Staying healthy and fit during pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for your baby — and for you! Not only can it actually make your labor easier and shorter, but your little one will reap incredible benefits, too. Studies have shown that babies of active moms have healthier hearts, less risk of diabetes, and are themselves more active as they grow up.
This is all well and good, but when you’re exhausted and can’t even see your feet, let alone lace up your kicks, it can be hard to imagine hitting the gym. Luckily, our very own star Aaptiv trainer Rochelle Moncourtois Baxter is here to share her secrets on staying fit during pregnancy. Not only has Rochelle been working out, training clients, and recording your Aaptiv workouts while pregnant — she’s also carrying twins! No excuses here. Read on to find out her go-to power pregnancy snack, her no-fail workout, and how she tackled her biggest pregnancy challenges.
Hi Rochelle! How have you modified your workouts during your pregnancy?
Since I’m having twins, I REALLY had to modify my workouts. My joints became softer very early on in the pregnancy. I had to stop running altogether and couldn’t do anything very high impact. Instead I started walking, lifting lighter weights (to prevent injury), swimming, using the stationary bike, doing stability work, and tackling lots of resistance band training.
Do you have a favorite pregnancy workout?
I’ve loved swimming! So peaceful and such a great all-over toner.
What were you most nervous about when you found out you were pregnant, and how did you adjust to your new body and energy levels?
When I found out I was pregnant with twins I was pretty nervous about how my body was going to handle carrying that much weight and dreading if I had to go on bed rest. I had to focus on what was important during this pregnancy, and staying healthy and getting these babies out healthy is what helped me become more calm. I made lots of adjustments like sitting on a stability ball while training clients to save energy and avoiding the scale altogether!
What has been the most challenging part of incorporating fitness into your pregnancy?
The most challenging part about incorporating fitness into the pregnancy was finding the energy to do it!!! As soon as I had that BURST of energy I would knock out 30-60 minutes of whatever I could do.
Any favorite snacks that have helped you keep your energy up and stay on track?
I’ve been loving the original flavor Power Crunch Protein Bars! Sometimes I would eat about three in a day, haha!!!
Can you share your best bits of advice for women (both serious athletes and newbies) who want to keep fit during pregnancy?
If you’re competitive like me, pregnancy can be hard because it limits you from what you love doing. Try to put aside the fact that you’re going to have to pull back and modify workouts and focus on keeping yourself and your baby healthy. It’s ONLY temporary. I always thought, “If I was injured I’d have to be doing the same thing and this won’t last forever.” Our bodies are miracles and you will most likely bounce back into shape since you have all that muscle memory.
For my newbie athletes out there: Make sure you stick to the workouts you are used to. Don’t try anything new during pregnancy, this will help prevent injury! Try to maintain a certain level of fitness (if you’re used to 3 days a week, stay at 3 days a week during your pregnancy). Make sure you modify some of your workouts and if you are unsure about an exercise don’t do it! (And ask your health professional!) Better to be safe.
My one other piece of advice for everyone is don’t worry about the scale! Every woman is different. Your body is going to gain what it needs to. If you eat healthy, workout, and rest, you will limit some weight gain. Listen to your body! I had to stop training at 30 weeks and really had to remember this was for my babies!
If you have more questions for Rochelle about mixing fitness and pregnancy, head on over to our Aaptiv Facebook page!