How hard can I push myself? Can I do cardio? Should I run? Is my heart rate too high? These questions occupied my mind during pregnancy. There are so many different opinions about what physical activities you should and shouldn’t do, it’s overwhelming! I’m here to take you on my exercise journey during pregnancy and what worked for me. Every body is so different however, so take what you like, leave what you don’t, and ultimately listen to your body!
People say giving birth is like running a marathon. Whether it’s true or not, I definitely wanted my body to be in the best shape (round, but still) it could be in for birth. I viewed exercise and the food I ate as training for my birth marathon, and wanted to do everything I could to set myself up for the win (aka. positive birth). My midwives were very encouraging and supportive of exercising and moving my body as long as I felt good doing it! So I pretty much did all the things – I lifted (more than 15 pounds), ran (until my body said no), and stretched!
Strength
Before I was pregnant, me and Nick went to the gym 4x a week (M, T, Th, F) and I stuck with this schedule throughout my pregnancy. My routine included upper body strength, lower body strength, and hiit workouts. I was easily winded pretty much my entire pregnancy (i.e. needed to pause when I got to the top of my stairs), so I did make some modifications to maintain my routine. I took longer breaks between my workout sets to start, and eventually had to lower my reps and my weights into the late 2nd and 3rd trimesters. But, I was consistent and kept up my gym routine until the week I was due, so I felt strong!
Squatting was highly encouraged by my midwives pregnancy because it strengthens and mobilizes all the birthing muscles – pelvic floor, glutes, hips, core. So, I did body weight squats every morning and night while I was brushing my teeth!
Stretching
Before I was pregnant I was not a fan of yoga or stretching because “ain’t nobody got time for that.” But during pregnancy I really made it a priority because I wanted to make sure my body was stretched, loose, and ready for birth. It also felt good. I would try to stretch while I was reading or watching a movie just to squeeze it in. There are so many videos on YouTube for pregnancy yoga and I actually really enjoyed those too. These were helpful because they encouraged deep breathing and being calm which I definitely wanted to practice before I gave birth. Here are some links to some of my favorite yoga videos!
I love this YouTube channel! She has so many videos on yoga, workouts, and pregnancy in general. This was one of my favorite yoga videos.
I also Love Bridget Teylor! She has yoga, meditation, and stretches and positions to induce labor and practice for birth. Here is one of the videos I did to try and help induce labor!
Walking
I walked every day. Walking was such an easy way to move my body in a way that could get my heart rate up but wasn’t hard on my body. It was fun bonding with my husband, Nick, to walk. And, I always just felt better after a walk.
Pelvic Floor Therapy
Most people wait until after they give birth to think about their pelvic floor, but going BEFORE birth was extremely helpful for me. My pelvic floor therapist gave me breathing/pushing tips, stretches to do to prepare for labor, and answered so many of my birth/pregnancy questions. It was honestly a confidence booster for me to feel like I had done everything I could to prep for birth. You can go as many or little times as you want, but I would HIGHLY recommend going at least one time to make sure everything is all good down there before you push a baby out. I also LOVE my pelvic floor therapist, and if you’re in the Grand Rapids area comment below or email me and I will send you her info! Click here to read more about Pelvic Floor Therapy!
A note
I really believe doing these exercises gave me the physical strength and mental confidence necessary for birth. I had an amazing labor and birth experience (birth story here) and I definitely give exercising during pregnancy some credit (but really the credit goes to Jesus). To note, I will say I had no pregnancy complications or concerns (gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, etc) which I do know can add complications to your exercise routine. So if you have these (or even if you don’t) check with your doctor before going too crazy with exercise during pregnancy!! And ultimately, listen to your body!
I’m dying to know what exercise/physical activity you all did to prepare for birth! Comment below all the things! If you’re looking for more birth preparation ideas, click here to see more of my favorite resources!
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