“Pregnancy is a great time to learn the life lesson of surrender. This body is NOT for your personal enjoyment at the moment. It is a cozy home in which your child is growing, and you can choose to fight it OR relax and enjoy the ride…”
– Vicki Iovine

When it comes to Training and Nutrition during pregnancy, I strategize programs for my Prenatal clients based on this quote. In the first trimester many of my clients are extremely worried about the food they’re craving and, what may be surprising, I always encourage to “eat what you want” (with responsibility of course) during those important 3 months.

The body is changing and getting prepared to carry a new human being for 9 months and, as I tell all of my clients, the body doesn’t lie. Our bodes tell us what we need and makes the necessary biological adjustments to keep us (and baby) safe and because our hormones are in disarray, I recommend a very relaxed training schedule as our energy levels will vary from normal to extremely tired.

So what about the second and third trimester? The good news is our bodies start to get accustomed to the changes with our cravings regulating and our energy levels returning to normal in which I recommend getting back into a more regular regimen in terms of exercise with more volume and a little more intensity to maintain strength and to keep active. I also recommend getting back into a more structured diet that fulfills all the needs of your baby along with yourself (more on that later this week).

Obviously in the third trimester we need to be cognizant of our energy levels because of the more profound changes happening to our bodies as we get closer to the day we meet our little miracle.

By keeping activity levels constant and being aware of what to eat (and having a good idea how much to eat), a healthy pregnancy will allow us to transition back to our pre-baby body much easier than the masses would allow us to believe.

Don’t be afraid of the changes happening to your body – physical, emotional, and also social. Embrace them…because the changes are for 2 people.