Exercise in pregnancy.

In my last two pregnancies, I was a lazy oaf. Honestly. Anything I read about the importance of exercise in pregnancy didn't faze me. So I had poor nutrition going for me AND no exercise - lovely! I bet if I had been pregnant in a season OTHER than winter (which is an incredibly long season in Minnesota!) I may have gone on more walks or something. This time around I was determined to exercise because 1, I'm trying to be more heart healthy in general, and 2. of course, there is research on the benefits of exercise for women trying to prevent pre-eclampsia! From the study: "...physical conditioning positively effects key physiological variables that are adversely effected in preeclampsia. If physical conditioning produces similar results in women at risk for preeclampsia, regular physical activity may attenuate the progression of the disease. We hypothesize that three separate but potentially interactive mechanisms could explain a protective effect of prenatal exercise against preeclampsia." [see research study for more information on those three mechanisms.]

I started exercising at home in May with a workout DVD that I really enjoyed. A fitness center is not in our budget, but this worked for me! I was working out almost every day! Summer got busy and I had to cut back a bit. I loved how I could easily fit it into my schedule. I usually worked out while Kieran napped. Maia enjoyed working out with me - and by working out, I mean copying some of the moves for about 5 minutes before declaring her exhaustion and flopping on the couch, ha! This past weekend I was at the Twin Cities Birth & Baby Expo and local yoga studio Blooma was selling their prenatal yoga DVD for $4 off the regular price - yay! I scooped it up!

I've done it once so far this week AND gone on two fast-paced walks! I am so proud of myself this week! In my first trimester I was lucky to get on a walk once a week due to the exhaustion. Now that I'm feeling energized I've been having fun getting out on walks and for the chilly days, I have the prenatal yoga! I also discovered a prenatal yoga class in St. Paul on Sundays that is a donation class, so you can pay what you can. What a great opportunity! I found a friend who might go with me sometimes, so that will be fun! Now the trick is to find a place to do some walking indoors, as winter is fast approaching. I don't think I get up early enough to be a mallwalker!