Some women feel like they can run a marathon during pregnancy. Other women….not so much. At Babe, we’re all about you doing you – meaning that however you’re feeling, and whatever you’re doing to nourish your mind, body and spirit is all you – whether it’s pilates or a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Below, we hear from some of our favorite mamas on how they worked it out during their pregnancies and beyond, and how sometimes doing nothing is the best form self-care.
Allie Rizzo
“I’ve always been horrible when it comes to working out and during my first trimester I was literally a human blob. My only saving grace has been living in NYC and being able to walk everywhere—which has kept me feeling good.”
Megan O’Neill
“To keep me feeling fluid and strong, I’m big into yoga and Pilates. Recently I started taking Zoom classes and doing FaceTime sessions with my favorite instructor from Flat Iron Pilates; she’s a body whisperer. Right now, we’re focusing on exercises to strengthen my hips for pushing, which have been amazing. Overall I attribute a lot of my ‘feeling good’ to this practice.”
Simone De La Rue
“I’ve always told my clients that it takes nine months to make a baby and nine months to take the weight off. However, living that and finding peace in that same advice now is difficult to do, especially since I’m in the fitness industry and my body is my work. Many factors have played a role in my weight recovery, from the way I ate and worked out throughout my pregnancy, plus genetics and breastfeeding. It will take a bit of time to get back to where I was (hello, six pack!), but I’m making progress.”
Rachel Nicks
“It’s not about looking good for a man, it’s about feeling good for yourself. I learned this from my mom. She always said, taking care of herself was not for my dad but rather for herself. If you feel good, you will show up in the world as your best self. It’s that simple.”
Megan Roup
“The truth is, as hard as it was to motivate, anytime I moved my body, it was like therapy for me; I just felt better. As a result I haven’t stopped or slowed down.”
Brandi Rhodes
“For the most part I’ve kept up with my normal fitness routine aside from a few alterations. Obviously, I’m not wrestling (that would be very frowned upon) but otherwise, I still do cardio, lift weights, squats, and all of that good stuff. I pay close attention and every once in a while, if something doesn’t feel right, we alter.”
Jane Kim Roggen
“Working out and moving my body is now more about that dedicated time to myself and relishing in self-care (and peace!) I no longer have the attention span to sit through a 1 hour instructed Pilates class, so I’m grateful for the luxury of streaming workout classes! Even if it’s a quick 10 minutes, I feel accomplished that I carved out that time for myself and most importantly, it’s invigorating—a good workout truly does wonders.”
Cameron Oaks Rogers
“For me, my first trimester priority was sleep. For the first 12ish weeks I don’t think I worked out at all, which is a definite change from my typical routine. Now that I’m feeling better I’m started to find time for some quick workouts in order to help me feel more like myself and assist with my mental health. During pregnancy its easy to feel disassociated from yourself, and I find practicing methods that are typically a part of your routine – like exercise – helpful!”
