Embrace the PHAT! Pregnant Hot and Tempting
Article 3: Lovely Baby Bump
Ahh, this is where things get interesting. Your bump is either just starting to show or really starting to stick out there! This is when the changes that have been going on in your body start to show what they’ve been working on in the first trimester. Bonus in the second trimester, a lot of the exhaustion, food aversion, morning sickness etc begins to subside, and a bit of normalcy returns (for a while anyway). Physical changes in the shape of your body means it’s time to change some of your routine up. First, add an extra 200-300 calories to your daily caloric intake. Then, it is time to rethink your exercise routine. Let’s discuss why.
My first pregnancy, I kept my exercise pretty intense with longer low impact cardio sessions and consistently heavy weight lifting. I cut out all abs and plyometric because I researched it thoroughly and decided that risks of diastasis recti from ab work was too high and the wear and tear on your body from bouncy wasn’t worth it. So I stuck with my weights and low impact cardio. However, post pregnancy, I still had a minimal case of diastasis recti and my cardio capacity had suffered greatly. After researching it further, I discovered that a lot of the heavy lifting (squats, deadlifts, kneeling squats etc) required me to put outward force on my abdominal wall, pushing against it and stretching it, therefore adding to the likeliness that I would have diastasis. On top of it, cutting all ab work, while mostly wise, meant I also cut any oblique work and it turns out that including oblique work throughout pregnancy trains and strengthens your obliques to constantly be pulling your abdominal wall both together and into your spine, which post baby would be hugely beneficial. So as my second time around is here, this is what I’ve done instead:
I cut out all ab work, except obliques (do not do twisting oblique work, just straight work). I like these exercises; Standing side crunches, dumbbell side bends, side planks, side plank hip dips, dumbbell side bends, dumbbell elbows to knees side crunches.
For cardio; instead of doing moderate/low impact, I do HIIT or Tabata, I just do it on a machine that minimizes bouncing. Bike, Elliptical, Stair stepper, or cross trainer.
For Weights; I do lighter weights (ie instead of back squatting 95lbs or more, Ill go a bit lighter and use a machine, leg press, hack squat, etc) for higher reps, with a stronger focus on form and the mind/muscle connection for contractions.
I still workout 5 or 6 days a week, with 20mins of HIIT or Tabata, and 45 mins of lifting. Plus a light walk every day with our doggie and Violet.
I also stretch, not a structured plan, just when I have time and regularly, if you don’t while you are pregnant, the aches and pains of your pregnant body catch up with you.
What you definitely need to stop doing.
Anything that causes aches or sharp pains during the movement.
Any kind of intense jumping or bouncing that could be dangerous if you were to get dizzy.
Anything that you could fall and get injured doing; mountain biking/cycling, skiing, rollerblading/skating, trampolines, balance beams, etc.
Pretty much everything else is up to you.
As a side note, some people may consider pole dancing dangerous, but I literally taught a class on handsprings 6 hours before delivering Violet. But, this was not physically dangerous for me, as I have been doing it for years and knew what my body could and could not handle. Hence why I say, the rest is up to you. Use your own judgement.
As time goes on and you get further along in your pregnancy, I have some simple advice I hope sharing with you will make your journey a bit easier.
Don’t push yourself to exhaustion: You will get better results from your body if you take care of it, instead of push it or punish it. If you are down right exhausted, skip the gym and pamper yourself. If you don’t, you will regret it.
If you obsess: Obsess over anything during pregnancy, make it your diet. This is what fuels you and your baby through a healthy pregnancy. Your diet is also what will get you back in shape faster than anything.
Do not talk badly to yourself: I told myself over and over again; I was huge and I was going to struggle so much afterwards to get back to myself, to feel like myself again. It did take a while, but it was not “impossible” or even “hard” just took some time and focus.
Keep Going: Throughout pregnancy and at any point in life, the journey is not black and white. You are always in a state of gray. Meaning that, you are always working towards something and incorporating that into everyday life. That is your life, that is your normal. You are not 100% on your diet, workout, sleep, water, every single day. And you are not kicking your goals to the curb and eating a whole cheesecake, drinking a bottle of wine by yourself and planning where your next fix will come from. Sometimes are good and sometimes are bad. The important part is that you focus on your goal and return to that path. No guilt, no self loathing, just a constant effort. It may not be exciting, but it works way better than black and white.
Cheers to you and your healthy baby in a second trimester. Know that like most things in life, this too shall pass and it happens faster than you can imagine. Even though I know, when you’re in it…...IT TAKES FOREVER!!!! Which brings me to my next line of thoughts and yet another article. Keep a lookout for it; Larger than Life.
In Support of Your Goals,
