One of my first concerns when I found out that I was pregnant, was whether it was safe to continue exercising. Being a first time mom, I was very scared as I knew nothing about pregnancy and babies and did not want to hurt the little one that is developing inside me.
Please remember to always first check with your doctor to ensure that it is safe for you to continue with your normal exercise regime. If you have exercised before getting pregnant, you should be able to continue as normal, should you have a normal pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy is also recommended to those who have never exercised before, but once again, you need the approval and guidance of your doctor.
Exercise during pregnancy will help relieve some of the following symptoms you might be having including swelling, constipation, backaches and bloating. Exercise might help to prevent or treat gestational diabetes and will increase your energy levels, improve your mood and will also help you to sleep better. As you can see the benefits of exercise during pregnancy is endless. Another benefit is that exercise will help you to not gain as much weight as is expected, and that is a big bonus!
I have been rebounding for quite a while now and was scared that I might hurt my baby while bouncing on the rebounder. My doctor assured me that the jumping will not be an issue, the problem is that you might loose your balance and fall off the rebounder and that is why most doctors do not recommend rebounding while pregnant.
During my first trimester I continued to rebound as normal with just a few small modifications. I could manage to get in a session on most days, depending on how fatigued and nauseous I was. There were days that I could not sit a foot out of bed, so on those days I just rested. But on most other days I could manage to get in a session and the amazing thing is I felt so much better afterwards.
My second trimester was way better than the first. I was less tired and could manage to rebound at least five days a week, giving my body time to rest over weekends. As my belly grew bigger towards the end of the second trimester, I was struggling a bit some days because my balance was not what it used to be. I decided to invest in a T-bar from Lisa Raleigh as it will help to support my balance during this phase of my pregnancy.
I have decided on a T-bar and not just a support bar, because in the future I will be able to use it for what it is actually meant for. By using the T-bar, you will be able to jump higher, move faster on the rebounder and add a lot of resistance exercises to your sessions. For now I’m only using the T-bar as a support bar and it has really helped me a lot with my sessions. I feel a lot more confident and my husband’s heart is more at ease with me having something to hold on to while rebounding.
The normal support bars will also work 100% if you only want to use it as something to hold onto while rebounding. I chose the T-bar because of the fact that I will be using it in the future to get a more intense workout.
I am now in my third trimester and still continuing with my daily rebounding sessions. I must admit that I did not think I will be able to maintain my exercise program for as long as I’m currently doing. I can still rebound at least five days a week and I’m still doing hour long classes. Some days when I’m not feeling 100%, I will rather do some ‘health bouncing’ than jump around on the rebounder. The key is to always listen to your body and to take time to rest and recover.
I have struggled with sciatica since the second trimester. What happens during pregnancy, is that your body releases a hormone called relaxin which relaxes your ligaments to prepare your pelvis for childbirth. These loose ligaments together with your growing uterus can shift your center of gravity and pinch the sciatic nerve which leads to pains in your buttocks down the back of your thigh. It is a sharp, shooting or burning pain.
What I have found is that when I rebound and stretch, I can manage the sciatica. My worst days are the days when I’m not rebounding, which is mostly over weekends when I’m lazy and would end up laying on the couch most of the day. One more reason why exercise during pregnancy is so important!
I only have six weeks to go until our little boy will be here and I certainly hope that I would be able to continue with my current rebounding sessions for at least a few more weeks.
Healthy greetings,
