GROWING A GRITTER: PREGNANCY & TRAINING
Exercising During Pregnancy
According to both medical and fitness professionals, the basic rule of thumb about exercise during pregnancy is this:
“...if you were already doing it 3-6 months before you got pregnant, you can continue to do it, with some obvious limitations and safety precautions.”
In 2016 I had the honor of training four of my GRITGIRLS through their pregnancies, and four powerful, big, beautiful, healthy GRITTERS came into the world. I can’t help but brag about the compliments all my girls got in the delivery room; I build extremely strong cores and I’ll even go so far to say GRIT can come in handy during childbirth. To say it’s an incredible process to witness would be a massive understatement; I feel like we moved mountains growing and training together through all four pregnancies. The female body is a miraculous and heroic creation.
According to the American Pregnancy Association,
Here are some of the benefits from exercise during pregnancy you may experience:
- INCREASES YOUR ENERGY
IMPROVES YOUR MOOD
IMPROVES YOUR POSTURE
Promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance
- Helps you sleep better
- Regular activity also helps keep you fit during pregnancy and may improve your ability to cope with labor. This will make it easier for you to get back in shape after your baby is born.
- Helps reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling
Your baby is surrounded by fluid in the amniotic sac, which is nestled inside the uterus, which is surrounded by the organs, muscles and your physical body. This actually creates a rather safe environment for your developing baby.
Years ago, some experts recommended a heart rate of no more than 140 beats a minute for exercise during pregnancy.
“Today, however, heart rate limits aren’t typically imposed during pregnancy.”
For healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — preferably spread throughout the week — without any specific heart rate limits.
I can't help but imagine the brilliantly talented and shining human beings that Ella, Jameson, Margaret and Amelia will grow to become, not only because they literally grew inside a body that was jumproping, throwing punches, slamming battleropes and squatting on Bosu balls through the pregnancy but they will be raised and guided by these four beautiful-beyond-words SUPERHERO moms...
