Whether you choose to exercise during pregnancy is such a personal decision. Every single person you talk to will have an opinion on it but you absolutely just have to do what’s right for you and your bubba. If you’re used to exercising regularly it can be just as dangerous to stop doing anything as it is to overdo it.

I love any dance based exercise and have always done Zumba or Sh’bam two or three times a week so I fully planned to carry on boogie-ing as far as I could into my pregnancy.

I didn’t find out I was pregnant until around 8 weeks so I carried on Zumba-ing as normal before we went away on holiday around week 7 and I felt absolutely fine. A few weeks prior I had started doing Zumba Strong (Which is awesome!) and I remember feeling weirdly tired after one of the classes but just put it down to starting something new and pregnancy didn’t even cross my mind.

While we were on holiday the pregnancy nausea kicked in full whack and returning back to Glasgow and having the lovely news confirmed on a little white stick, there was no way I was jumping, shaking and shimmying in an evening. The couch was calling as soon as I walked in the door after work. And not once did I feel guilty about not exercising as much as I was used to. Your priorities change, as well as using all your will and energy to get through the day and not to throw up! I tried to walk as much as I could in my lunch breaks so that I at least felt like I was doing something active.

After the 12 week mark, I luckily felt great again so it was back to exercise I went. I knew I wouldn’t be able to jump, shake and wiggle for too long so I looked at other exercise options too. My favourite ways to keep fit during pregnancy were:

Zumba

I absolutely love Zumba. I honestly think it’s one of the most fun ways to exercise. You don’t need to be a dancer, you don’t even need to have rhythm, you just need to want to have fun. And my gosh does it exercise every part of your body. Every Zumba class is different and it really does depend on the teacher so if you attend one class and don’t fall in love, try another because guaranteed you’ll find one that you click with. I went to Christine Reid’s class at Fratelli’s in Cambuslang. Check out her Facebook page (@zumba.with.christine) for more info. I had to stop around 26 weeks because I started getting pain in my pelvis and couldn’t jump around anymore sadly.

Pregnancy pilates at Otago Street Pilates

Pilates is one of the best things you can do for your body and not only does it help you physically but it teaches you how everything in your body is linked which I find really fascinating. Because your body releases relaxin during pregnancy to help get your body ready for childbirth it can be really easy to overstretch as you may feel more flexible. Pilates teaches you how to stretch and strengthen without overdoing it. At a dedicated pregnancy pilates class the instructor will make sure that everything you’re doing is safe and beneficial for you and your baby.  

From the very first time meeting the lovely Mariana who takes the pregnancy class at Otago Street I felt in very safe hands. The classes were physically challenging and you do feel like you’ve worked hard on every part of your body plus the classes are tailored so that you can try the moves at home too.

Swimming

I kept reading that swimming is one of the best exercises that you can do while pregnant because the water supports your weight. Particularly when the pelvic girdle pain kicked in, being in the water was my most favourite place in the world. Even more so than my bed! The instant relief as soon as you get in to the water is the most incredible feeling. Up until the 35 week mark I felt like my pre-pregnancy self in the pool, powering up and down. I just had to keep remembering not to get too out of breath and to rest after every bunch of lengths. After 35 weeks I noticed a change in that I got breathless quicker and got tired more quickly but the relief of being in the water was still wonderful! I joined Nuffield Health Glasgow Central which allows you to cancel free of charge or freeze your membership when you’re pregnant which gave me peace of mind that I wouldn’t be locked in to an unreasonable contract. The pool was always wonderfully quiet when I went on weekday evenings and weekends. It really was my happy place.

Whatever you choose to do during pregnancy, make sure you listen to your body and don’t listen to anyone else’s opinions on what you should or shouldn’t be doing (unless they’re a trained medical professional obviously). You know yourself best!