It was whilst out for a run that I thought this topic may make a good blog post for anyone who is pregnant and is trying to maintain an active lifestyle at the same time. These are purely my experiences but it would be great to hear from you if you have other ideas or tips to help me out.
Running
I have a bit of a love hate relationship with running in that, I really hate it whilst I’m doing it but love how smug I feel when I’ve done it. My pace may have slowed from snail to dead slug but I am still determined to keep this going for as long as possible in the vain attempt to form some kind of habit that I can try and get back in to once I’ve had my baby. It also qualifies as my one acceptable reason to leave the house each day so that’s got to count as a bonus. I am fortunate enough to live surrounded by countryside with a few different local routes to choose from which all have beautiful views which sort of helps take my mind off the actual running.
Apart from the slight drop in speed I don’t really feel like being pregnant has affected my running at all. I haven’t experienced any sort of pain and, aside from staring down at my bump instead of my shoes, it all feels the same as before.
Crossfit
I had been doing Crossfit for about eight months prior to lockdown and so was keen to keep this going if at all possible. Luckily I am part of a super supportive gym who allowed us all to take home some of the gear and have been providing us with multiple options of workouts each day. Obviously, most of the workouts we do have been modified as, despite the loan of equipment, there is only so much you can do in the garden…
I was never one to push myself to the absolute limit during training before pregnancy and so am managing to stick at a similar level to what I was doing before. I am using lower weights and have modified some of the movements, for example I don’t do chest to floor burpees anymore because the bump gets in the way (a definite plus of being pregnant). I have also slowed down and will just stop for a breather instead of just pushing through to get a good time.
The ability to scale all workouts and movements has always been a part of Crossfit that I enjoy. I think it makes it much more of an inclusive activity and is really helpful for people that may be recovering from injury or are pregnant.
Regardless of whether you have a range of equipment, or just random objects from around the house, there are so many Crossfit style workouts available online at the moment, all of which can be modified to fit your garden, lounge, or whatever space you have.
Yoga
I definitely wouldn’t class myself as a yogi by any stretch of the imagination but, whenever I do take the time to do some yoga I always feel much better for it. I was keen to do some pregnancy yoga routines as I had read good things about helping to relax and even helping with labour.
I have found a couple different channels on Youtube that I have found to be very helpful and easy to follow from the comfort of my home. Perfect during isolation. I am aiming to do some at least once a week, especially coming into my third trimester when I may be finding other forms of exercise more tricky.
Walking
This one's got to be the easiest, and definitely most enjoyable, of all of them. My husband and I have been taking the opportunity to explore new walks in our local area each weekend and it has been so lovely to be outside in the fresh air and surrounded by the countryside. I loved going for walks before I was pregnant and am very happy that my body is (so far) able to keep going and to keep discovering new and beautiful places to bring our daughter.
Obviously, with all of these forms of exercise when pregnant, it is incredibly important to listen to your own body. Just because something feels good for one person, it doesn’t mean it will for you. I am very conscious of my baby every time I exercise and make sure I stop if I start feeling any abnormal discomfort or pain. I am now into my sixth month of pregnancy and appreciate that my body still has a lot of growing to do and I will definitely amend my exercise as and when I feel necessary. But for now, I find doing exercise four or five times a week has really helped me and my husband feel sane during this period of lockdown. It breaks up the monotony of the day and we are able to offer each other encouragement and support (almost entirely from him to me…) whilst we work out together.
Here's to the next three months :)