about your own health and fitness goals, feel free to check in with me on facebook or email me!