December 18, 2018
I had pretty high expectations for myself when it came to exercise during pregnancy. I ran my first half marathon in February of 2018, so I was sure I would continue running consistently if I were to get pregnant in the near future. Then I got humbled real quick.
Top: Lululemon (this color is old), Similar, Similar, Similar| Leggings: Lululemon, Similar | Athletic Shoes: sold out, Similar, Similar | Jacket: Lululemon, Similar | Necklace: Baublebar
I’m sure many women, including myself, have certain expectations in their mind about their own pregnancy. A few of mine:
I’ll definitely work out the entire pregnancy!
I won’t swell!
I’m going to dress my bump so cute all the time!
My hair is going to grow so much!
I’m currently 29 weeks into this thing and not one of those previous statements is true.
After my half marathon in February I was not running as consistently as I was before, but I was incorporating more weighted workouts in between the cardio workouts. I was working out three times a week, maybe a little more or less depending on my schedule. I had no plans on skipping the gym once I conceived. I had talked to other new moms about staying fit during pregnancy and bouncing back to their pre-pregnancy shape after baby. I was also (and still am) following other bloggers that were pregnant and keeping up with their workouts. I had all of the motivation I needed! Then I got pregnant, haha.
In my post announcing my pregnancy I shared how I went for a jog right after I found out I was pregnant. The adrenaline was rushing, to say the least, so I had to get my energy out somehow. I also needed a distraction because Milton wasn’t going to be home from work for a few hours and I had to hold in the biggest news ever! That was the last run for quite a while.
Y’all, I was tired as a dog during the first trimester. I slept like crazy! Luckily, I have two sweet kitties at home to nap with me. Starting around week 6 I logged the symptom of fatigue/exhaustion almost every day. Through weeks 7, 8 and 9 I didn’t go to the gym to put on my athletic shoes once. My body was telling me to rest and I did just that. It wasn’t until week 14 that I fit one or two workouts in again. Those workouts consisted of walking for 30 to 40 minutes, either on the treadmill or along the seawall.
Come week 18 I was feeling back to normal as far as energy level goes. My motivation was up so I signed up for a month of classes at The Body Space, a local studio gym. I went to yoga once a week for an entire month, and went for a walk at least once a week for a total of two workouts a week. This was a realistic workout schedule for me, and I felt great! These days, at week 29, I’m going to the gym twice a week on most weeks to do 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical or stationary bike, and 15 minutes of light weights, and finishing with a good stretch.
Ultimately, I regret nothing. I have been doing what’s best for me by listening to my body. Every day is different. Some days I’m ready to throw on my athletic shoes and speed walk to some pop music, and other days I just want to be horizontal. While my expectations were high, there’s no use in beating myself up for not working out like I thought I would.
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