Active April Week 2: The Top 7 Questions About Working Out
Hey mamas, how are you finding week 2 of Active April? In case you missed it, we shared two quick workouts - one for pregnancy and one for postpartum - so we can all focus on fitness together. Check those out here, along with all of our other Active April content.
Earlier this week, we asked our community for their burning questions about working out during TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum, and today we’re answering them all…
1. I’m struggling to stick to a workout schedule, what can help?
It can be difficult to stick to a workout schedule, especially as you take on new challenges in life like trying to conceive, pregnancy, and life as a new mama. Here are our top tips for sticking to your plan:
Practice leads to progress: Consistency and sustainability are everything in building routines. What's important to remember is that this doesn't mean you need to do an intense workout every time you exercise, a 15 minute morning walk counts. A 10 minute circuit counts. Even if the workouts are short, it counts towards your progress.
Respect your time off: Don't forget that time off is equally as important as time on. Recovery and rest days are a really important part of your fitness routine and maintaining your motivation.
Be your own biggest cheerleader: Positive reinforcement goes a long way: are you recognizing your exercise efforts? If you're waiting to applaud yourself for your hard work once you've reached some elusive 'goal', you might be waiting a long time. Then you start to question, "why am I doing this?", or "what is it really giving me?". It's important to recognize your efforts and reward yourself after every workout.
2. Is it ok to only do quick workouts and not longer routines?
There’s no simple answer to this one. It’s recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (NHS, CDC). If you were to break that down over 7 days, it would be just over 21 minutes per day. However, you can’t forget about rest days, especially during TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum, so it’s typically recommended to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week.
Ultimately, you can combine short workouts and longer workouts throughout the week if that’s what works with your schedule. If at certain stages of your motherhood journey quick workouts are more manageable than anything longer, then stick to those, what’s most important is moving your body!
3. Do you have quick workouts in the Baby2Body app?
Yes! We have lots of quick workouts you can do in the Baby2Body app. You can find them in the browse section of the Fitness Studio under ‘Quick Workouts’ where everything you see will be 15 minutes or less.
4. Is it better to workout in the morning or in the evening?
Again, the answer to this one isn’t straightforward. Some studies suggest that working out in the evening can negatively impact your sleep as your heart rate and temperature are increased, whilst working out at 7am can actually help you sleep better at night. However, there's also a case for working out during the afternoon and at night; one study found that because your body's temperature increases throughout the day, which in turn optimizes your muscle function and strength, enzyme activity, and endurance performers, your body is most ‘prepared’ for exercise between 2 and 6pm, when your temperature is at its highest.
Ultimately, the research is a little bit contradictory and the best time to workout is whenever you can fit it in! If morning works best then go for it, if it's evening then that's ok too. What really matters is that you workout at some point - whenever that may be!
5. Can I do weight training in my first trimester?
As long as you haven't been told not to exercise by a doctor, then it is generally ok to continue with your normal weight training routine during early pregnancy. As you move into the second and third trimesters, you may need t decrease weights and modify moves. Everything you see in the Baby2Body app is safe and stage-appropriate, so you’ll have no worries there.
6. Can I do high-intensity workouts during pregnancy?
Modified moderate to high-intensity workouts can have great benefits for both mama and baby as long as you have been cleared for exercise by a doctor. However, if you are new to high-intensity exercise, pregnancy isn’t the best time to start. Remember to avoid jumping and quick changes during workouts and use the Talk Test as a way to measure the intensity of your workout.
7. Could working out harm my chances of getting pregnant?
When you’re trying to conceive, there can be a lot of unknowns and questions about what you should and shouldn’t be doing. Exercise is important for your health, but how much is too much? And is there a chance it could harm your chances of getting pregnant? Our founder and CEO Melinda Nicci has the answers…
Can’t listen out loud? Scroll to read the video transcript!
Hi, I'm so glad you asked, but before we get into the answers that are gonna give you everything you need to know about pregnancy conception, and postpartum, be sure to hit that notification button, give us a thumbs-up, and subscribe. So you don't miss an episode.
When you're trying to conceive it's important not to stress your body too much because it can actually hinder your ovulation process. So when I say too much, I mean, more than 60 minutes of high-intensity exercise every single day would probably be too much. So the best way to plan your exercise program is to do 30 to 45 minutes a day, at least five days a week, and to keep that exercise at a moderate level.
So how do you know that you're exercising at a moderate level? There's something called the talk test, which is really easy to do and essentially, it's just what it says. Can you have a conversation while you're exercising? And if you can, if you're not too breathless, then you're absolutely in that right zone.
Not seeing an answer you need? Leave us a question in the comments and we’ll be answering them on Friday!