10 tips to beginning your fit pregnancy journey

LatinAmerican Post | Melissa Letellier

A fit pregnancy is all of the rage these days on social media.  But if you've ever been pregnant you know that some days, especially in the first trimesrer wanting to embark on a fit pregnancy journey can be hard!  Here are 10 tips to get you started on your fit pregnancy journey.

When my husband and I first started trying to conceive I couldn’t wait to document my fit pregnancy journey in hopes of inspiring women to continue exercising throughout pregnancy and move that bump, assuming I would receive the ok from my healthcare provider first!

When we finally got pregnant with our rainbow baby I was feeling on top of the world! I continued my regular 4-5 times a week gym sessions, and I kept thinking to myself, why would anyone want to stop exercising during pregnancy?   Then week 6 rolled around and I found myself unable to function.  At a minimum I was throwing up 8 times a day!  Long story short I spent my first trimester (and entire pregnancy) with a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. 

It was most severe between weeks 6-14 and weeks 30-40.  In that time I was in and out of the hospital every other day to receive IV fluids, fainting from dehydration, and overall barely able to keep up with daily activities.  It was in these moments where I suddenly understood why some women just give up on a fit pregnancy.  Pregnancy can be HARD and no one, especially a pregnant woman should be exercising while dehydrated.

For the women whose morning sickness subsides in the second trimester and still don’t find themselves back in the gym, I get it now!   Who wants to start over at the gym when you are finally starting to feel better?  What if I told you that exercising during pregnancy helps you decrease your chances of excessive weight gain, pregnancy related aches and pains, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain, and an emergency cesarean section.  Not only does exercise help you, but it benefits your baby! Exercise helps your baby develop with more fat-free mass, meaning more lean mass, leading to a healthier birth weight.  It also allows for greater nutrient transport through the placenta, healthier levels of amniotic fluids, and it improves their stress tolerance. 

Also read: Freedom, money, babies: Indian women rescued from slavery count their losses 

Here are 10 Tips  to beginning your Fit Pregnancy Journey:

1. Take it day by day!  Every day in pregnancy is unpredictable and some days are better than others!

2. If you have severe morning sickness to the point where you are dehydrated, do not workout!  

3. If you feel like you lack energy for a full blown workout, go outside and take a nice 30 minute walk!  Exercise is a natural energy boosters.

4. Avoid exercising in hot environments.  It is easier for pregnant women to overheat and it is recommended to exercise in cool environments.

5. Listen to your body!  If your body feels uncomfortable doing something, skip it.  If something feels great, keep going!

6. Take longer rest periods during sets if you feel like you need it.

7. Throw away that heart rate monitor!  Research tells us that the internal changes happening inside of us makes heart rate less reliable way of tracking exercise intensity.  Instead, it is recommended to go with what is called rate of perceived exertion.  Meaning, how you feel.

8.  Always stay hydrated!  It is extra important we stay hydrated during pregnancy so be sure to hydrate before, during, and after your workout!

9.  Give yourself an extra 5 minutes to warm up!

10. Most importantly, make fitness fun!