Pregnancy brings with it a lot of wake up calls. New feelings, moods, and cravings will strike at a moment's notice. Growing a human is hard, and finding time to take care of yourself during pregnancy can prove difficult — finding the time to work out can seem damn near impossible.
When Kaley Russin, an athletic trainer in Pennsylvania, was pregnant with her first child she wanted to make sure her daughter was safe while she was exercising.
"I liked to go out for runs ... for workouts," Russin said. "But those runs ended up sending my heart rate skyrocketing into a range that my doctors said was too high and advised me to avoid running. I had to figure out what my body could handle."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
For moms-to-be in urban areas, attending prenatal specific workouts and classes is easier because options are seemingly endless. But for folks like Russin, who lives about an hour away from Philadelphia, finding a way to adjust her regular workout was more difficult. She was, however, able to find prenatal-specific workouts by using an app that provided her with quick 20 minute exercises that adjusted depending on the trimester.
But even those moms-to-be in major cities — who have access to tons of studios and gyms — might find that prenatal fitness classes aren't scheduled with working parents (and parents-to-be) in mind. Maddy Wasserman, a birth doula, childbirth educator and pre/postnatal fitness instructor at Fit Pregnancy Club (FPC) in New York City, is hoping to help to change that.
"We have early morning and later evening classes," Wasserman said. "We have more classes for prenatal clients right now, based on demand. But we make sure to keep consistency with our schedule."
Wasserman also shared that FPC recently created an online video called Pump & Kegel, which is another example of an increasingly popular method that working mothers can use to stay active.
Urban moms are also getting around the scheduling conflicts with personal training sessions. There are many prenatal-specific personal trainers that will make house-calls to help you break a sweat anywhere from your kitchen to your living room. And, for those working parents-to-be that don't have the time or means to hire a trainer, there are endless free prenatal workouts on YouTube, as well as various memberships and communities to join online.
Ultimately, regardless of the type of workout mothers employ during pregnancy, safety is the top priority and movement of any kind makes for a more tolerable birthing experience.