The Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy & Postpartum + A look into Aaptiv, Personal Trainer App

When I found out I was pregnant in 2014 I had a rigorous exercise routine, which consisted of 2 hours at the gym four plus days a week. One of the first things I remember doing at the time was research whether I could continue working out without harming my baby. During my research I came upon an article about a mother who had exercised throughout her pregnancy and had even gone out for a mile jog around town the morning of her delivery. Subconsciously, that woman was my inspiration throughout my own pregnancy.

Exercising Throughout Your Pregnancy.

As my pregnancy progressed I began to make modifications to my exercise routine with my little one’s well-being in mid. For example, after about week twelve curl up exercises were out of the question. I also modified moves in the Zumba routines, such as bending. As my weight increased and my belly began to dominate my body my balance became questionable. With this in mind my jumps were lower and I made sure that I was never too high off the ground, making it easier to catch myself if I lost my balance.

I began to truly show around the end of the fifth month. Individuals started coming up to me at the gym asking if it was healthy for the baby for me to exercise, if my baby was going to be fine, or if I was hurting my baby. One lady in particular would come up to me each week and ask the same thing. “Yes, its safe.” I would respond.

Unfortunately, many people have associated “sickness” with pregnancy. I understand that due to health reasons some expecting mothers cannot exercise, if your health allows you to, I say go for it. I gained exactly 32 lbs during my pregnancy, a healthy weight-gain range. I returned to my pre-baby weight within two weeks postpartum. I have heard countless people say how “lucky” I was to lose the baby weight so fast but I do not see it as luck. In my mind, my quick turn around was thanks to my hard work at the gym. I know that not everyone will get the same result, but I did the most I could to get close to this result as possible.

What Are The perks Of Exercising During Your Pregnancy?

If you exercise during your pregnancy you are likely to gain less weight than if you did not work out, in some cases the difference is of about seven pounds. Another perk is that your child may have a healthier heart. These amazing benefits helped push me forward at the gym … I knew that with each exercise I endured I was benefiting my little one.

There are studies that show that well-conditioned women experience shorter active labors than those who did not exercise throughout their pregnancies. I am not entirely sure if I can link this to my working out but I was in labor for about two hours before Nick decided to make an appearance.

Working out postpartum.

I exercised as soon as my doctor gave me the okay postpartum. Unfortunately, getting back into a work routine as a new mom was difficult. It was no longer feasible for me to spend two hours at the gym or to even make it to the gym after an eight plus work day away from my child. The last time I exercised while under a strict exercise routine was the nigh before Nick was born. I ran a mile, did a Zumba class and spent a few minutes on the elliptical.

My New Routine: Aaptiv, Personal Trainer App.

It has been over two years and I finally began work out routine again. I have learned to incorporate my son into my routine. Instead of running at the gym, I run around my neighborhood while pushing my son in the stroller. A mile and a half distance. Nick and I also do Zumba in the comfort of our own den. And I also recently started to incorporate the personal trainer app: Aaptiv.

One of my favorites is the EMOM Core Workout, a six minute workout with five different exercises geared towards working your abs. EMOM style is my favorite because it is “every minute on the minute,” which really allows you to take full advantage of the six minutes. These type of exercises are amazing for us moms because sometimes we cannot commit to more than ten minutes ( or less) at a time.

For example, yesterday while getting ready for our run I decided to do this workout while my little one was getting his shoes (we all know it can take a while for him to even find them). As I was in the middle of the workout he came to my room and thought it would be a fun to get on top of me while I was doing a 20 second plank. Then as I was trying to do my second round of mountain climbers he decided to start crawling underneath me. I quickly finished my routine and headed out the door for my run. I was able to do a second set of this routine when we returned home and he was a little bit more cooperative.

I love that Aaptiv allows me to find simple, quick and enjoyable ways to be active, strengthen my body, and allow myself to engage in a form of self-care without neglecting my responsibilities of motherhood. I also love that there is a “coach” with you and music to help keep you motivated.

I believe that Aaptiv is great for mothers. Since the workouts are housed in an app in your phone, you can access the workouts basically anywhere and at any time. I have even been able to sneak some workouts during lunch at the courtyard of my office.

Aaptiv recently launched their new Maternity Program which includes prenatal trimester and jogging stroller workouts. You want to know what is really cool about this? These programs have been developed alongside two trainers who are trained and certified in pre and postnatal exercise. The workouts they have developed are safe for you throughout your pregnancy and after your bundle of joy arrives.

Although I am not currently pregnant, I did try out some of these workouts and loved them. Each trimester is broken up into weeks, you can also tell that as Week 40 gets closer, the workouts start to slow down a bit. For example, Week 40 is all about strength training, interval walking, and yoga to get that full body flow going. The workouts honestly feel extremely personalized.

Exercising throughout pregnancy and post-partum comes with many benefits. I am one of those people who strongly encourages it and thinks we should stop mommy shaming those expecting mothers who continue to exercise throughout their pregnancies. With that in mind, however, I now that not everyone has the ability to exercise. Some medical issues may come in your way or you may have other children at home that make it difficult to exercise. With programs like Aactiv, however, I think exercising would be easier for those who fall in the latter group. It is also good to remember that if you are not used to exercising you should always consult with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine during your pregnancy. And lastly, listen to your body, don’t push yourself more than you should.

Aaptiv has been kind enough to allow you lovely readers to try out their program with a one week free trial. Go ahead and claim your free trial on Aaptiv’s sign-up page.

Did you workout throughout your pregnancy? Why or why not? Would you try a product like Aaptiv?

XOXO – Elle.