There are so many great ways to workout during pregnancy that are safe for you and baby. But as you come closer to the end of your pregnancy, those workouts might not be as comfortable anymore. You may feel more winded, more pressure, or just not quite be up to the same level of activity.
I know for me about 37 weeks I didn't have the same "oomph" going on during my workouts. I wanted to listen to my body so I stopped doing PiYo and changed my routine last week. I know I am still getting a good workout but definitely feel more comfortable with this level of activity until baby comes {which, really, any day now is fine sweet boy!}
Walking
For the past two weeks I have been walking around 4 miles a day. Now, to be clear, I do not do all four miles at the same time. I usually take a walk in the morning and then again after dinner. I do this for a couple of reasons.
1) It's August. It's hot. And I am pregnant and not super quick. So a four mile walk would take around 45 minutes or longer and that is just not pleasant. I also have my boys on the walk and they can only last so long at my slow pace in the stroller so we break it up.
2) Should I go into labor, I do not want to be exhausted. Most doctors say walking is wonderful exercise as this stage, can help with labor by keeping you in shape, but also advise not to walk too long because you can exhaust yourself before the ultimate workout of delivering your child.
If you think plain, same pace walking seems a little boring, change it up with some intervals or change your route, throw in some hills, etc. Here is a great little interval training that will give you a good burn.
While I stopped Piyo, I have been doing yoga. Yoga is completely different than PiYo because it more stationary, I can choose poses to stretch out areas that need focus, and I can also focus on my breathing to deepen the stretch. There are several great articles and tips of late pregnancy yoga. I have been doing some flow of down dog, chaturanga into up dog, cat/cow, pigeon, warrior series. I have also been holding a low squat pose which you can modify by doing against a wall if your balance is off.
Really any stretching has been wonderful and relaxing, especially as my legs have felt restless these past couple of weeks.
Strength Training
There are all kinds of strength training exercises you can do to keep your body active. For me, this little circuit has been great. It targets different areas of my body, doesn't completely exhaust or strain an area and is something I can do several times through to get in a good burn.
Whatever the case, for me, staying active has made a HUGE difference in my overall health during this pregnancy and has helped to alleviate a lot of the discomfort I experienced before. What do you do to stay active? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
No comments:
Post a Comment