fitness
up my sleeves, pulled it all together into usable programs, tested it, tweaked it, and then altered it over and over again as my body kept changing.'
Among Erica's top tips for pregnancy are: If it doesn't feel right, don't do it!
I started my pregnancy journey following the common and well-accepted advice of 'if you were doing that exercise before pregnancy, then you're okay to continue it during your pregnancy.' I quickly learned that this advice was not intended to be followed literally, as some moves and routines that were standard before didn't feel right even just five weeks into the pregnancy.
Strength train
Whether you were fit or not before your pregnancy, you'll want to make sure you're as healthy as possible during the nine months - and beyond!
eager to stay fit. Fitness champion, Erica Willick, is the
F
embodiment of both modern motherhood and superb health. In fact, Erica actually won her titles in 2012 and 2013 aſter the birth of her first child in 2010 and while working full time in a corporate finance job! Wow! Now, Erica has passed on her advice on
nutrition and exercise in her new book - 'Your Fit Pregnancy'. 'I knew the power of healthy living, since
it had transformed my life three and a half years earlier following the birth of my first child,' says Erica. 'From first-hand
or today's woman, pregnancy is no longer a 'delicate condition'. She's working, managing commitments inside and outside the home, and
experience, plenty of research, and working with hundreds of other busy modern women, I knew the physical and mental benefits of healthy living. But did the same methods of nutrition and exercise apply now that I was pregnant? I certainly didn't feel the same as before - my body was rebelling, I was tired and healthy foods and I were not currently friends. Yet a key lesson in adopting a healthy lifestyle kept calling to me: never (ever) give up. So, at fourteen weeks pregnant, I went back to square one. 'I sought out the most up-to-date quality
research on pregnancy, nutrition and exercise. I spoke with doctors, physiotherapists, and other experts about my questions. I also learned from other women, who had lived through the ups and down of staying fit while pregnant. I rolled
Strength training can be done with dumbbells, resistance bands, machines and even your own body weight. Strength training is key to staying injury free, especially when a little weighted action works the tendons and ligaments that support the muscles that are in major demand when carrying around a growing baby bump.
Build up baby's cardio
Any activity that gets your heart rate up is cardiovascular exercise. Tink brisk walking, swimming, or hitting the elliptical at the gym. A baby's heart rate rises in unison with her mother's, as if the child were also working out. Scientists believe that, as a result, babies born to active mothers tend to have better cardiovascular systems. Some studies suggest that these cardiovascular benefits last well into early childhood.
Get your zen on
Prenatal yoga and stretching have soared in popularity recently, and for good reason. I found no better solution to dealing with
Choose STRENGTH over 8MODERNMUM Spring 2016
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