Hi Everyone!
It has been a crazy whirlwind of activity in the Bender household lately.
We are in a massive material purging and donating frenzy as we attempt to get rid of stuff and make room for a new baby. We have been boxing, donating, organizing and getting rid of things, and we still have a long way to go before Baby Bender #2 has her own space and nursery ready.
On the plus side, I am finally feeling so much better. The first trimester was absolute misery (my second pregnancy has been completely different than my first). I still get occasional intense bouts of nausea, but at 23-weeks they are short lived.
I still battle fatigue, interrupted sleep, and decreased motivation due to my lower energy, but as usual, when my workouts get back on track everything in life from my energy level to my mood improves. I have been more consistent with my workouts, and I am feeling the benefits.
Once I get back into a cycle of healthy habits, it’s easier to continue to stick with it.
When Clothing Makes a Difference in Your Workouts….
I am starting to learn which clothing, including workout pants and sports bras, work for me during this pregnancy. For a little while my workouts were derailed by my inability to find a sports bra that was comfortable to wear during exercise. Once I started working out I felt like I was getting short of breath very quickly. I finally realized it was because my rib cage has already expanded a lot. As baby moves up, so does everything else that normally takes up space in your abdomen.
My band size went from a 34 to a 38, and identifying this change has made a huge impact on my ability to comfortably workout. I can workout without instantly getting winded! I added the Sports Bra that I found to my Amazon Shop’s Workout and Fitness Equipment list. It’s from New Balance, and is very affordable, which is great for an item that will be getting a lot of use for a short period of time. The body changes associated with pregnancy can be crazy!
Please wish me luck as we continue to purge our house of excess stuff, make room for our precious baby girl, and start the process of switching Maverick’s bedroom. It’s a time of change, and our To-Do list feels a bit endless as we get ready, but we still have 17 (ish) weeks until the baby is here.
As always, thanks for working out with me. Everyone’s kind words of support here, and on my social media accounts are not only seen, but greatly appreciated. Much love to you Team Bender! I’m glad we are BFFs.
Melissa
PS You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness and Jesse is on Instagram: @BenderCrosby1
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can continue to share and create Free Workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
PPS I recently created an Amazon Shop. It includes some “Must Have” workout equipment, kitchen tools, books I’ve enjoyed, fashions I love and fun household decor items. This is an affiliate link: that means BenderFitness makes a small commission when you purchase an item. If you would like to check it out you can do so here: www.amazon.com/shop/benderfitness
My Workouts This Week:
Workout #1:
Modification: Instead of Angel Abs during this workout I did Hip Thrusts from Table Top position. Side Plank Hip Tap was modified to a static Side Plank hold.
All jumps can be modified to their low impact variations as needed. I modified throughout as needed, based on Rate of Perceived Exertion. I kept my effort level at Moderate Intensity throughout this routine.
Workout #2:
I taught a 60-Minute Yoga Class. I avoid deep twists, core flexion exercises like Boat Pose, and deep backbends.
If you need to add some yoga to your life check out these workouts:
http://www.benderfitness.com/category/yoga
Workout #3:
I repeated this 30-Minute Total Body Workout that I filmed in September. It was nice that I didn’t have to modify any exercises, although I did switch to Sumo Plank instead of Sumo Pushups halfway through the interval to ensure that I wasn’t putting too much pressure through my core.
Workout #4:
I will be teaching two yoga classes on Wednesday.
Workout #5:
I will be doing a slightly modified version of this 20-Minute standing workout. The only modifications I need to make will be to avoid deep twisting. So Sumo Twist will become Sumo Squat (left knee to left elbow instead of crossing over).
Instead of Chair Twist, I will do Chair Step (Chair Pose, with a step forward like a mini squat). Jesse likes to refer to this move as My Little Pony Prancing. Call it whichever version makes you happiest.
Workout 6:
This will be a new HIIT workout. My fingers are crossed that we can get our babysitting stars aligned so I can film and share it with you before the end of the week.
My work schedule has picked up, so we have been utilizing all of our babysitting to cover our work shifts.
Check back, and I will update this post once we get the new workout filmed.