WORKING OUT FOR TWO
I became a member of Results Fitness after the birth of our second child Carmela a little over three years ago. After learning my husband (and fellow gym member) Jeff and I were expecting our third, I quickly found myself working out for two.
I never trained like I do at RF while previously pregnant so my goal was to maintain a consistent exercise routine.
Because I had worked really hard to get back into shape after baby #2, I didn’t want to completely revert back to square one. Additionally, working out is one of those things that just makes me feel better both physically and mentally, so hanging on to those aspects of my routine were equally important!
Once I started working out at Results Fitness after baby #2, I soon discovered the impact exercise had on my post-partum recovery. Because of all this, I was determined to sustain my exercise routine through the end of my third pregnancy. Although I was only able to exercise a couple times per week, it was super helpful just to keep going.
“Training at Results Fitness during my third pregnancy helped me feel like I could live my normal life without feeling too inhibited.
It provided the energy required to work out, care for my family and keep me moving well for a pregnant lady! ”
— RF WARRIOR RACHEL
The combination of training and nutrition coaching made it so I could make good choices about what to eat (but who are we kidding, I ate pretty much whatever sounded good still – sorry, Coach Matt!).
Before our first daughter Mariana was born, I experienced trouble with miscarriage. As a result, I was always a little hesitant to really push myself while exercising pregnant. After each healthy pregnancy, I became a little braver and was able to reach the point of feeling comfortable with pushing myself to about 75% (at the most). This may be a little conservative, but my philosophy was there will be plenty of time to go all out once the baby is born!
Coaches Josh and Matt were very helpful with modifications whenever I asked or needed them. Every person and pregnancy are different, so I was fortunate to be able to comfortably workout throughout each (my third at RF). My rule of thumb was to always listen to my body and my OB, who advised that anything you were doing before you were pregnant you can do (sometimes with modification or some slight changes) while pregnant.
My third pregnancy and labor, by far, was the fastest of all three kids. Some of that could be attributed to it being the third, but I felt completely different compared to the other two births and have Results Fitness to thank for that. I decided not to have an epidural and was fortunate to deliver naturally. Even though it was painful, I felt very strong and capable because of working hard at the gym.
After giving birth, I did feel “out of shape” but it wasn’t anything compared to how I felt after my second was born; which was like I hadn’t been physically active in forever.
“While it was challenging to get back to the gym and start working out again, it would have been ten times harder had I not kept exercising during my pregnancy. Sustaining my exercise routine at Results Fitness certainly had a positive and profound impact on my pregnancy.”
— RF WARRIOR RACHEL
STRIKING A BALANCE: LIFE POST-PARTUM
Since baby #3, my goal has been working out 3 days per week at the 5:30 am Group Training sessions. Even though it’s so early, it works perfectly because it’s one less thing I don’t have to fit in during the day when everyone else is awake! Also, if I’m not able to make it to a Saturday class, at least I was able to get those 3 classes in during the week.
Upon returning home from the gym, the rest of my day is usually spent doing everything for the kids and my family. I don’t have a job outside my home right now (except for one hour of Spanish tutoring per week), so I sometimes struggle with when I need to stop working on things around my house and relax! For those that know me, they know I can hardly resist to stop cleaning.
Sometimes it can be frustrating to feel like there aren’t enough hours every day to keep up with everything, but I know a lot of people feel this way at different stages of their lives, and for now, this is just the current season of life!
