My pregnancy workout update - 23 weeks pregnant!

fitness pregnancy workout Jan 16, 2023

I get lots of questions about exercise during pregnancy and now that I'm 23 weeks in, in my 6th month of pregnancy (I knoooow, I can't believe it either), I feel like I can give you a proper update!

Before getting pregnant I always hoped for a healthy pregnancy and as long as baby and me are healthy, my goal was to always workout. So far, I'm grateful every single day that I feel healthy enough to workout.  
 
The recommendation for working out while pregnant are:
  • getting the green light from your doctor that it's safe for you to workout 🚦.

  • continue doing the workouts you used to do before as long as nothing puts direct impact on your belly/pelvic area.

So, I took those 2 things and ran with them. 

In the first trimester, I was doing great until I hit week 6. Overnight, I felt so nauseous, fatigued, tired, and had all day sickness. I couldn't even fathom the thought of working out during that time. But for the little instances that I felt good, I did hop into the gym and tried barre classes. I'd get in around 3 workouts a week. It was a lot to wrap my mind around but everyday I remind myself of what my body is doing and that helped me accept those changes. 

 
When I hit 2nd trimester, I gradually started feeling better but not with the same energy as before. So I asked myself two questions: 
  • What would help me train better?

  • What would motivate me to show up to my workouts? 

When I jotted down my answers, here's what they looked like: 
  • 🚴🏼‍♀️ High energy classes like spinning - so I started doing them 2x per week 

  • 🧘🏼‍♀️ Gentle yoga - cause it helps me zen out, take things at a slower pace, & really helps with labor - started doing that 1x per week

  • 🏋🏼‍♀️ Strength training - but I felt like I need a little fun injected to it, so I booked 2 sessions per week with a PT and I do 2 sessions on my own. 

& if you should know anything about me, it's that I'm a super action-taker lol. This little plan really resonated with me and so I worked my schedule and budget around it to make it happen. 
 
It's not always easy to show up though, you know that. But the reason I've been consistent with my training is because I have reasons that motivate me even when I'm not motivated, like:
  • I know I'm in a much better mental space after I workout 

  • I know this is good for my babys health 

  • It helps me with labor & delivery 

  • Improves postpartum recovery 

  • & it simply brings me joy to move

I know exercise and moving can feel like a chore. But I don't believe that it has to be that way if you ask yourself the right questions and sign up for the things that truly make you feel good. Whatever that may look like to you. 
 
I'm working with so many pregnant women at the moment and they all do different types of workouts from pilates to spinning - at their own pace. 
 
Listen, at whatever stage you're at in life rn, if you're not able to or simply don't have workouts as part of your lifestyle, that's ok too. As long as you're tuning into what you need and you're feeling good about it, that's all that matters. 

 

Hope this was helpful!

Sending you love,
Baraa and little booboo 

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