This was one of my first questions for my doctor when we first found out we were expecting. At that point in time I had been Crossfitting on and off for several years, but we had just relocated to Eugene. I had taken the summer months off getting settled in our new home, and I had just started back about a 2 months prior and was working on getting my endurance and strength back.

I had seen many moms-to-be train, but it was never something I had asked anyone about, and was nervous about having to give up the barbell and running.  I asked my OB-Gyn in that first appointment 'can I still work out and lift weights?'. Her response, 'Absolutely'.




So that's what I did. I hurled the barbell into a rack position with a squat-clean until my belly proved to be a speed-bump. I continued to deadlift, backsquat, run, row, and do kettlebell swings, all of it, as long as I felt good. The key was that I had to listen to my body. There were days I would go in and feel great and get 5 minutes into a workout and stop, I no longer felt good. I would try again the next day and see how I felt.

As my belly grew, I modified my workouts. Rowing became more of a squat-butterflied-belly-sandwich style row, running was more of a fast shuffled jog.  I lightened my weights on the barbell and used rubberbands with my pull-ups.

I do recall being asked to demo an ab mat sit-up when I was about 7 months pregnant. Bless his heart, it was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. I looked down at my belly and looked back up at the coach and watched his face as the light bulb came on. The entire cloass laughed.. needless to say, sit-ups were eliminated about 5 months in, and burpees were out once my belly looked like I had just ate 3 burritos.

There are a number of reasons to continue exercise while pregnant.
Research shows:

1. You're likely to gain less weight
2. Labor and delivery may be easier
3. Can reduce low back pain, especially in the later trimesters
4. Reduces constipation
5. You have more energy
the list goes on...

Many newly pregnant women, including myself are afraid of over-doing it.  I had already been Crossfitting for a period of time. My experience working out while pregnant was good.  I was able to continue until I was 38 weeks pregnant. I had Aria at 39 weeks.



It is recommended that you seek the counsel of your physician before starting any new exercise regime while pregnant.  I am not your doctor, everyone and every pregnancy is different. Just pay attention to your body and how you feel. If you run, run, if you enjoy yoga, do yoga.  Unless there are risks that develop for you or the baby, or your doctor tells you to stop, maintaining an active lifestyle is always a good choice.