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pregnancy: maternity workouts i’m loving

7 · Jul 6, 2017 · Leave a Comment

maternity workouts i'm loving // cait's plate

tank: mossimo supply co. // shoes: nike // sports bra: aerie // fitness tracker: fitbit

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve often heard an old adage that you just can’t be as active during pregnancy as you were before.

maternity workouts i'm loving // cait's platematernity workouts i'm loving // cait's plate

To some degree, I think this is true – there are definitely some limitations and you’re not working out at the same intensity you were before pregnancy (at least I’m not!).  But I’ve personally never viewed pregnancy as a reason to become inactive.  In fact, remaining active during pregnancy has done nothing but help me out in a lot of ways.  I find it keeps my energy up, helps me sleep better and puts me in a better mood (not too dissimilar to what it did for me pre-pregnancy!).

maternity workouts i'm loving // cait's plate

While I found to date that my usual cardio routine works perfectly for me, I did struggle to find a good strength series.  I felt I had to do some serious digging to get to the most recent ones I’ve found.  That’s why I wanted to do this post!

maternity workouts i'm loving // cait's plate

Cardio Activities I’m Loving:
Running: Other than running much slower than I did pre-pregnancy, not much else has changed.  I make certain that I’m nourished and well-hydrated both before and after but otherwise I’ve found I’ve been able to maintain mid-distance running 3x/week.  With the onset of the second trimester and a real belly ‘pop,’ I’ve been relying more and more on this belly band.  It provides great support not only for my lower back but also for my growing belly.

Walking: I try to walk at least 30 minutes every day, just to get my blood flowing.  Having Ollie, it’s not that hard to do.  Two 15 minute walks a day with him usually do the trick, and I honestly usually easily exceed that.  Walking is something I’ve always enjoyed but find I love it even more now.  I find it so relaxing and it’s gentle enough that I can do it everyday.

Bike Riding: One of my favorite activities – especially with this nice weather!  It gets my heart rate up but still feels relaxing and doable at the same time.  Plus it’s nice to get off my feet and still do something active.

Swimming: There’s nothing better during pregnancy than a feeling of zero gravity 🙂  While I’m no professional swimmer, I’m happy to float around in our pool and do a couple doggie-paddle laps!  It’s especially nice with the weather heating up to have a cardio option that allows me to be in nice cool water.

Strength Workouts I’m Loving:

Active Maternity by Autumn Calabrese: I love anything Autumn Calabrese does.  I’ve been a fan of her 21 Day Fix series for years now and this series is no different.  It’s split out by trimester which is great and I can really feel my muscles working. The only downside is that there’s only one workout per trimester.  I’m not a person that can do the same strength routine over and over.  Right now I do this 2-3x per week but I have a feeling I’ll get pretty bored of it by the end of this trimester.

Beautiful Belly by Daily Burn: I love this yoga video for a gentle workout.  Some of the stretches in the series feel SO good.  It’s also split out by trimester which is nice, but again only one routine per episode.  It works out okay though because I really only do this 1x per week so it still feels new each time I do it.

Fit & Sleek Prenatal Physique: I like this workout because you really feel like you’re working out.  Some of the maternity workouts I’ve tried were a little too gentle.  Again, coming from someone who likes workouts like 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme, I wanted something that would get my heart rate up but not strain me and this definitely did the trick.  There’s also more than one workout which is nice!

Any other good maternity workouts out there?  I’d love for you to share – I’m always looking for new options!

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we're constantly told that thinner is better, that being healthy takes willpower and discipline.  that ‘pain is weakness leaving the body.’⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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it took me years of being miserable as I tried to adhere to all of diet culture's rules before I got to my 'ah-ha' moment.  what I was doing was not only making me unhappy, but it was harming not only my physical health, but my mental health too.  and wasn't I supposed to be doing all of this in the NAME of health?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her it wasn't worth it.  all the rigidity, missing out and being so unhappy - all in the name of doing what I thought would lead to my happiest, healthiest life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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we’re taught we can’t trust ourselves to know what’s best.  that we need to follow someone else’s plan for us in order to live a happy, healthy life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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but for whatever it’s worth to anyone out there that might need to hear this: I’m always my happiest, healthiest self when I lean into my own body and my own experiences - not someone else’s idea of what it should be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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it's not officially fall for me until I've had thi it's not officially fall for me until I've had this harvest wrap.  it's quick, easy and the perfect melt of my favorite fall flavors.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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here's what I put in it:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* mixed greens⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* roasted sweet potatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* diced apple⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* diced pear⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* chickpeas (could also use chicken!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* red onion⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* dried cranberries⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* walnuts (can also use pecans)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* goat cheese (feta would also be great)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and balsamic glaze.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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printable recipe on @caitsplate: https://caitsplate.com/vegetarian-harvest-wrap/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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walk through the grocery store and you’re bound walk through the grocery store and you’re bound to find “natural” prominently featured on any number of products.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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the idea of something being “natural” has infiltrated marketing messages in everything from our toiletries & cleaning products to food & beauty items.  that companies have found this term so useful for sales is no wonder - it’s heavily promoted in our society as being “better” for us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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yet, we’re often told by this same health and wellness culture not to trust our natural, internal signs and signals.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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we’re told to push through exhaustion even if what our bodies really need is rest, we’re told to ignore our signals of hunger and fullness in deference to a pre-set plan, we’re constantly told to fix, resize and reshape our bodies from their natural states.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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it then begs the question, is it truly our health and wellness, or simply the chance to profit, that motivates so much of the messaging in our health and wellness culture?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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part of freeing yourself from diet culture is unraveling the pervasive messaging we often take as hard truth and picking it apart based on our lived experience and knowledge.  this can help us determine what truly serves our overall wellbeing versus what is simply padding the pockets of the industry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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white bean & veggie farro soup! a latest spin on white bean & veggie farro soup!  a latest spin on one of my favorite soup recipes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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super simple to pull together, perfectly comforting and great to make ahead and reheat for easy meals (my favorite kind 🙌)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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recipe is linked in my profile (@caitsplate)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
https://caitsplate.com/white-bean-veggie-farro-soup/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#caitsplatefood #caitsplate #f52community #soupseason #vegetarianrecipeshare #meatless #souprecipe #easymeal #easycooking #recipeshare
one of the things I hear most often from individua one of the things I hear most often from individuals looking to break free form diet culture and embrace intuitive eating is “I feel like all I’m doing is thinking and analyzing my food behaviors and all I want to do is stop thinking so much about food.”

this is completely understandable.  when food and food rules have owned your life for so long, and you finally embrace the thing that’s supposed to help you break that cycle, it can feel like a lot.

the difference is, while intuitive eating may require a deeper dive at the outset, it ultimately sets you *free* from all the over-thinking and analyzing of food & food choices, setting you up for a peaceful relationship with food that can last a lifetime.

dieting and food rules feel simple at the outset, but keep us in a never-ending cycle of distress around food.

#caitsplatenutrition #caitsplate #intuitiveeating #disorderedeating #disorderedeatingrecovery #bodydysmorphia #redefiningbeauty #i_weigh #antidietculture #nondietdietitian #intuitiveeatingjourney #antidiet #nondietdietitian
pumpkin turkey meatballs! done in less than 30 mi pumpkin turkey meatballs!  done in less than 30 minutes with less than 10 ingredients.  a perfect easy fall meal!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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grab the recipe details on @caitsplate (link in profile): https://caitsplate.com/pumpkin-turkey-meatballs/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#caitsplatefood #caitsplate #pumpkinseason #pumpkinrecipes #easymeal #easydinner #dinnerrecipes #dinnertonight #f52community #thefeedfeed

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