Hi Everyone!

Time is flying by & I am already over 19-Weeks Pregnant! I am feeling amazing, and happy to report that I am still loving my workouts. They make me feel fantastic, and they help make Baby Bender stronger.

I have been averaging 4-5 workouts per week. My workouts range from a 60-Minute HIIT Boot Camp Class, 60-Minute Yoga class, Running 3-5 Miles & going on nice long walks. My energy is much better, but I still haven’t been filming many new workouts because it seems like every day when I get home from work we have so much on our agenda. I work 40-hours per week as an Occupational Therapist. I often wish that there were a few more hours in the day so I had more time to get things done and still get enough sleep!

There have been some reality checks along the way. For example, I suddenly seem to have lost the ability to do consecutive pull-ups. I am maxing out at 1-2 standard (palms facing away from your body) pull ups at a time. I was discussing this with one of the Physical Therapists at work yesterday, and we drew the conclusion that it is most likely due to the increased relaxin in my muscles, which is making my shoulder joints work harder to maintain the correct alignment. Perfect form is imperative for getting in really good pull-ups.

Below I have included some of my Baby Bump Photos from along the way, as well as the workouts I have done for the past few weeks.

Positives:

I am surprised to find that I love being pregnant. Everyone I talked to pre-pregnancy made it sound like a horrifying and miserable experience that you suffer through from start to finish. I actually feel great! Knowing that exercise makes the baby healthier and stronger, and sets him or her up for a better fitness level in life is a great motivator to get in some type of workout.

I can feel Baby Bender moving a little bit now. I can’t wait until Jesse can feel the movements too. The baby can hear now, so we both sing and talk to the baby a lot.

Challenges:

I miss going hard during my HIIT workouts! Pacing myself is not as much fun as pushing and challenging myself. It’s worth it to make sure my baby is safe, but I miss going hard and getting as sweaty and out of breath as I want. I miss running as fast as I want to, and I even miss hill sprints. I never thought I would miss hill sprints!

When pregnant, it is great to work out, but you should always maintain a pace that you can still speak at. You should never go full out, bending over, gasping for breath hard. My Boot Camp students thought I was crazy when I told them that was one of the hardest parts of being pregnant. They considered not having to push as hard a bonus! They tried to tell me that Baby Bender doesn’t like Burpees, but so far Burpees and I get along just fine. I just move more slowly to make sure I am really maintaing form & engaging my core.  On the plus side I still do the Boot Camp workouts with the class, with minimal modifications at this point. Jesse is able to demonstrate/teach the full variation. My doctor approved me for all core exercises up until 5-Months pregnant (including supine-lying on my back) as long as it doesn’t cause me any discomfort. I have my next doctor’s appointment at 20-Weeks.

Worries:

The majority of my maternity leave will be unpaid. I can legally take up to 12-weeks off to bond with the baby and adjust. I plan on taking the full time, but I will only be paid for about 3 weeks. I know that we will be fine because Jesse is also an Occupational Therapist and works full time, but the thought of losing one income for 9-weeks is still stressful. Also, if I have to use any of my sick days or vacation days between now and then for doctors appointments, etc, that will decrease the amount of paid time off I have available. Just one more incentive to stay healthy!

I haven’t started the nursery. The nursery is currently my office & I love that space. We have a King size bed in our guest bedroom, and I have to figure out if there is a way to combine the guest room and my office. My goal is to start working on that this week.

The Workouts & Baby Bump Photos:

Workouts from Weeks 16-18, and Bump Photos from Week 7-18.

Week 18 Workouts:

Teaching a 60-Minute Yoga Class

30-Minute Walk Outside

3.1 Mile Walk Outside

4.09 Mile Run Outside (easy pace, 41 minutes and 26 seconds: 10 minute, 6 seconds per mile pace)

Teaching a 60-Minute Boot Camp HIIT Class

Modifications: No lying on my stomach for exercises: Superman exercises were traded for Quadruped Supergirl. Pacing-Monitoring how hard I am pushing during each workout to ensure I can still maintain a talking effort. If you can’t speak you are pushing to hard.

Week 17 Workouts: 

-3.1 Mile Walk

-Teaching 60-Minute Yoga Class

-4.37 Mile Outdoor Run + .7 Mile Walking Cool Down at a comfortable talking pace. (9 minute, 53 second per mile pace.)

-Treadmill Workout:

Walk: 1 mile (15 minutes)
Run: .25 mile (7.3 min/mile pace)
Run: 1-mile (8:32 min/mile pace)
Run: 1-mile (8:32 min/mile pace)
Run: 1-mile (8:00 min/mile pace)
Walk: .25 mile (3:24 minutes)

-Teaching 60-Minute HIIT Bootcamp Class + 20 Minute (1.5 Mile) Walk

Week 16 Workouts:

-42 Minute Walk + 20 Push-ups + 10 Leg series per leg (10 leg lift, 10 hip, 10 combo)

-Teaching 60-Minute Yoga Class

-20 push-ups, 20 leg series per leg, 20 squats

-5-Mile Run

–Lower Body Sculpt for Butt, Thighs & legs

-Teaching 60-Minute Boot Camp Workout (I still need to film this one. When I do I will update the link).

15 Rounds of 30/50-30 Seconds of High Knees Before Each Exercise

1. Walk the Plank
2. Side Plank Reach-Right
3. Side Plank Reach-Left
4. Heel Tap Abs
5. Temple Tap Abs
6. Squat Jump
7. Lunge Jump
8. X-Jump
9. Pendulum Squat Jump
10. Plie Jump
11. Tricep Pushup-Right
12. Tricep Pushup-Left
13. Reverse Plank Leg Lift
14. Spiderman Pushup
15. Leg Lift Pushup

Repeat 2X + 10-Minute Warm Up and 10-Minute Cool Down