Fitness & Pregnancy: From a PREGNANT point of view this time :)

You may recall - based on readers' requests, we did a Fit Pregnancy post a few months ago (you can find that post here). That one was based on the research we had done, gathering information from several knowledgeable and reputable sources, BUT - it had no personal experience to go along with it.

Well now that we got a few months of personal experience under our belt, we figured we'd give y'all an updated version :)

Original post: "During the first trimester, staying active is important. It will help alleviate some of the negative side-effects of pregnancy hormones you might be experiencing (nausea, fatigue, etc.). But no one says you have to keep up with your 6-day-a-week workouts seshs.....if you need to bump it down a notch, DO SO! You're growing a baby, for goodness sake! :)"


Now: Um yeah, first trimester did not go as gloriously as that sounds above! Lindsay really (unnecessarily) freaked about exercising because her heart rate gets so high (doesn't take much for her to get in the 180's+) and she was so scared she'd lose the baby. This cut down on the first trimester workouts A LOT. And the need for 10-12 hours of sleep, plus naps, didn't leave much time in the day for workouts, either.


Original post: "Once you get into the second and third trimesters, you might have slowed down (especially if you were super active girl before getting pregnant), but don't stop completely! Remaining active isn't just good for you, it's good for that little critter in your belly too! Avoid high-risk/contact exercise, working out in extreme temperatures, and also avoid exercises that have you on your back (like Pilates), because when lying on your back, your expanding uterus presses against your spinal cord, which in turn limits blood flow."

Now: Once she made it to the second trimester, and had a few doctor's visits under her belt, she felt more comfortable working out regularly. One set of pregnancy DVDs was tried, but Lindsay has veered back to TurboFire, just doing the "low impact modifications". Energy seems to be coming back, which makes working out 4-5 times a week pretty darn doable!

Maintaining fitness is important, and Lindsay hopes to continue strong throughout the rest of the 2nd trimester and into her 3rd. The fear and fatigue that plagued the first trimester are diminishing, so here's hoping!

Today's Lesson: Things don't always go as you have planned!

A little pic - does/did this happen to anyone else while pregnant? Working out (guessing it's all the blood flowing) makes the belly swell like CRAZY?!

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy

Reader's Request: Fitness & Pregnancy

Pregnancy - don't think anyone would argue that it is anything other than the most amazing thing. EVER. Think about it...growing a human inside your body and then bringing it into the world - WOW! If you are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant, or recently gave birth, we hope you find this little bit of insight helpful.

With exercising while trying to conceive, the jury's still out, kinda. There was a recent study that suggested regular moderate exercise is excellent for women trying to conceive, but that those who do higher intensity workouts/are really lean bodyfat-wise had a lesser chance of conceiving. On the flip-side, there are those from the mindset that whatever your body is accustomed to workout-wise is just fine to continue while trying to get preggers (Lindsay's OB included, for what it's worth).

During the first trimester, staying active is important. It will help alleviate some of the negative side-effects of pregnancy hormones you might be experiencing (nausea, fatigue, etc.). But no one says you have to keep up with your 6-day-a-week workouts seshs.....if you need to bump it down a notch, DO SO! You're growing a baby, for goodness sake! :)

Once you get into the second and third trimesters, you might have slowed down (especially if you were super active girl before getting pregnant), but don't stop completely! Remaining active isn't just good for you, it's good for that little critter in your belly too! Avoid high-risk/contact exercise, working out in extreme temperatures, and also avoid exercises that have you on your back (like Pilates), because when lying on your back, your expanding uterus presses against your spinal cord, which in turn limits blood flow.

In general, stop exercising and call your OB immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Increased shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Headache
• Uterine contractions
• Decreased fetal movement
• Fluid leaking from the vagina

Once you get through the greatest workout of your life (BIRTH!!), ease back into your fitness routine. Once you get the all-clear from the Doc, start slow - like going for a walk every day. Work your way up - don't get discouraged, if you were fit before, you'll get right back there, it just takes some time!!

Some things to keep in mind throughout the process:

• The importance of nutrition, not only for you but for your little nugget!!
• A lot will depend on your starting point: were you working out regularly before getting pregnant? 
• Don't just zero-in on one type of fitness: have your cardio, but also do strength training and lots of stretching!

Let's Chat: What role do you think fitness has during pregnancy? Any first-hand experience to share??Post below!!


In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy
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DISCLAIMER: Neither Timothy nor Lindsay are experts in pre-natal or post-natal exercise. This post is just based on the research we've done ourselves and information we've accumulated from consulting with professionals. Please consult with YOUR physician before engaging in an exercise program.