Hey moms to be, I hope you’ve been finding the info on our Fit Pregnancy page useful and insightful!

There are so many benefits to staying active, even starting to become active, during your pregnancy.

Working out during pregnancy not only maintains and improves our physical fitness but it can help ensure a healthy pregnancy weight gain.

During pregnancy, especially during the last trimester as the baby grows and our bellies get bigger, we may experience back and pelvic pain and also tightness in common areas like the calves and chest, so specific strength training exercises and stretches can help alleviate these symptoms.

Women will also notice the quality of sleep improve and in turn we get to appreciate having more energy throughout the day.

I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant and am noticing all these benefits for myself! Plus many more which I will talk more about below.

I encourage all moms to continue to stay motivated, keep active and incorporate many healthy snacks and meals throughout their pregnancy.

It really helps to have a plan in place and a routine, you might even develop healthy habits that’ll last with you post partum.

Below are some of my go to tips that have helped me to feel my best during my pregnancy so far.

How I dealt with nausea:

I experience a lot of nausea in my first trimester and sometimes barely had an appetite even for water!

What helped:

-Eating smaller meals and more frequently throughout the day.
-Adding lime juice to water and drinking low calorie cranberry juice.
-I would get motion sickness on my way to work in the mornings, so I waited to have my breakfast at the studio before my first client. Whole grain bread with peanut butter and a protein shake with berries was something I could whip up easily and take on the go.

How I stayed hydrated:

-I leave a glass of water by my bedside and chug it as soon as I wake up.
-I plan to have a glass of water with each meal and snack.
-If I’m not in the mood for water, sparkling water or a diet coke with lime usually does the trick.
-Having a water bottle on hand reminds me to drink water especially when I’m on the go or with clients, I use the 32oz Back To Life Sport Bottle from Lululemon.

My go to supplements:

-A couple months before I got pregnant I started taking a prenatal supplement that includes the recommended serving of folic acid and other important vitamins like iron, calcium, B6 and DHA.
-Including protein powder in my meals helps to keep up with my daily protein intake. In the morning I might make a shake or even mix a scoop into my oats. I also love getting creative with baked protein treats like own recipe for protein pumpkin muffins, they are one of my favs! And there are so many other recipes you can check out on our website: www.LuxFit.ca

-I also supplement with a greens powder that I chug with water once a day, I feel better knowing I’ve had a variety of veggies every day. The one we use at home is Subi Greens Super Juice Mix, Pineapple Mango Flavor.

Below are some of my go to meals:

Breakfast is a must and also prevents cravings later on in the day.

I usually have eggs and oats or toast with peanut butter and fruit.
Here is a great morning pick me up:
1 whole grain toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter and sliced banana on top.
Along with a 2 egg spinach omelet.

Lunch is usually a roasted chicken leg, 1/2 cup rice and a cup veggies with a homemade Greek salad.

My go to for Dinner is fish with sweet potatoes or beef with pasta and veggies.

I usually measure and portion snacks, especially more indulgent snacks like granola or chocolate.

My go to snacks are:
Plain fat free Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Boiled eggs
Fruit like apples, oranges, mangos and pineapple
Dried fruit like dates, figs and apricots
Smart Pop
Cheese
Plain rice cakes with peanut butter
Nuts like cashews, almonds and walnuts.

What my workouts looked like during my pregnancy:

30 min walk on treadmill
(I keep the incline above 5%)

Birddog 3 x 20 reps alternating

Banded Shuffle Walk 3 x 20 reps

Alternating Lunges 3 x 20 reps

Pushups on the barbell 3 x 20 reps

TRX Squat Hold 3 x 20 seconds

TRX Rows 3 x 20 reps

Banded Kickbacks 3 x 20 reps

Arnold Press 3 x 20 reps

Bench Bent Over Calf Stretch

Seated Hip External Rotation

Frog Stretch

Chest Wall Stretch (I used the power rack we have in the studio)

Across Body Shoulder Stretch

During pregnancy, us women have the opportunity to create the best habits, because we aren’t just looking after ourselves, we’re preparing ourself mentally and physically to become a mom and looking after a growing baby. It’s important to be strong for the added responsibilities ahead and just as important to fuel with the best nutrition.

I hope these tips helped you as much as they helped me throughout my pregnancy. Contact me if you need more assistance or direction on how to execute the exercises properly or if you’d like a full weekly workout plan to follow!