I posted last week about staying healthy and fit during pregnancy and I want to focus on the fit part by itself. As I mentioned, while I feel like I'm kind of slacking in the nutrition department (not so much lacking as overindulging in extras in addition to healthy meals), I'm still kicking ass and taking names when it comes to exercising. In the spirit of positivity, today I want to talk about what how I'm keeping up with a moderate-high level of physical activity as I near my third trimester. Yes, I'm totally giving myself a pat on the back. No, I'm not sorry about it. #sorrynotsorry
As a former athlete, that intense mental and physical type of workout is my comfort zone. Just for the record, I have pushed myself outside the box and tried several forms of Yoga, Pilates and Barre. But I always come right back to HIIT cardio and strength training. It's just what works for me so why fight it? Walking the dogs isn't exactly HIIT (high intensity interval training) but our walks are done at a FAST pace for several miles with varying terrain including points with steep hills. So it's not your average low impact cardio and that's just our style.
A little background on me is that I was a child athlete involved in soccer, volleyball and gymnastics. In college I gained the all too popular Freshman 15 and was kind of disgusted with my lack of exercise and horrible eating habits by Sophomore year. I joined a gym and got myself back into shape pretty quickly referring back to my athletic training past. Old habits die hard and muscle memory is a real thing. Google it. But eventually it became too much of a chore to go to the gym. There's the monthly payments whether you go or not, the drive time there and back, and the fact that it can be difficult to do your thing when you have to go at peak hours. So I ended up here, working out at home on my own time. I LOVE that YouTube has free full length workout videos and there are tons of great options no matter what floats your boat. I set up shop in my living room after work with my laptop, yoga mat and big tumbler full of ice water. Occasionally I will use a set of 5lb weights but these days since it's usually all about using my own body weight against me. Because now I'm working with a lot more of it! On a normal week I workout Monday-Thursday + Saturday and take off Sunday and Friday. Friday is usually a true rest day but Sunday I tend to get a lot of exercise I don't even count just going up and down stairs to clean/do laundry or whatever else we are doing around the house or out and about. I get bored with a workout routine easily so I switch it up every day and never do the same one twice in a row. There are my current favorites:
None of these are prenatal workouts or geared toward pregnancy in any way. So that means these are not all suitable for every pregnant woman at every stage of pregnancy. ALWAYS ask your doctor about this stuff. Safety is the most important thing for you and your little one. Since I continue to get the okay from my doctor and feel strong enough to keep up with these routines, it's what I'm sticking with. Keep in mind it's almost a given that you'll have to modify some of the moves in any regular workout to tailor it to your level during pregnancy.
Even though I'm usually in the privacy of my own house while working out, I still need appropriate clothing to stay cool and comfortable and have the ability to move around properly. I am still wearing my regular workout pants/capris since they are stretchy and can be worn underneath my growing belly. But at this point in my pregnancy I am partial to my GAP gear. I have several pairs of non-maternity pants and capris like these and these that I love because they sit low on the hips. I also have these that can certainly be worn post pregnancy. The top half of my body has spurred on a few more recent purchases out of sheer necessity. I completely outgrew my sports bras so I bought this, this and this from Target. I also grabbed some of these non-maternity tanks a size up from what I would normally wear and they are perfect to cover the bump plus I can continue to wear them as layering pieces after baby arrives. I didn't really think I would need any maternity tops just for working out but I went ahead and added this one onto my GAP order a few weeks back during a sale, ya know, just to try. Well, I LOVE it! I will probably order it another color as well since I'm getting bigger as the weather is getting warmer and these are perfect for keeping cool and covering the bump. Lastly, I work out in the house barefoot but for walks I wear my 2 year old Nikes. These and these are the same style and are so great for long walks outside because they are so light and airy but with plenty of cushion.
I'm striving to keep all this up but am also very aware the whole pregnancy thing might just catch up with me at any time. I'm all for pushing yourself but baby comes first so I'm listening to my body and making sure I'm not overdoing it. Hopefully something in this post was helpful to you but if not, maybe you'll better enjoy another topic on another day.
Happy Hump Day!
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