Fitness Workouts while Pregnant: Second Trimester

I am about to wrap up my second trimester of my first (so-far-successful) pregnancy. Staying physically active during pregnancy is so important for many reasons, including these:

• Maintaining your strength and flexibility, which will help throughout the pregnancy, during labor and delivery, and post-partum
• Helping you to gain weight at a steady rate to remain healthy and prevent complications such as gestational diabetes
• Promoting healthy sleep patterns which again helps baby grow!
• Helps to keep you regular! yeah, I mean that way (see my post on prunes for another way)

Check out yesterday's post on ideas for your first trimester. Today, I will discuss what I've done during my second trimester. You might hear that the second trimester is the best and so far I can confirm (mind you, I've never experienced a third...yet!) Great things happen in your second: your energy increases, hopefully your morning sickness subsides, and you get to see your baby in the ultrasound! This is the trimester to get things done and, as I've found, to increase my fitness regimen a little in preparation for the third trimester and birth!

Second Trimester - Here is what I've done during my second trimester:

• Strength Training 2-4 times per week. I have been able to increase my weights a slight amount from what I lifted during the first trimester, but I am still keeping them lower than what I lifted pre-pregnancy.
• Running 2-4 times and walking 2-4 times per week. I took a little break after my race in October, but when the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge came around, I finally used it as a kick in the Bootie to get back out running. I definitely felt much better during this trimester, but that bladder still seems so small when you start to jog! haha!
• Yoga 1-7 times per week. During the challenge, I started incorporating 20 minutes of yoga practice at home to work on my flexibility and to help release some back pain that I'd created. 
• Group Fitness/Cardio and Core classes 2-4 times per week. With the return of my energy, and the kick in the Bootie of the HBBC, I was encouraged to get to the gym for several group classes, to include BodyCombat, CXWORX (core), cycling, and dancing (Sh'Bam and Zumba)

Now, you may add all of these up and say, "Sam, there is no way you were doing 20+ classes/workouts a week." You would be right, my activity flowed from week to week, but I have managed to be pretty consistent in just staying active and I think that is key!

Considerations:

• I've had to make some modifications to my strength training (BodyPump and CXWORX):
• I have widened my squats to account for my change in balance and I also need to modify my range of motion on squats on certain days. 
• I do most of my plank work on my knees now because I started noticing more pulls in my belly and so, while trying to maintain core strength, I don't want to injure my belly either.
• Prone lying poses are out right now. When we do leg raises or belly poses, I modify to something on my knees. For leg raises, or supermans, I kneel on all fours and do leg lifts and/or arm raises to try and mimic what the actual move is and still reach similar muscles.
• Yoga  - the second trimester is where you really need to start modifying yoga to fit your pregnancy. I will post next week on body changes and modifications.
• BodyCombat/Kickboxing - I can still do the majority of BodyCombat, but I pull back on the intensity as needed. I do not do most of the plyometric moves and just choose the lower options offered of either marching in place, lightly jogging in place, or just staying on the ground when the high jumps are involved. I also do lower kicks of all varieties so as not to overstretch my hamstrings. But I can definitely still get a good sweat and strength workout in even with these modifications.
• Cycling - Last night during cycling is the first time that I felt it really affect my belly, but that is because mine is just starting through it's biggest growth spurt. During some challenging portions of the ride, I felt some pulling in my belly that was a new sensation, not like I've felt while running. Regardless, when I felt this, I just dialed back the intensity until the feeling subsided and then i jumped back into my groove.
• Utilize your resources- If you do take group fitness classes, head to class a little early and talk with your instructor about modifications that you can make throughout the class. Your instructor will work with you to make sure you are getting a good workout, but in a safe way for both you and your little one.

Always remember to consult your physician prior to engaging in a new exercise regimen while pregnant. But remember that it is your body and you know when something doesn't feel right! Moderation and balance in fitness and rest during your second trimester will reap great benefits for both you and your growing baby!

P.S. I wrote this while actually in my second trimester....and my little CAT is now 10 months old. I forgot to actually post this! Oops! Please forgive me! :)

Fitness Workouts while Pregnant: Who knows your body better than you?

Today, at the gym, I talked to a girl about working out while pregnant. She said that when she was pregnant, she became borderline diabetic and her doctor had recommended that she stopped working out after the first trimester. She followed his advice and went through her pregnancy gaining excess weight and having difficulty during her delivery because she had lost her endurance and strength since cutting back on exercise. She said that she was generally fit pre-pregnancy and really wanted to continue her workouts at the gym throughout, but followed her doctor's recommendation and merely walked for exercise throughout pregnancy. She is thinking about having another child and she would like to approach fitness and pregnancy differently this time around!

Wow! Ok, I am not a doctor, but I was saddened to hear that she'd received this recommendation from hers! Doctors are great (my dad is one), but sometimes I think we need to listen respectfully to what they offer in certain situations and then listen to your body, do your own research and then make a decision on what is right for you. Everything that I have read about exercising while pregnant does start with consulting your doctor, which is important, especially if you had health issues prior to becoming pregnant. But my motto in life is balance and moderation. If you can find a good balance between maintaining a good fitness level through pregnancy while also monitoring your body to ensure you are doing all that you can to protect and grow the little one inside you, then why not?

Here are a few ways that I modify my fitness workouts while I am pregnant to ensure that I am still remaining active and maintaining my strength and cardiovascular capacity, so that 1. I can keep growing a strong and healthy Little Tuna, but also 2. so that I can be strong throughout my labor and delivery!!

First Trimester - The first trimester is when I did cut back on my exercise level and frequency, however I did not stop!

• Strength training 2-3 times per week - I am a fitness instructor so this was actually less than I had been, but even if you're not an instructor, 2-3 weeks is great and you can modify your intensity as needed; I already decreased the weight amount I lifted in this trimester
• Running 2-3 times a week - I had just started training for the Army Ten Miler when I learned I was pregnant and had not been running consistently in over a year, so I only ran very easily during the first two months and walked whenever I felt winded or pulling in my belly - read more on that here
• Yoga a few times a month (I could have increased this, but I was really tired, so sleep was more important to me)

The only race I'd done in the year prior to pregnancy,
while I was recovering from plantar fasciitis.

Considerations:

• In the first trimester, you're dealing with increased fatigue and probably some form of morning sickness. I was just nauseous all day and really the only times I felt well were while working out or the 30-45 minutes after I had eaten (So I ate small snacks very frequently). But definitely work with your fatigue and don't overexert yourself any time during your pregnancy.
• Your body is already making tremendous changes during this trimester, so always listen to your body! For example, my chest was growing fast and hurt, so running did not always feel awesome, hence the slow pace and walking.
• As for yoga, this is the one trimester when you can still do most of the poses, so, if you are new to yoga and want to incorporate it into your prenatal program, this is when to start it up, learn the poses and then you can build strength, flexibility, and consistency. In the following trimesters, you can then edit poses as needed.

Yoga with my two faves, during the first trimester!
Knight really has Side-Lying Savasana down.

These are a few ideas on how to continue on (or even begin) your fitness journey during pregnancy. Tomorrow, I'll cover the second trimester (which I'm currently enjoying!). 

Just remember, YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BEST!

How have you modified your fitness workouts during a pregnancy? Are you newly pregnant and looking for ideas on where to start? If so, let me know!

Fitness Workouts while Pregnant: Weights, belly and abs

Today I am entering week 24 of my pregnancy! And I've just starting feeling comfortable sharing with you on the affects pregnancy has been having on my body and my workouts. Last week, I shared how my running has been affected during the first trimester. Today, I wanted to share on how I've had to edit my lifting and group cardio workouts to fit my newly changing body.

I'm lifting half this weight now, and teaching
much less frequently.

The most impact the pregnancy has had on my lifting workouts so far is weight selection. In wanting to take it somewhat easy, while still staying active, during the first trimester, my first decision was to decrease the weights that I lift. Most of my lifting takes place while I'm teaching BodyPump these days, as I just want to let my body recover fully between workouts and so I have enough energy to teach my next class! :) The biggest shift that I have seen is in my squat and lunge weights; I have basically cut those in half and am not even attempting to increase while I'm pregnant - I'd rather just maintain the strength that I have. Everything else has just gone down slightly.

I usually recommend to my students that they focus on two or three body parts during a particular class and try and increase their weights on those and see how they feel. I'm following my own philosophy, however, I also recommend they create a new baseline weight selection for themselves, and I have mostly been only increasing weight for one class and then going back to my previous weight. For example, this past Monday I increased my biceps weight. Usually, I would recommend that my students then stay with that weight in the future while also increasing another weight, let's say squats, at the next class. This way, they will gradually increase their overall strength over time. Since I have a different focus now, to maintain strength, instead, on Friday, I will take my biceps weight back down to my "pregnancy baseline" and maybe increase my chest weight. This way I am still challenging myself, while also not over-exhausting myself and the baby.

Pre-pregnancy, when I could still do this on my toes!

As far as my belly and core, this is where I have also seen a difference. During the middle of the first trimester, I modified my core workouts by doing most of my planks on my knees rather than on my toes. I was surprised at how early on (as early as 10 weeks), I felt that I had less control of my abs than I am used too. So, any ab work that I did in the prone position, I modified early on.  I am still able to do crunches and leg extensions as well as other moves while on my back, however, I just take more frequent breaks. Just last week, while finishing up BodyPump, we were doing planks with hand pointers. I was feeling good, so I started on my toes, but after about two hand pointers, felt a pull/strain in my belly and basically lost strength control of my abs, so I finished on my knees. I am assuming that at some point in the next few months, prone work won't be possible for me and I'll figure out some alternatives when I get there. ;)

What is most important for all of us, even if you aren't pregnant, is to listen to your body. I was pretty fit going in to pregnancy, so I've been able to keep up a pretty good workout routine thus far. If you are just starting with your fitness BECAUSE of the baby growing inside you, remember that it's okay to start slow and to take it easy! Slow and steady wins the race. Walking, alone, can help keep your heart nice and strong and your blood flowing for both you and your baby. And always remember to talk with your physician before starting any exercise regimen...it's even more important when you're pregnant.

How have you modified your exercise program during pregnancy? What has surprised you on your fitness journey through pregnancy?

Running While Pregnant: Early on affects of pregnancy

I'm not an awesome runner, but I can usually trudge along for a fair distance and have been blessed enough to be able to do that with very little training. I think a lot of that is a benefit of growing up as a swimmer and the strong lung capacity that gave me. But there are two things that really shocked me early on in my pregnancy: 1. how greatly my lung capacity and endurance was affected and 2. how early on in my pregnancy my bladder was affected!

In May, Matt and I signed up for the Army Ten Miler, which takes place annually in the fall in Washington D.C. I had taken over a year off from training for anything after I caused plantar fasciitis training for the Miami ING Marathon. So, this was going to be my encouragement to start training/racing again. We started training in July and then at the beginning of August, I realized I was pregnant. Having gone through a miscarriage exactly 10 years before, while training for my very first Army Ten Miler, I was a bit apprehensive about continuing to train, since I was basically starting over running from scratch. I know that the doctors recommend that if you're fit and used to working out, you can usually continue to maintain your exercise regimen as long as you are mindful of your body, but I was still scared to somehow do anything to jeopardize my newly growing baby. With that in mind, I shared with my running partner, who was training for the ATM as well, that I wanted to take it easy with running for a bit and she fully supported that. While I didn't stop running altogether, I did run much less frequency than our training program called for.

Baby at week 10 with a strong heartbeat
makes for a happy mom!

But on those few runs is where I noticed these dramatic bodily changes that just blew me away. As early as week 6, I already felt pressure on my bladder as soon as I started running. Crazy! How can such a tiny little growing baby affect me so early? Additionally, I became winded so early in my runs. From about week 6 to week 10, I did not run more than 3.5 miles at one time. Because I was not running long distance, I attempted a few times to add in some interval training work, but noticed how much more difficult that was than I was used to. I am still amazed each day to learn new ways that this little baby affects my body, but it's all for a good cause. :)

I definitely listened to my body and walked when I felt too winded to run (as well as when my quickly growing chest asked me to!). While I doubt that my running had anything to do with my miscarriage years ago, it was hard to get that possibility out of my mind. But, this time around, I managed to run 2-3 times a week for that 5 week stretch and then picked up my mileage a bit to help prepare me for 'race' day in another month. And here we are at week 23, with more to come in this continuing series on running while pregnant!

Were you shocked by the affects of being pregnant to your exercise/training regimen? How did you alter your routine when you learned you were pregnant?

Shots, Shots, Shots!!

No, not that kind. J I was recently diagnosed with a form of thrombophilia called Factor V Leiden (FVL). I had never heard of this before, however, it is a genetic condition that increases the tendency of blood clotting. Don’t we want our blood to clot? Yes, but, with this gene, our blood has the risk to develop abnormal clots that could become life-threatening. While most people with this gene will be fine, those with high risk factors, will be prescribed blood thinning medication by their doctors. Which is where I find myself now. I have been trying to get pregnant, which puts me in a high-risk category and my doctor has put me on Heparin, which is a shot I have to inject into my stomach twice a day. While it started out not fun, it’s even more not fun now as I still have no idea why some days I bruise and other days I just have a little red spot at the injection site. What I do know is that I don’t look forward to it every day, but I know it’s for a good purpose. J

 What I’ve learned in researching FVL is that it can be one of many contributing risk factors that cause miscarriage. While my three sisters and mother have not been tested for FVL, I do know that out of the five of us, we have had a combined 13 successful pregnancies and 8 miscarriages. That’s over 60% miscarriage rate, whereas the average rate is 10-25% (http://www.americanpregnancyassociation.org/). I’m not a doctor, and I can’t say these two are related, but it is an interesting note to consider.

 Two years ago, while training for a half marathon, I noticed recurring heart palpitations after training without proper hydration. When the palpitations continued after a week of rest, I went to the doctor. After wearing a heart monitor for 24 hours that confirmed the palpitation, the doctor put me on the blood pressure medication, Atenelol. Again, I don’t know for a fact that this is related to the FVL, but once Kelly reminded me of the link (I tend to block these things out of my memory), I will be mentioning this to the doctor to see his thoughts.

I share this with you to inform you and to see if any of you have found yourselves in a similar situation. At the least, you’ll now recognize it when House or his staff throw it out as a diagnosis, which I heard last week!

Links for more information on FVL:

www.fvleiden.org

http://mayoclinic.com/health/factor-v-leiden/DS01083

Things to be thankful for:

~ Days of rest

~ New exciting recipes to try

~ Beach Days

~ Pizza on Cheat Day