I fell in love with Jess’ blog last year when I stumbled upon one of her kick-butt workouts on Pinterest. When I met her at a Reebok event last November, I thought she was so genuine and full of life.
I reached out to Jess and asked her to share a little bit about her fitness journey now that she’s expecting her first child.
I hope you enjoy her guest post!
Exercising While Pregnant: Gentle Reminders
Greetings PBF readers! I was thrilled when Julie asked me to share my take on exercise and pregnancy and hope it answers questions. I’m 33 weeks along and expecting our first child in early June.
I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, so it’s been important that I continue to exercise while I’m pregnant—it’s my job!
I truly believe exercise has contributed to a, dare I say, enjoyable pregnancy thus far. I haven’t experienced the nausea, swelling, or insomnia that can accompany pregnancy. Fingers crossed it’s like that for the rest of the time!
We can be our own worst critics, so be kind with your self-talk as your body is changing. I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis.
Reminders to My Pregnant Self:
1. This is not just extra weight.
I’m heavier now which makes every exercise I do more difficult. Why do you think weighted vests are popular with sports conditioning? But, this is not just weight…it’s a human being! Your body is working hard to support that life inside, and that is work in itself. So, when fatigue hits you earlier in a workout than before, don’t beat yourself up. Do what you can.
2. Know thyself.
You are pregnant, not dead. If you have been active, stay active. Keep running, walking, strength training, cycling all with your doctor’s consent of course. Unfortunately, there still isn’t a ton of information out there that dictates what we can and can’t do. The guideline of keeping heart rate below 140 bpm has been outdated for decades. The best piece of advice is to listen to your body. If it feels good keep going. If you’re uncomfortable, stop.
3. Reassess your standards.
Prior to becoming pregnant, I was in the best shape I had been in years. So, even if I can’t see the work I’m putting in through more defined abs and arms, I know exercising is better for me and baby–now and post-delivery. There are muscles under there somewhere…right?
4. You are working just as hard.
While I may not be able to do some of the exercises I used to or at the pace I once did, I’m working every bit as hard now. Remember No. 1? That’s a pretty big deal! Do what you can and listen to your body.
5. Swallow the pride pill.
The further into pregnancy you travel, the more you will have to modify exercises. You are human. Your pace will slow and physics simply will not allow you to bend like you once did…I mean, you’re smuggling a basketball!
6. Be a role model.
Many of my clients and class participants have told me how they wished they would have exercised while pregnant. They encourage me to keep going. That in itself is all the motivation I need. Show others being active and pregnant is the norm, not the exception.
If you want to read more about exercise & pregnancy, I have prenatal workouts, videos, and posts listed on my blog for mommies-to-be or anyone traveling this road one day!
Jess Allen is author behind Blonde Ponytail, an NSCA-CSCS trainer, and expecting her first baby in June. Jess resides in Omaha, NE where her husband coaches baseball at Creighton University. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Whoa – I saw the headline and thought, did I miss the pregnancy post? 🙂
I’ll have to bookmark this. I have visions in my head of one day being a fit and active pregnant mommy-to-be. I love seeing pregnant moms in the gym and doing classes too. I think many people are nervous to exercise but really, just making the modifications and taking things easy can make it a lot easier to bounce back after the delivery.
Oh my goodness! Two of my favorite fitness bloggers in one place! I’ve really enjoyed following Jess’ pregnancy thus far- so cool that ya’ll know each other!
Definitely not pregnant anytime soon, but great advice. And I love Jess’ blog:)
Oh this is such a cool post, I’m going to have to refer back to it if/when I do get pregnant one day:)
“Smuggling a basketball” – lol! There have always been pregnant ladies at my gym, especially in spin classes, and they just go at their own pace. They also seem to drop the baby weight pretty quickly!
Great post. Like Jess I was in the best shape of my adult life when I got pregnant, which isn’t saying a whole lot compared to these gals, but for me it was great! I kept exercising until the very end, I literally worked out on Friday and had my baby boy on Monday. I ended up with an emergency C-section (IMO inducement gone bad…) and the recovery was not bad at all!! Because he was a summer baby we were out waking the trails within a day or 2 of getting home!!! I can’t agree more with all that Jess has shared, do what you can, when you can, cause once that little bundle of joy is out of your belly and in the world your life (and time) is no longer your own!!! 😉 but so worth it!! My little guy will be 10 this summer and we’ve had a ball!!!
These are such great tips! Hopefully one day I’ll be able to put them to good use. Women who are able to stay active through a pregnancy are such an inspiration!
Great tips! Keeping active is key, not just for physical health but also mental well-being – especially if you’ve been at it prior to pregnancy.
These are really great tips and I enjoyed reading them!
Great post and tips for all the mamas to be!
Two of my favorite bloggers! Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Jess. While this doesn’t apply to some of us quite yet, I think it can apply to any major physical changes your body might be going through. Whether it is injury, moving or training for a new sport – listening to your body, loving it and remembering to be patient is very healthy.
Loved this post! I will keep this tucked away for future reference!
This post reminds me of one of my favorite SATC episodes is when Charlotte is afraid to run while pregnant but by the end, finds her stride again.
Love this – “You are pregnant, not dead. If you have been active, stay active.”
This is great!! I really love how people are beoming more educated about how we are able to stay active during pregnancy; I think it will contribute to smoother less painful labors if pregnant women say in shape 😀 and that’s a good thing!! Thanks for the tips!!
HI JULIE!
I’m not sure if this is an appropriate question to ask but i’m just going to ask it anyway… Are you pregnant??
I agree, exercising while pregnant is so important as long as you do not have any medical problems!! I think staying consistent with exercise in my pregnancies helped keep my weight gain right on track. 20 pound with my first and 30 with my 2nd!!
I loved this post! I loved the quote “You’re pregnant, you’re not dead”. I understand that some women have terrible morning sickness, medical conditions stopping them from being too physically active etc, but for those that are able to, exercising while pregnant is so important! Thanks for the tips!
Love Jess. Follow her blog and on Instagram. she’s the bee’s knees and has a dog that I want to moosh my face into his face and go “hewwo pupper.” I love that she has kept active during her pg and is like the cutest pg girl ever.
Thank you so much for all the tips…I think I’m done having my babies, but just in case, this is a great post for me to bookmark 🙂
I just had our first son about a month ago, and staying active was definitely a priority to me through my pregnancy. I love your outlook!
What a great inspiration for pregnant women to keep exercising and staying healthy! Thank you for sharing!
Great Tips to remember for my next pregnancy (hopefully)! I was pretty lazy with my first pregnancy and I think in the end it did contribute to some issues that could have been avoided. Thanks for sharing!
I forgot Julie was on vacation and I thought this was an announcement! But these are great tips 😀 My first child is very, very far down the road, but I know that I would love to keep exercising!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to “meet” your readers Julie! Looks like you are having a FANTASTIC time!!
I’ll give you that exercise helps with swelling and insomnia, but I don’t agree that you didn’t get nauseous because of exercise. Morning sickness isn’t really something you can control. 🙂
These are some great things to keep in mind!! Love the guest post, thanks Jess!
Thanks so much for this post! I gotta be honest…I usually skim past guest posts, but I really enjoyed this one. My husband and I are planning to try to have a baby in the next year or so, so I’m always wondering how being pregnant will affect my activity level. Looking forward to reading more from Jess over on her blog!
I am also 33 weeks! Yay!! And have exercised throughout my pregnancy. This week I beat my SUPER FIT husband in a side plank contest with the top leg abducted (unmodified). This was made even better by the fact that the bet was making dinner 😉 I absolutely recommend continuing to workout throughout pregnancy…even if you do get a lot of strange looks in the weight room! I think the men are so afraid I am just going to have her right then and there!
I exercised up until I delivered. I 100% think that it contributed to an enjoyable pregnancy!
Fab post! Even though I’m not preggaz, nor am I hoping to be anytime soon- it’s a great reminder, especially as a fitness fanatic and someone who also does it at their job…and someone with body issues- love it!
Thank you for this encouragement! I got pretty lazy during my first trimester, but I’m back out there now (almost 24 weeks). I walked a 5K last week at 22 weeks 5 days and plan to do another one when I’m 25w 5d. My family was so impressed that I was out doing this, but I was like all I did was walk 3 miles. I know other preggos who would have run the whole thing!
Loved this guest post as it was exactly what I needed! I am 36 weeks and was very active prior to becomming pregnant and believe it helped me with an “enjoyable” pregnancy too. But these past couple weeks I’ve been struggling to keep up the workouts as they have become quite difficult. Thanks for the motivation to keep pushing on!
I found out I’m pregnant the day you posted this! Thanks for the tips!!
To prevent common pregnancy complaints such as diastasis recti (abdominal separation), back pain, and pelvic instability, all pregnant women should strengthen their deepest abdominal muscle, the Transverse Abdominis, or TvA. This muscle is our body’s internal “girdle” and when contracted, compresses the abdomen. Like pelvic floor muscles, the TvA does not move bone.
Because it is also our primary, voluntary expulsion muscle, TvA strength greatly aids in labor and delivery. Find safe prenatal TvA exercises at:
http://befitmom.com/diastasis_recti.html
BeFit-Mom
Wait a second, I’m from Omaha, NE! That’s crazy!! Small world! 🙂
Great info! If I ever get to that point, I will definately continue to workout as much as my body will let me. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you need to eat everything, not exercise, and gain 100 pounds.
-AJ
FitTravelerAJ.com
Pleaseeeee tell me you’re pregnant! I just found out that I am and it’d be so wonderful to follow your exercises, etc!!
Hello,
How do feel about wearing a 10lb weighted vest during workouts in the second trimister to prepare for the bump on the third trimester?