I am going backwards from my previous post and I know that this post won't apply to everyone, but I feel like it is important information for me to share with those who it does apply to. Today I want to talk about working out during pregnancy.

The number one point I want to get across today is this: Do not be afraid to exercise during pregnancy! I don't believe there is anything else you can do better for yourself or your growing baby than to stay active (other than seek proper medical care and take your prenatal vitamins)! The women that I have known to continue exercising during pregnancy have gotten their pre-baby bodies back faster and more completely than those who didn't.

Many of my female personal training clients ask me how to get rid of the stubborn fat (or sometimes loose skin) on their bellies. I usually start answering that question by first asking a few questions myself such as: have you had kids? How many? Did you lose the baby weight after each one? How long have you had this extra layer that you wish to lose? And did you exercise during your pregnancies? The less exercise that they did while pregnant, the longer it has been since having the last baby and the longer it has taken to lose the baby weight, the less likely it is that I will be able to answer that they can get rid of it at all. I have had to tell several women that the only way to get rid of it is through surgery.

Six days before my due date and 16 days before the birth of my first daughter, my husband and I ran a 5K.

Don't let that be you! Stay active, or get active (slowly and with the advisement of your doctor) while you are pregnant! Walk, run, take kickboxing and strength training classes, do yoga, lift weights, whatever you enjoy, keep doing it!

Don't let anyone scare you into thinking that you need to stop doing some kind of physical activity while you are pregnant. I had an amazing OBGYN and midwife for my two pregnancies that told me to listen to my body (which boils down to: stop if it hurts or causes contractions), stop doing any kind of exercise that had me laying flat on my back after the first trimester and stop doing anything that could be dangerous for the baby in event of an accident (water skiing, contact sports, baseball, etc). But that was it! I still ran, I still lifted weights, I still taught group fitness classes, I still cycled — and my reward was a very much unchanged body after just a few months post partum and the ability to begin exercising again shortly after giving birth. I'm not the only one that this is true for. I have met other women that have given birth just a few hours after teaching a cycle class or have taught and taken classes or even run marathons all the way up through their due date and have bounced back beautifully!

This picture was taken just under a year after the previous picture. My daughter was 11 months old.

I also believe that my workouts helped prepare me for labor and delivery and that they made it easier. Of course everyone's experience is different, but my deliveries were relatively short and sweet. The pushing phases of my two pregnancies lasted 20 and 5 minutes, respectively. I partially credit heavy weightlifting and strong muscles. I am also thankful for the mental toughness that I learned through exercising. I learned to push through the pain to achieve results in the gym and that translated well to the labor and delivery room. There are so many other great reasons to exercise during pregnancy as well.

If you are pregnant or just had a baby, get active as soon as possible! You won't regret doing it, but you may regret NOT doing it.