Being physically active during pregnancy is important for everyone, it's important at every stage of life. We all know the many benefits that come with breaking a sweat every week, but we get a lot of messages from pregnant women wondering what to do to remain or become active during pregnancy. They wonder if it could be dangerous for the baby or themselves to do certain workouts or activities.
First, remember that moving while pregnant is one of the best ways to avoid major complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and postpartum depression. It will also help you maintain a good weight gain and it will be easier to lose that weight after birth.
There are more advantages of being active during pregnancy, but those will not be discussed in this post.
If you were physically active before being pregnant, it is a very good thing for you to continue as your body is used to it and it could lead to more consequences if you stopped. If you weren’t active, no worries, you can still start safely.
Remember three very important things before we start;
1- Always listen to your body
This is especially true when you are pregnant. Don’t push yourself to the point where you feel nauseous or lightheaded. If it’s very hot outside, it might not be the best time for you to run a marathon. Being physically active during pregnancy doesn’t mean exhaustion and overdoing it.
2- Drink, drink, drink: WATER
You will never have enough water and if you are breaking a sweat, you will need even more. Make sure you always have a bottle of fresh water with you and try to make it a habit to sip on it throughout the day. Before engaging in physical activity, try to drink a glass of water. When the activity ends, try to drink another and make sure you keep sipping throughout the entire time.
3- Talk to your doctor
If you don’t have any medical reasons to prevent you from being active during pregnancy, you can be reassured that it is good for you and the baby to be moving. When in doubt, talk to your doctor about what you would like to do, especially if you want to try something new. It’s always better to ask more questions to make sure you feel comfortable and be safe. Having a personal coach can also help you feel more confident, or you might want to have a plan built for you that you can follow on your own.
If interested, we offer private plans. Book a session with us here.
Here are 10 tips to help you remain physically active during pregnancy
1- Limit the time you spend sitting
This one looks like a no-brainer, but it is impressive to see how much time we spend sitting down throughout the day. For the majority, it starts in the car or the bus while driving to work or school. Then, most people are sitting during their day at work. You get back home sitting in your car and end up sitting down for dinner and sitting to watch your favorite soap.
There is nothing wrong with watching your favorite show and sitting while working, but try to take some time to move around. We had one client who said she didn’t have time to workout because her schedule was overloaded, from 7 am until 7 pm and by then she was hungry and exhausted. We told her to try and park at the end of the parking lot as this would add a small 10-minute walk every day. She also planned some alarms during the day to remind her to stand up, stretch and walk around her office a little.
During lunch, we added a moderate 15-minute workout that she could do in her office or at the park. We also encourage her to take the stairs as much as possible. I can see you staring at me because you work on the 10th floor, but you could maybe just climb one or two floors every day.
This helped her remain active and she saw some very good results without having to change her work schedule.
2- Plan activities that you like
This is a major bump that a lot of people face. When they think of physical activity and fitness all they see is a gym. If you love the gym, then great go for it, but if you hate it why bother? Find something you like.
Do you like swimming and do you have access to a pool?
Do you like walking your dog in your neighborhood early in the morning?
Do you prefer group classes, and one is offered that is between you and your work or online?
Do you like playing sports?
Finding things that you love will make it a lot easier and more fun. You will be excited to go to your weekly aqua fitness class or your badminton Sunday with your best friends. This is a good way of remaining physically active during your pregnancy.
There are many online options too. Here are some free trial classes you can use. Who knows, you might find something you love doing in the comfort of your home. *
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3- Use bands
We think that fitness resistance bands are a great gear to have whether you are trying to stay physically active during pregnancy, during postpartum and every other day in your life. It is very compact, so easy to store but also easy to bring anywhere even when traveling. You can do so much with a band; you don’t need a whole gym set up to break a sweat and work those muscles. We firmly believe that investing in a good pair of bands with different resistance is money well spent for your health.
4- Find a workout buddy or get a coach
Motivation is very important. You might start with a lot of motivation, but after a few weeks, it could get harder. Having a buddy with you helps you stay on track with your physical activity schedule. If you like spicing things up in your life, you could get bored or lack imagination.
This is where a coach comes in. Not only will they motivate you, but they can schedule a change in your plan to keep it fresh and exciting. Whether you want them to change your plan every week, month or meet more often to work out with them is up to you. You can choose how many times, how long and what you would like to do during your sessions.
Contact us for more info.
5- Forget about your weight, instead build healthy habits
We know it’s hard to see that number going up, but just forget about it. Try to focus on how good you feel and how much energy you have. Now is not the time to focus on your weight or overdo it. Focus on that wonderful human you are creating and how good you will feel when they come around. Now is the time to make better nutrition choices and to take care of that body of yours as it means you are caring for the baby.
Being physically active is part of it and if you set your mind on that positive note it will be easier to remain physically active during pregnancy. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and stay away from processed foods. Bake those cravings that you have and try to make those recipes healthier. They aren’t kidding when they say that fitness starts in the kitchen. A healthy diet will give you that energy to move and feed that wonderful baby with all those vitamins it needs.
Remaining physically active during pregnancy is important. That's why we run to the bathroom 1000 times a day.
6- Add some dance parties
Dance parties are so much fun and are a great way to break a sweat. How do we do it? Get your favorite playlist together and dance around the house. No worries about looking crazy, just let go. You will feel so energized because not only is it good as you are physically active, but it also helps with stress, and you will forget your worries. Involve your other children if you have some.
You can even do it while cleaning. No one will know that your dance partner is the broom or the mop. Have fun with it. Make a different playlist so that it fits your mood or the time of year. You could have a disco one, 90’s hit list, Latin remix, a country one or whatever you prefer. Make sure they are long enough so that it doesn’t end before you are ready. We always made sure they were at least 1 hour long, and we even made some longer for those spring-cleaning days.
These will be good, even after you give birth. They will keep you physically active during pregnancy, post-partum and even after. We used them and are still doing those dance parties when we clean with our teens. Yes, you read that right, our teens love cleaning with these traditions!
7- Focus on why you are being physically active when motivation runs low
We know that some days will be harder and maybe a little more rest will be required. There is nothing wrong with this and it is a good thing that you listen to your body especially when pregnant. This doesn’t mean that you have to become a “couch potato” even if you feel like one. We do understand the feeling after four births! Keep in mind why you are doing this. What is motivating you to stay active during pregnancy? Don’t say because my doctor said so, this is not a good motivator. It could be that you want to stay physically active during pregnancy because you know it will help with your natural birth.
You want a shorter labor.
You want to reduce your risks of C-section and gestational diabetes
You want to prevent back pains, constipation, swelling, bloating, excessive weight gain…
You want to boost your energy level or sleep better
You want your body to recover faster after birth
Whatever the reasons are, write them down and remind yourself often.
You could stick them in your mirror and on the fridge as a motivation to be physically active every day.
8- Double up on your time
We do a lot of things in one day and some of them can be multitasked. What we mean is, for example, you have to do the dishes because you know not everyone has a dishwasher! While you are doing so, instead of standing and being static (not moving) do tiny steps while washing the dishes. Try to fold your laundry while belly dancing or doing step touches. You will feel awkward at first, but let me tell you, once you get the hang of it, you will find so many ways to move throughout the day.
You could squat every time you enter a different room in the house or when you stand up after sitting. You can walk through your whole house every time you have to take a call. Walk whenever there is a commercial during your favorite soap or squat while you find a good show to watch. Hula hoops every time you open the fridge or the pantry.
Be original, be safe and find fun ways to keep moving. Let us know what you come up with and share it with us. Don’t forget to tag us so we can see what you came up with and use our hashtag #ozeyalife.
9- Your posture
We feel like this point is not mentioned enough. We’ve been there, you feel like a whale and walk like a penguin because of all that extra weight. Try to focus on your posture throughout the day. Make sure your weight is distributed evenly throughout your feet. Focus on your weight and how it feels in your legs and try to ground yourself. Imagine your feet are rooted and they go deep into the Earth. Feel your weight being distributed equally.
Make yourself as tall as possible. Imagine a line in the center of your body that comes out through the middle of your head being pulled through the sky. Stand as tall as you can. Keep your shoulders down and your chin up. Focus on your posture throughout the day and make some adjustments when needed. This will help during labor and when you give birth. You will not only have an overall better posture, but your core will be engaged and strong.
10- Make sure you sleep
Having an amazing workout plan is great, but if you don’t sleep enough, it becomes useless.
Sleeping enough hours is what recharges not only you, but the little one that you are carrying. It’s good that you are focused on remaining physically active during pregnancy, but think about remaining well-rested. Labor is something else, we can tell you after four natural births! You will need more energy than ever before. You have to give your body time to rest, especially as you get closer to that due date. Keep that goal of remaining physically active until your due date, if your doctor cleared you. But remember to add a few more resting hours so your body can recover and prepare for that bundle of joy that is coming.
Need more information, look through our resource list below.
Need more coaching or need a fitness plan adapted for you?
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Make sure to keep an eye out for our online programs as we will be adding some for the first, second and third trimester as well as a postpartum one (coming this fall).
Resources;
· The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the Office on Women’s Health, and National Institutes of Health Weight-control Information Network (WIN).
· The American pregnancy association; https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/pregnancy-workout/
· Mayo Clinic; https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-exercise/art-20046896
*Ozeya Life uses some affiliates that aligns with our company value, with no extra charge on you. Many have discount codes and free trials. These affiliates help us keep up with our volunteer work and we thank you for your support.