Training during pregnancy: personal experience

Author: Tatyana Tsarenok - mother of 2 children.
2016-06-05

I will start by saying that I became pregnant with my second child when my first was 10 months old. Even then, I was quite intensively working out at the gym, but I was training in a group. I worked out for 2 hours, 2 times a week.

First two months of pregnancy

I worked out in a regular mode with the group (since I didn’t know about my pregnancy). The workouts included: the first hour: running on the elliptical machine for 30-40 minutes (since I didn't train with the group on the step platform – well, I couldn't do it), then we started exercises for abs, legs, and arms; then followed by stretching.

The second hour (functional training) included jumps, squats, lunges, and push-ups using the step platform. For equipment, we used dumbbells weighing 1 kg, a barbell weighing 8 kg, and a weight plate of 5 kg.

Third to fourth month of pregnancy

So, I found out I was pregnant, and of course, the intensity of my workouts had to change (there were no indications to stop them). I could no longer work out with the group, so I started using machines for 1 hour, 2-3 times a week.

The training included a warm-up on the stationary bike for 20-30 minutes, followed by a circuit workout:

About 2-3 rounds of that. Then, a cool-down on the stationary bike and stretching followed.

I excluded exercises such as:

• Crunches,
• Exercises with arms raised,
• Deadlifts,
• Barbell squats.

Then came summer, trips with the child to grandparents, and the gym was forgotten. BUT I walked a lot, and also rode a bike. Once a week, I would take walks with my son (weighing 11-12 kg) on my shoulders (about 2 km).

Each person's body is unique, so it is essential to listen to your feelings and follow the doctor's recommendations. I had no restrictions to stop training. And perhaps that's why my second delivery went much faster and easier, and my body quickly got back in shape))).