Tips for Staying Fit During Pregnancy

Today I’m sharing 4 tips for staying fit and exercising during pregnancy.

Fitness during Pregnancy

Before my body became home to this tiny little babe, fitness was mostly about looks and feeling good. While in college, I worked hard to be better at dance and at rock climbing, but since moving to Ohio, neither happened very often. My physical fitness goals became less clear. I knew I felt better when I exercised, and I knew I looked better when I exercised (I also knew it was good for my body to exercise…and that it combatted my regular ice cream intake). Now though, there is a whole new level of intension when it comes to physical activity. My physical fitness and overall health not only has a direct impact on my life, but of the potential of this little guy.

I’ve been reading countless studies about the benefits of staying fit during pregnancy. Aside from generally shorter and easier labor, there are lots of benefits for the brain and physical ability of the baby. Nothing is too shocking: be healthy and your baby is more likely to be healthy. It shouldn’t be new to me, but it has reminded me that all that sitting around with nausea the first trimester did nothing for me or for him.I’ve been working on finding a new routine here in Findlay that works for pregnancy and the area. There aren’t any mountains for climbing or trails for biking, but there are acres upon acres of gorgeous farmland to run, walk, or road bike next to. There is a beauty unique to rolling farmland and I’m starting to fall in love with it.

Pregnancy Fitness Tips

Here are a few useful tips I’ve found for staying fit during pregnancy:

Keep hydrated: this is my number one for energy, motivation to exercise, beating nausea, combatting cramps…everything. It also makes sure that my baby is getting enough liquid while I work out.
Don’t overdo it/ listen to my body: Prior to being pregnant, Ben was really great at pushing me farther than I thought I could go (or than my lazy self wanted to go) whenever we were working out. Now though, I’m extra careful to listen to my body and take it slow. It means I walk more than I run and sometimes I walk faster than I run 😉
Pick a routine and stick to it: I have a few regular strength exercises I do everyday and so even if I don’t get a walk/run in, I’ve done a little something. It really helps me to have a set time/place that I do these.
Track my progress: Ben has a fitness chart he uses to mark off his progress and I’ve been meaning to come up with something similar for me to track my fitness goals. Lately, I’ve been using the Walgreens App (which I already had on my phone because it makes developing instagram pictures so easy).