Tuesday, July 19, 2016

prenatal exercise

With each pregnancy I've tried my best to exercise and fit workouts around my tiredness and mama duties. I've done several different types of workouts to help stay in shape while pregnant. Truth be told it doesn’t matter what I do, I struggle with my legs while pregnant. It’s the one two places I seem to hold weight & water and lose definition. It doesn’t mean they go ignored, in fact, I tend to work them harder so I can bounce back quicker after I deliver, but during my pregnancies you would never know that. 
I really enjoy yoga as it helps keep me flexible and I swear it helps with labor and delivery. When I delivered Finn the nurses would come in every couple hours to check me and the first question asked was if I had a first or second degree tear since he was nearly a 10lb baby. When I told them I didn't tear their next question was what exercises did I do during my pregnancy. I share this and just watch, I'm going to tear so badly with this next one I'll be cursing to no end and I'll never share an exercise post again. Let's all just pray that doesn't happen!

I’m the type of person who gets bored quickly when it comes to exercise and I don’t like long workouts because it’s hard to find a large portion in my day to devote to it. I like to do different types of movement to keep me motivated. Some of my favorite types of exercise are yoga, barre, body weight lifting and swimming. Keeping it simple, fun and relatively short are my goals when finding a routine. I’m also the type of person who gets excited with fun gear I love, it keeps me excited and motivated to stay active which are key for me to look forward to working out. Some fun pieces I'm currently crushing on include this adorable reversible yoga mat, comfy clothes such as these leggings, a comfy top and a great playlist. The best part about working out at home is Kensi and Finn wanting a piece of the action. They love exercising with us and get excited about trying new stretches.

Photo via Pinterest

Yoga | I started yoga while in college and actually started by taking a yoga/pilates combo class. I love the results and the fact I wasn’t just doing cardio to move. After that semester I wanted to keep it up, but couldn’t afford to take a class and had limited knowledge about it. I came across Slim Calm Sexy Yoga by Tara Stiles and it’s still my go to source. t really enjoy putting together my own routines using the sequences provided in the book along with the Pop Sugar Active App on my phone.

 Barre | I actually stumbled upon this prenatal barre DVD while I was pregnant with Finn. I was getting bored with my exercises and needed something that wouldn’t be too harsh to keep up with since I was huge. I danced for several years and it brought back so many memories. It's definitely hard work and a definite burn, but I feel so good afterwards since it's a great workout. The workouts are simple and not too long and I can choose what I really want to work on.

Body Weight Lifting | In January Mike and I began looking for a simple, easy program for both of us to follow and motivate each other. We looked into Sweat with Kayla by Kayla Istines as her program is a combination of cardio, body weight lifting and stretching. We really enjoy her program and although it’s more directed towards women, Mike has really seen a difference in his body and health. I stopped keeping up with her workouts in May because I was having to modify quite a bit with the belly and for the safety of the baby, but I’m looking forward to getting back into it as soon as I have the green light after giving birth in a couple short months.
Lastly, with our crazy heat and humidity we try and spend our evenings at the pool. This is very relaxing for me and I love being able to swim with the kids and do a few laps or water exercises. 

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