Happy Sunday! I arrived in Florida yesterday afternoon to visit my grandmother. The weather is absolutely gorgeous here on the panhandle – it was in the low 50s and sunny this morning and is supposed to warm up to 73 today. I forgot to bring a bathing suit but think I’m going to swing by Target in a bit to pick one up. Reading poolside sounds pretty nice!
DECEMBER WORKOUT PLAYLIST
Since December has rolled in quite quickly, it’s time for your monthly workout playlist. I’ve put together three hours worth of tunes to push you through your holiday workouts.
Here it is!
And here is the clickable link to Spotify. Enjoy!
WEEKLY WORKOUTS AT 17 WEEKS
Many of you have inquired about my pregnancy workouts and I PROMISE that a post is coming about modifications I made to my workouts in the first trimester and early second but for today, here is a look at what last week’s workouts looked like for me.
Sunday: 45 minute walk + teach strength
Monday: teach strength + hot yoga class
Tuesday: 45 minute walk + 20 minute treadmill interval run + teach strength
Wednesday: 3 mile run + teach strength
Thursday: teach strength + non-heated yoga class
Friday: 45 minute walk + hot yoga class
Saturday: REST
A couple of takeaways…
- On a regular week, I am teaching strength 4x/week. On this week, I had to sub an extra class (the Sunday one) since I am taking time off this week. When I teach strength, I do the class with them. I’m not sure how much longer into pregnancy that I’ll be able to teach strength at this volume and will probably cut back to 2-3 classes per week soon and then play it by ear as I progress.
- Walking feels SOOOOO good. The combination of the fall weather and the lack of jostling my bladder is just lovely.
- I wish I could have run a little more last week but I didn’t want to push it with how much I was teaching strength. I’m really trying to LISTEN to my body but I’m so uncertain of how long I’ll be able to run in this pregnancy that I’m trying to soak it up now. Speaking of which…did anyone use a support belt for running as they got later in pregnancy? If so, did it help and which one?
- Yoga is amazing and necessary for stretching my body and calming my mind. It’s helped me so much to feel more normal on a physical and emotional level. I feel about a million times better physically after really focusing on opening up my hips, low back, hamstrings and hip flexors as well as my shoulders and upper back. I HIGHLY recommend yoga (any type that feels best for you!) for any fellow expecting moms. I truly believe it’s also helping with my sleep and being comfortable while sleeping.
*I share yoga flows on this Instagram account and will be documenting my practice through pregnancy!
BODYWEIGHT + DUMBBELL + RESISTANCE BAND 45-MINUTE STRENGTH WORKOUT
Oh and I taught the same strength workout 3x in a row last week (to different classes) and it was awesome so I thought y’all would like to try it out!
WARM UP:
1 minute jumping jacks
1 minute air squats
1 minute plank walkout to push up and then walk back to your feet and jump reaching arms overhead
30 seconds bicep curls (light weight, rep it out)
30 seconds overhead press (light weight, for reps)
30 seconds static lunge right (bodyweight)
30 seconds static lunge left (bodyweight)
30 seconds upright row (light weight, for reps)
30 seconds overhead tricep extension (light weight, for reps)
30 seconds side lateral lunge right (bodyweight)
30 seconds side lateral lunge left (bodyweight)
1 minute jumping jacks (option to hold one dumbbell and do dumbbell jacks)
SET 1:
60 seconds dumbbell chest fly (or press, your choice – go heavier)
30 seconds static lunge right side (hold one heavy dumbbell next to back leg)
30 seconds goblet squat
30 seconds static lunge left side (hold one heavy dumbbell next to back leg)
30 seconds single arm dumbbell overhead press right side
30 seconds single arm dumbbell overhead press left side
30 seconds dumbbell donkey kick right side
30 seconds dumbbell donkey kick left side
BICEP COMBO: 30 seconds full range, 30 seconds bottom half, 15 seconds full range
30 seconds tricep kickback right
30 seconds tricep kickback left
1 minute forearm plank
REST 1 MINUTE. REPEAT FOR ONE MORE ROUND.
SET 2:
60 seconds resistance band lateral raise
30 seconds resistance band lunge right side
60 seconds resistance band upright row
30 seconds resistance band lunge left side
60 seconds resistance band reverse fly + air squat combo (squat with arms straight out in front of you, pull across chest for fly as you stand up)
45 seconds single leg deadlift right side
45 seconds single leg deadlift left side
60 seconds dumbbell romainan deadlift
30 seconds dumbbell straight arm crunch right arm (like this but you would only have the dumbbell in the right arm and then the left, other arm is on your hip or behind your head)
30 seconds dumbbell straight arm crunch left arm
60 seconds bicycle crunch
ONLY ONE ROUND OF THIS. YOU ARE DONE!
Here’s a Pinterest/phone friendly graphic…
WRAPPING IT UP…
And that’s all! I’m heading out for a quick run, then to run errands and then hopefully lounging in the sun reading The Woman in Cabin 10. I’m sucked in and LOVING IT!
What’s your favorite type of music to workout to?
How long did you run in pregnancy? What about lifting? Running I’m anticipating that I’ll have to stop at some point…if nothing else because of the peeing! Lifting I’m hoping to continue on a scaled level until the end but we’ll see!
Any suggestions for pregnancy support belts for workouts?
Comment with feedback if you try my workout! 🙂
You look great! Can’t wait to try the strength workout!
I did body pump about 24 hours before my son was born (super light weights!!) Within 2 hours of getting to the hospital he was born, medication free (not by choice!!) I’m 100% certain it was due to all of those squats!
SO awesome Julie! and OMG on your non-intentional med-free birth. so strong mama. and these squats certainly can’t hurt us!
I have been loving your workout page recently and especially the strength ones. Thank you for sharing!!
you are so welcome! let me know if you have any requests or anything you want to see more of!
I quit running at 20 weeks, but running was always a struggle for me. I swam, did yoga, and lifted up until 41 weeks. Around 20 weeks started modifying to lighter weights/higher reps. I did not wear a support belt but wore shorts or capris that had a super high rise for support. Looks like a great workout and I can’t wait to try it tomorrow!
catherine – that is so amazing that you were able to do all of that through 41 weeks! wow!
I quit running around 32 weeks. I enjoyed walking throughout my pregnancy and running seemed to jostle me more. The ease of walking and ability to relax and not stress over miles helped my mindset. I practiced pilates on a reformer up until I gave birth which helped me stay strong.
that’s awesome courtney! i think it’s just so important for each woman to be able to listen to their body cues and keep moving in ways that feel right for them. really cool that you were able to do the reformer for the entire time!
I ran a half marathon at 30 weeks then happily switched to walking for the rest of my pregnancy. I walked about 6 miles a day at the end. I’m curious about the hot yoga. I thought that wasn’t safe to do while pregnant?
that is amazing that you were able to run a half at 30 weeks! i did one at 14 or so and decided one was enough during pregnancy for me!
RE: hot yoga…my doctor is fine with it because i have been teaching and practicing for so long. i’ve spent 15-20 hours in the room a week for the last 6+ years and am really aware of monitoring my fluid intake and regulating my temp. my heart rate never gets above 110 or so when i’m practicing so i haven’t modified being in the heat. that being said, i always encourage my students and other readers to go with what their doctors say. i find that the advice varies greatly. i have a lot of students who choose not to practice hot in the first trimester (for nausea and being careful reasons) but resume it later in pregnancy. we have many that end up practicing until their due date and after!
Totally on doing what you did pre-pregnancy. This is what I was told. I actually realized I was pregnant after attending a hot yoga class. I felt horrible and sick during class (something different than being dehydrated) which has never happened to me before! I continued with yoga but I stopped the hot classes.
You look adorable pregnant. Listen to your body…best advice I ever got. I was fortunate and ran until the day I delivered. I had some sciatic issues with my daughters pregnancy (2nd child) but it didn’t slow me down too much. Enjoy these couple of months, it’s truly magical!
#1 To 34 wks, I had to stop because I had shin splints so terribly
#2 Full Term. Did a 5mi run the day before labor 🙂 But I use the term run VERY loosely it was more like a waddle 🙂
WOW Samantha! Love this.
loved the workout…but it only took 35 minutes (did I miss something?? I did the first set two rounds like it’s written) anyways, still a great workout while my youngest naps! Regarding working out during pregnancy I ran but only until about 20-25 weeks with both. I swam quite a bit, but as a former competitive swimmer I could really get a workout i. Also did some body weight strength training and light weights plus some hilly hiking. Loved moving my body when I was pregnant! You look great and so happy for you guys. Being a mom is the best (even at the hardest times) and truly indescribable until you experience it.
It probably just took me a little longer since I was teaching a class and talking/demoing things between! 🙂 You could always do a second round of the warm up or the second set! 🙂
Thank you for your super encouraging comment about pregnancy, motherhood and also working out. It made me smile. <3
I ran right until 2 days before I was induced which I credit to regular chiropractor visits and wearing a belly support band. I used the Gabriella band which you can find on Amazon. Everyone is so different so listening to your body is the most important thing?
Awesome, thank you so much for this recommendation. I’m definitely trying to have regular bodywork done during pregnancy to help my body adjust to the changing shape and size. <3
#1 – I ran until 27 weeks because I have very bad back and hip pain but continued weight training and spin classes until delivery
#2 – I ran and lifted up until the day I delivered.
Both natural births.. 🙂
Wow Michelle – this is awesome! <3
I never had a support belt. I tried wrapping my hips at one point with what was basically a baby ring sling but then you had to unwrap it to use the bathroom. My pain was more in the hips than the weight of the belly.
I stopped running in the first half of the pregnancy. I had the pee issues you mentioned and as the belly got bigger it would just like move up and down during a run and it was uncomfortable. I also began to experience a bit of knee pain while running due to having so much extra weight on my frame and because your joints begin to loosen up in preparation for birth. To be honest. I tried running a few times post-partum and then it wasn’t until a full year after the birth that I finally felt comfortable running again.
I found swimming laps (something I had NEVER done before), prenatal yoga and walking to the best forms of exercise in late pregnancy. I did some weight lifting but with the hip pain I had I really wanted to find exercise that would help soothe that and the three exercises I just mentioned are what helped. Nothing against weights, it just wasn’t a priority for me any longer. My priority became finding comfortable exercise.
So great to read all of this Holly. I used to love swimming when I was in college/early 20s and definitely open to incorporating that back into my workouts if running doesn’t work out for me. And yes, walking feels amazing so I plan to continue that throughout. I love your note about priorities and comfort. <3
I ran up until about 7 months, when I fell while running and spent a couple of scary days in the hospital. I was lucky to feel fine running while pregnant, but apparently my balance was off. It was very difficult to be forced to stop (the action of running was actually still okay to do, but my doctor said it was too risky to fall again) because running has always been so important for my mental health- I started in the 6th grade and never really stopped! But I focused on long walks and strength training (with lighter weights) for the remaining 2 months, and it made the first run back, 6 weeks after a c-section, all the more sweet.
Oh wow Catherine. That is scary and I’m glad everything turned out okay. I worry a lot about falling too as I already tend to not be the most coordinated. I actually did fall at around 10 weeks flat on my tummy but luckily I wasn’t far enough along to do any damage to belly/baby but it was very scary.
I completely hear you on the mental health aspect, which is one reason why I’d like to continue doing it for as long as possible.
I ran consistently through about 8 months, and then the last month more off and on. For me, the ability to run in the last few weeks seemed to depend on how he was positioned in there that day. I mostly stuck to the treadmill and would try to run and know pretty much immediately if it wasn’t going to work that day (my support belt didn’t really help). I was able to strength train and take spin classes right up to the day I went into labor, though! You’ll know what you can and can’t do as time goes by. Enjoy the miles with your little one!
I can totally see how baby’s position would impact running towards the end. Good to know on the support belt not helping. Great news on the strength and spin. I’ve definitely been trying to include a little more FlyWheel in my life and will do more and more as I progress I’m sure.
Love, love, love these strength training workouts, Jen. Thank you so much for posting them for us!
I’d love to see an at-home strength training workout that includes arms, chest, and back.
You’re so welcome and I’ll take your suggestion into consideration and try to get that done in the coming months!
Hi jenn,
I was able to run until week 21 with first and more like late 20s with second. My round ligament-I believe began to hurt the farther along I was so running was just too painful. But I know some people who’ve run marathons so I think you’re so smart and right to just listen to your own body.
Yes, I’ve heard that RLP can be an issue and I’m lucky not to have experienced that quite yet. I will definitely listen to my body as I’ve learned so far that it sends loud and clear sounds when something isn’t right!
I had to stop running at about 21 weeks because I kept peeing myself! I taught BodyPump up until about 36 weeks (and didn’t really have to make any modifications other than an angled bench), and spin until I couldn’t fit behind the bike. The last month I just walked and walked to try and get my girl lower. She didn’t want to come out, so I had to be induced, but my doctor and nurse credit staying active with my ability to push for 3 hours during my labor!
I can TOTALLY see how this would happen because the bladder pressure during running is like no other. Truly. It amazes me. Yay to teaching bodypump for so long and pushing through that long labor. Go mama!
I quit running early in my pregnancy because it was the one thing that made me nauseous. I lifted up until the day before my c-section.
Oh wow Kaci! I’m sorry that was the case for you. I feel like running is one of the only things that truly helps with hormones/emotions for me (like it always has!) but gosh, the bladder pressure feeling sure isn’t comfortable!
It’s so interesting to me to hear about fitness during pregnancy! Everyone’s experience seems so vastly different. Here are a few of my takeaways – I was able to still be doing strength & cardio through 41 weeks! Yoga was so challenging for me – I think the extra weight into my shoulders made it difficultl! Haha. I ditched it very early on. I had a solid 2 weeks where I the fatigue in my legs (I’m talking like redlining, strongest burn ever!) would happen during a warm up! Clearly oxygen was struggling to get to my muscles and baby was doing some serious stealing of that – that really made running difficult! I think I ran up until 7 months, but it moved to 3 mile walk/runs and a much slower pace. I found using a bosu for half burpees, mountain climbers, anything plank really helpful as the belly grew – it gave me some extra inches off the floor. I did lots of modifications with stepping instead of jumping when it came to ski abs, burpees, etc. Eventually I had to move to knees on the ground planks but they still felt great. Med ball slams, deadlifts, and squats and arm strength all stayed strong and awesome though the very end. Even jumping jacks while pressing a medball was great at 40 weeks! The comeback is no joke with the body’s ability to regain cardio! It’s been a test of patience and grace for me for post partum fitness. Sending lots of encouragement to you! 🙂
Hey Courtney – I can’t even get over how different everyone’s experience seems to be on every part of pregnancy. It’s fascinating and such a testament that we need to LISTEN to our bodies!
I totally know what you mean about that burning feeling early in a workout, I’ve experienced that too and also get breathless more easily. Great tip on using a bosu to bring the floor closer. Love that.
It’s great you were able to stay active until the end and yes, I anticipate that postpartum will be an exercise in patience and acceptance but I am trying to go ahead and get good and grounded with that now. <3
Everyone is very different in pregnancy, as is every pregnancy. I taught spin up to 38 weeks with my daughter and son, and stopped mostly due to scheduling, not pregnancy. I also ran a full marathon at ten weeks with my first. With my second I ran a nine mile leg of a race at 32 weeks. I continued to “run” pretty much until both births, slow and thoughtful. Ditch the garmin and just listen to you body. You are doing awesome.
I am learning that “everyone is different” more and more every day. It’s wild how much experiences vary. So cool that you were able to teach spin so late. I’m hoping to teach yoga up until delivery and we’ll see on the strength. Also great to hear that you were able to continue running. Did you use any type of support or you just went out there on your own slow and steady?
I bought a support belt during my first pregnancy and used it some. If I am being honest, I did not like it and could not get it to “sit” correctly, or at least comfortably. I was not consistent in using it. I did not use it at all with my second. If you have a friend that has one, I would borrow and try it first. You may not find it is truly comfortable, or that you even need it. I found I was more comfortable just slowing down that using the belt. Again, everyone is different! I remember my first I spent hours looking at other people’s experiences on line about running (especially marathoning with my first), but when you boil it down it was true: listen to your body and know everyone is different. You are doing awesome.
1) You look awesome… I’m in awe of your strength, flexibility, and ability to adapt;
2) I love your playlists. I’ve been listening to your half marathon one endlessly;
3) I didn’t want to like the Woman in Cabin 10 – to be honest, the main character annoyed the spit out of me. 😉 And then I got completely sucked in! That rarely happens.