Maddie’s Tips for Staying Fit While Pregnant

At a little over six months along, I'm still hitting the gym at least three days a week. 

Trust me, there are days I'd much rather lay around on the couch than hit the gym. The important thing about working out and being pregnant is having a good balance. It's OK to take days off, it's OK to indulge in your cravings, but it's also important to stay on top of your fitness routine throughout your pregnancy as well.

I belong to two different gyms, which sounds excessive, but again, it's about balance. I'm not in there doing deadlifts every single day, so don't get it twisted. However, working out while pregnant has so many benefits.

For starters, you're helping break down the extra body fat that you might be gaining from all those late-night cravings. Secondly, it's proven to make both the birthing process easier and recovery much faster. I plan on having an all natural birth, so staying active is important if I want a (hopefully) easier delivery.

I had a long talk with my doctor about working out while pregnant. I was so nervous to be weight lifting and running/rowing with a baby in my belly. It's intimidating, and you don't want to hurt the baby. My doc insured me that as long as I'm comfortable, the baby is fine.

The only restrictions I was given was to avoid getting my heart rate crazy high, avoid lifting anything over 50 lbs, and no abdominal work. Just shy of my 6th month, my doc suggested to cut out the rower to avoid all the bending (I wasn't complaining - HA!) This called for some slight modifications to my workouts, but overall it's been the same.

Actually, my doc encouraged me to continue working out. She said even if I hadn't been super active before being pregnant, pregnancy was a great place to start getting healthier.

So, if you're pregnant and worried that it might get in the way of your gym routine, don't sweat it. Take it easy, but get the job done. If you're pregnant and you aren't very physically active, power walking is a great place to start. I stopped running around month four and began power walking on the treadmill with high inclines. WHEW! It made me appreciate power walkers on a whole new level.

Other than that, I'm still doing all my weight exercises, and replacing abdominal sets with extra squats or weight reps. It can be done! Plus, I have super encouraging coaches in my fitness classes and a very supportive and helpful staff at my gym that keep me encouraged.

As far as the cravings go...I haven't figured out how to tackle those just yet. I still say 'yes' to pizza and ice cream more frequently than I should. But hey, it's called BALANCE!