28 WEEKS!
While pregnant, your normal “norm” is not the norm anymore…well, for most of us. A whole new world of worries and emotions come into play, body morphing you’ve never experienced before, and extra stress. So, I wanted to tackle one of the common stresses that pregnancy brings about: Exercise and body image.
I had to give myself a reality check with my prenatal fitness plan. As much as I tried to keep up my norm of lifting weights, cardio intervals, and running to maintain tone and curves, some days there was no energy to be found, or a difficult stomach to deal with. Once I figured out what worked best for me and the growing babe, my stress about a little extra pudge and squish was gone. I was able to enjoy the ultimate happiness that comes with growing a bump!
Do not stress about sticking to your pre-preggo exercise routine. It’s nice to keep it up as much as you can, with modifications of course, but you must listen to your body. You have a new driver now! Do what feels best for you that day. If cruising on the elliptical makes you feel great and you break a sweat, keep cruising. You will be surprised at how much (or little) you can do to “maintain” your frame throughout pregnancy. Some days, I walk into the gym and start to feel icky while working out. It happens. So I drink some water, take a rest, and leave the gym. If I feel better later that day, I may get in a brisk walk to get the fluid moving, the calories burning, and a burst of fresh air and energy. And if I simply do not have the energy, tomorrow is a new day.
We have almost no control, or rhyme or reason as to why some days we feel better than others, but just go with it! Any exercise is better than no exercise! This is not a time to over exert and sweat the small stuff. That little growing miracle inside of you is who matters the most…which means listening to your body and doing what feels BEST!
Cheers to happy, healthy BUMPS!
NEXT UP: My pregnancy fitness “routine”. Stay tuned!