In case you missed it..
I’M PREGNANT and we’re having a girl – Josh and I are over the moon!
No one ever talks about how to train your body FOR pregnancy.. It’s always just about bouncing back after.
But a study conducted at Duke University in 2019 shows that pregnancy is just as challenging as running a marathon – WHAT? 🤯
If that’s the case, then preparing your body for your due date is absolutely essential.
Here’s 5 ways i’m prepping my body for delivery:
1. Low Impact, Moderately-High Intensity
Pregnancy has been humbling and caused me to switch up my normal workout intensity. My body is working HARD as it is caring for and growing this baby in my belly, so I am retiring the high impact training for now, and instead prioritizing on low impact classes like Pilates that focus on stabilizing and strengthening around my pelvis, while still revving up my heart rate for a good sweat-sesh.
Here’s a gentle Pilates class that I love:
2. Glute focused
These muscles are workin’ overtime right now with growing baby so I’ve been using the ‘quickie workouts’ in my Barre Definition app to get a quick (under 10 min,) but effective strength-building burn. These are perfect to squeeze in if you’re short on time or just feeling more tired.
3. Focusing on posture
I’m prioritizing quickie upper body workouts that directly improve posture. This will help me stay properly aligned, pain-free and able to better support my growing bump.
I’ve been loving the GENTLE phase in my NEW 90 Day Barre Program available exclusively in my Barre Definition app. It focuses on form, posture, and gentle toning. To check it out, download your 7-day free trial of Barre Definition App, and do it alongside me and thousands of other women around the world.
Here’s a community fav to try:
4. Core, Pelvic Floor & Breathwork – this is key!!
Learning proper breathing during pregnancy is key to strengthening my core and pelvic floor properly. This will improve the way you feel during and after pregnancy. I hear that most pregnant women skip core all together – and this is not good! We don’t need to fear ab exercises during pregnancy, instead we want to learn HOW to properly train our core with the correct breathing and pelvic floor activations to empower you to understand your body so you feel safe no matter what movement you’re doing. Think about it – we use our core ALL day, whether you know it or not! So in order to function better in your everyday life, it’s important to take the time to learn your growing core and how to best support it.
Check out this post I did on Instagram with Pregnancy Safe Core Exercises you can try today:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrzeUcgOEEO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
5. Walking every day
Movement is movement. Since I’m currently dealing with SPD – Symphasis Pubis Dysfunction – I’m not able to do any high impact running or workouts. It’s been a humbling experience to let go of what I thought I would be doing during my pregnancy, and embrace my body in its current state and respect what it’s able to do in this season of life. I’ve been finding trails around me that have hills and stairs – and they have become so fun for me! It’s pushed me to get outside more, and try to new paths around my area. I love this time now to listen to my Pregnancy podcasts and books, or call a friend. 💖
What did you do to prepare your body for pregnancy? I would love it if you shared it with me on Instagram (@actionjacquelyn).
Everyday I’m researching the absolute BEST methods of creating a strong, confident pre- and post- pregnant body – so stay tuned for an exciting NEW Prenatal Barre and Pilates Program that will be added to the Barre Definition app soon.
Last thing this first trimester taught me – Sometimes nap time is better for your body than mat time. 🙂
xo, Jacquelyn
