Inspiration Mama: 5 Tips For How To Tackle Weights With a Baby Bump
We love these tips from Jennifer about how to tackle weights with a baby bump!
My name is Jennifer and I am a special education teacher. I am in my 4th year of teaching and have had the opportunity to teach both general education and special education within those 4 years. My wonderful husband and I are expecting our first baby in September and are anxiously waiting to find out the gender at my next appointment! We are split 50/50 between the two of us, I think the baby’s a girl and he is 100% confident that we’re having a boy; we’ll see who was right in a few weeks. Throughout my pregnancy, I have been able to keep a healthy workout routine and continue to exercise 5-6 days a week. I haven’t made too many changes to my workouts except for adding more cardio. I read that cardio is great for delivery so a couple more miles throughout the week doesn’t seem so bad. I love being active and keeping myself fit is something I plan on continuing throughout the rest of my pregnancy and life.
Tip #1. Don’t try to be the hulk. I have noticed that throughout my pregnancy, 17 weeks today (YAY!) that on some days I am stronger than others. I know my max weight that I can lift for different exercises and I try not to increase that weight. If I’m feeling extra strong that day, I will do another set or add on reps. I’m scared to increase my weight because of maintaining my balance, getting light-headed, which happens to me often, or and pulling something that might hurt the baby.
Tip # 2. Breathe and rest. In case you haven’t already experienced being light headed, well let me just tell you that it’s not something to brag about! It happens to me often especially when I stand up too quickly or don’t give myself enough time to rest between sets. I force myself to count to 30 in my head and take deep breaths before I stand up. This simple trick makes me feel better and gives me that extra time between sets that my body needs.
Tip # 3. Feeling uncomfortable, STOP. I’m not sure about you, but I can’t do planks anymore and actually haven’t been able to do them for a while. Whenever I would try to do them I would get these uncomfortable pains throughout my abdomen that didn’t feel quite right. I had to stop doing planks and decreased the amount of ab exercises that I was doing.
Tip # 4. Drink that H2O! You will definitely hear me saying that water is your best friend! A helpful tip that I was told and feel the need to pass on, was to drink water before, during, and after workouts. I don’t fill up on water and then head straight to the gym, but I do make a conscious effort to drink some before hand. In addition to taking longer breaks between sets, I sip on water as much as possible while resting. After my workout I drink a protein shake with water and that helps keep me hydrated and gives me a quick dose of nutrients that my body needs to help my muscles recover.
Tip # 5. Enjoy yourself. Remember that working out should be something fun and an outlet to take your mind off of things. Enjoy your workout and be happy with yourself for burning some calories! I was once told to, “never regret a workout because its always better than not going.”
This post is brought to you by For Two Fitness®. For Two Fitness® is the premier maternity fitness apparel brand, proudly made in the USA and available worldwide. Visit our site to explore our maternity fitness apparel and purchase for you or a loved one today.
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