Making Fitness A Priority During Pregnancy

I don’t think any of us go into pregnancy wanting to let ourselves go. But we also don’t know how our body is going to respond to growing a human. Despite how active we are, some of us gain lots of weight, and some of us struggle to gain enough. Each of our bodies reacts differently, and much of it is out of our control. With that said, this is not a post about how to stay skinny while you’re pregnant, because we all know there isn’t a perfect formula that works for everyone. Instead, this post is about taking a few minutes to think about what pursuing a healthy pregnancy might look like for you, and setting realistic expectations that will help you and your baby to feel your best.

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge those of you out there who weren’t able to work out much during your pregnancies due to medical reasons. For you, the safest and best thing for your baby was to limit your amount of activity. Hear me when I say, “You are amazing.” You sacrificed a lot to get your babies into the world, and I can’t imagine how difficult it was for those of you who normally like to be active.

I’m currently on my third pregnancy, and thanks to the two for one deal I got with the twins, I’ll be welcoming my fourth baby in just a few weeks. I’ve been lucky enough to get the go ahead from my doctor to exercise through all my pregnancies, which I consider a gift. Obviously, a goal with working out is to maintain a healthy weight, but I honestly spend very little time thinking about or focusing on that. They take my weight at the doctor’s office, and I leave all the worrying up to them. For me, working out is important because of how GREAT it makes me feel. It’s my stress reliever and my sanity. It’s a known fact in my family that I tend to get super crabby if I go a few days without breaking a sweat. Add the pregnancy hormones and emotions, and I think it’s safe to say everyone is more than willing to help me get to the gym to keep momma bear happy.

I also know that when I can reduce my stress and feel my best, it’s going to affect my baby positively too. If you’ve worked out during pregnancy, you know how much of a positive difference it can make. If you need more convincing, read these 33 reasons to exercise. I’ve reaped so many of these benefits already!

Okay, so it’s easy to talk about working out and why we should do it, but much harder to actually follow through and make it happen. I will be the first to say it is NOT easy and doesn’t happen without discipline. There will be days when you feel like it, and MANY when you don’t. The key is to find a happy medium, and to really listen to your body. It’s not so much about getting to the gym every single day, but more about being intentional with scheduling your trips and doing your best to get there, while knowing there may be days when you simply need to rest instead and that it’s totally okay. We’re not aiming for perfection, we’re aiming for balance.

Another important thing to remember is that doing something is better than nothing. I remind myself of this all the time. I may not be able to get in hard core workouts like I used to, but simply choosing to do something is worth it. I find that if I can just get myself to start, it often has a domino effect and I want to do more. Taking that first step is the hardest!

Also, it’s so important to do activities that you look forward to. Think about things you enjoy doing, things that make you feel great. My first pregnancy I was able to run a lot, but the second two pregnancies I’ve had to stick with low impact cardio like the arc trainer, elliptical and swimming. Do what feels good to you. If you have to look up against it, you likely won’t be motivated to do it.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with the workout that I do during pregnancy. It’s worked well for me, so in case you’re looking for a little something to spice up your workouts, here you go. I usually work out 3 – 4 times a week, 5 if I’m really motivated. I do 30 – 40 minutes of cardio, followed by this free weight routine that targets my butt and thighs. Whether I make it to the gym or not, this gets done 5 times a week. I try really hard to keep my lower body under control while my upper body gets huge. It’s helped me bounce back quickly after each pregnancy! Here’s a video to walk you through the exercises you’ll find in the routine below.

Happy Exercising!

Amber