MY TRUTH: about exercising during pregnancy.

There’s no hiding it, I was born to exercise!  Whether it’s playing sports, teaching classes, lifting weights, walking the dog.. there’s something about exercise that I can’t live without. When I got pregnant I knew I wasn’t going to be that person who has excuses why they are avoiding exercise. I constantly had people telling me to be careful (like I was doing something wrong) and telling me not to over exercise while I was pregnant. Sure I cut back in the first trimester out of nervousness, but then I realized on the days I exercised I felt better, I had better energy, and I felt like my normal self. The days I didn’t exercise I felt low on energy and my mood was completely different.

Being pregnant doesn’t mean I am incapable of doing the things like laundry, grocery shopping, & cleaning the house.  I continued with all my normal daily tasks as well as continuing teaching fitness classes and training my clients with no problems. My approach to everything was a little different.  I was cautious about the weights I was lifting, how high my heart rate went, I took rest days when needed, I made sure to drink lots of water, and most importantly I listened to my body. If something didn’t feel right or comfortable I didn’t do it.

Each pregnancy is different and what worked for me may be totally different then someone else. I feel fortunate that I had a great experience and I owe it to exercise … it truly helped make this pregnancy a beautiful experience.

How exercise helped me during my pregnancy:

1. Increased energy
2. Normal blood pressure
3. I had NO swelling
4. I slept better
5. Stronger abdominal muscles
6. I had an easy labor and delivery
7. Steady healthy weight gain
8. Little to no daily stress
9. My aches and pains were limited
10. I had no pregnancy complications or complications during delivery

How exercise helped Baby Ava:

1. She was a healthy weight when she was born
2. She was super healthy at birth and according to the doctors they couldn’t find a single thing wrong with her
3. She is very alert 
4. She feeds and sleeps well

Here is an interesting article about how Mother’s exercise may boost baby’s brain It is a very great read!

Question of the day: Did you exercise during your pregnancy?? If you did, how did you feel and did it help?

Disclaimer: before beginning a new exercise program consult your doctor or physician.