CAN YOU DO AB EXERCISES WHEN YOU'RE PREGNANT??! YES U CAN!

Good afternoon my friends!  Hope all of you are taking a moment today to take in the gorgeous afternoon and become excited about Spring coming upon us.  Life is precious, so you must be sure to ALWAYS stop to "smell the roses" and be thankful for the people and things that matter most to YOU.  Hopefully at the top of your list is...YOUR HEALTH.  On that note, let me tell you what today's topic is all about...a couple of my blog followers who are pregnant have asked me "can I do ab exercises when I'm pregnant?  Does it even matter if I do ab exercises when I'm pregnant?  And am I going to hurt my baby because I'm doing ab exercises while I'm pregnant???"

So here's your answer...now remember, this is MY personal belief as well as my accredited professional opinion mixed in with my true life experience when I speak on this topic.  YES you can still do ab exercises when you're pregnant!  And YES, doing ab exercises during your pregnancy can actually HELP you in the long run.  Now remember, I am a FIT MOMMY who had a 9lb baby...so I know first hand how important being in good shape is to recovering quickly after delivery and enjoying putting all your pre-pregnancy jeans back on SOONER than LATER.

Here's the deal my friends, EXERCISED ABS are much stronger and better able to assist you during labor.  Another plus is strong abs return to their pre-pregnancy state more quickly after you give birth...great news, huh?!

Ab exercises in your 1st Trimester are the simplest of the trimesters because you really aren't limited on what you can do for your abs.  So "traditional" floor crunches along with any and all ab exercises you enjoy doing are fine.  However, when you move into your 2nd and 3rd Trimester...you must NOT do any traditional floor crunches...any crunches in which you are lying flat on your back.  Now what you CAN do are Ball crunches, Sit on the Physio ball and alternate lifting legs to strengthen your abdominal muscles, Side Planks (you know I LOVE planks) and even Prone-iso abs (regular planks on your forearms) or Full extension planks.''

Don't look at your pregnancy as an excuse to stop taking care of your body and limit your exercise.  The only time you should ever do that is if your doctor has ordered you on bed rest or has discussed strict limitations for you during your pregnancy if you are "high risk."  But know that a STRONG CORE will help alleviate lower back pain that must of us get during pregnancy.  One more exercise that you can do in ALL THREE trimesters is the "drawing-in maneuver" which is acting as though there is a string attached to your belly button and it's pulling your belly button straight to your spine.  Trust me even in the 3rd trimester...this STILL works!

Lastly, have NO FEAR if you end up having a C-section.  That is one thing that we cannot control.  You can wish, hope and believe that you will have a natural birth, but really it's up to that baby in your belly on how he or she is going to enter this world.  No one knows that better than ME.  After being a week and a half late, I was induced, went through all the FANTASTIC (sarcasm) contractions and after 15 HOURS was told by my doctor "Sorry, he hasn't moved not one inch, so we're going to have to perform a c-section."  Now for those of you who do know me personally know...I got LOUD and DRAMATIC because a c-section was NOT in my very planned out 10 page Birth Plan that I had handed to the nurse upon my arrival to the hospital to be induced.  Well friends, I had a C-section and let me just say...I got back into all my pre-pregnancy clothes and proudly have my TIGHT ABS back!  And you know why?????  Because I did AB WORK my ENTIRE pregnancy...so C-SECTION...NO C-SECTION, it doesn't matter...how you treat your body NOW during your pregnancy will determine how quickly you get back into all your favorite cute skinny jeans.

But also remember...during your pregnancy, it's about the life inside you...not YOU.  So be good to your body and get all the proper nutrients you need so both you and the baby can stay nice and healthy!

Since it's such a GORGEOUS day outside, I've decided to show one of my old videos of what to do outside with your kids.  Next Thursday, we will hopefully have a new, fun video to showcase if all goes well...enjoy!

Thanks as always for reading and watching my fitness blog.  Tell your friends and family to become followers if you think they'll enjoy it!  Have a beautiful, healthy week!!

As Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)