Prenatal Wellness: Workin' It Out

As a personal trainer and yoga instructor, exercise has definitely been important to me in keeping a healthy pregnancy.  I think the key has been finding a balance between grace and discipline:  when I have been severely nauseated & fatigued--I have given myself grace.  Listening to my body, and not pushing myself has been very helpful, and allowing for plenty of rest.  However, during my cranky and hormonal times--I have found that a little exercise can do a body & mind good.

In my case, I gained energy in the middle of my second trimester and continuing into my 33rd week of pregnancy.  There are definitely days I want to just sleep and rest, but generally I have welcomed some daily exercise.  As I am tapering off teaching my own classes, my schedule has allowed for a bit more time to attend other people's.  Last Saturday I attended a Barre class, which is mix between yoga, pilates, and ballet.  It is definitely a challenging workout, but I modified when needed and avoided heavy ab work.

On the ab note, a friend of mine told me months ago that she was discouraged that no one told her that the abdominal muscles are at risk of separating during pregnancy.  Known as diastasis recti, the right and left side of the ab muscles can separate, leaving a gap in between.  The muscles don't tear or rupture, so it doesn't cause initial pain, but can result in future health complications.  It can be helpful to avoid any strenuous abdominal workouts during pregnancy, quite honestly--I stopped doing any intense ab exercises as soon as it felt uncomfortable and that was in my first trimester!

Some of my runner friends said they ran into week 30 or 31, but didn't feel like they could continue after that.  Walking has been helpful on days that I need some movement but am unable to attend/teach a class.  I also accompany that with some light weight training, targeting arms, chest, hips and thighs.  Moving into a table-top pose (on hands and knees--shoulders stacked over the wrists, hips stacked over the knees) and extending one leg, and possibly an opposite arm, has been good for the core.

I have told multiple people that I believe yoga has been a major key component in feeling well in pregnancy.  It is something I have been able to continue to do--even as I start to slow down.  I just modify and listen to my body on certain poses, and this is where a good, pre-natal yoga instructor can help.  The yoga breathing is also good preparation for childbirth, along with the meditation and calming focus that can be incorporated into your practice.  Yoga encourages a strong sense of body awareness, which can also be an important component in natural childbirth.

I had to do a certification training course for my job last Monday, and our group had to sit for 3 1/2 hours.  By the end of that time my hips were killing me, and I realized how hard a desk job must be on pregnant women.  For those who do sit a lot during the day, I hope you can frequently get up, stretch, and take walks around the office.  Just keeping synovial fluid moving through your body, along with blood and lymph flow can be really helpful.

Overall, between yoga, barre classes, walking, light weight training, and prenatal specified workout classes, there have been some good options to help me keep moving in the last home stretch of pregnancy.  As I mentioned above, I have really tried to pay attention to what my body is telling me to avoid injury or "overdoing it"-- my best advice is never push through pain, or if your gut is advising you against something.  Although we often lose control over areas of our bodies in pregnancy, we can still redefine our relationship with it--sometimes gaining a better sense of body awareness and respect than we had before.