Last night my husband and I went on a date and saw Wonder Woman. I had heard reviews and commentary about the movie and how empowering it is to women for weeks and wanted to see it for myself. I thought the movie was great and Gal Gadot (the actress who played Wonder Woman) was amazing! Not only is she gorgeous in a very natural, non made up sort of way but in many ways she is a great role model for women everywhere. I started doing a little research about her background I was impressed by how much she has already accomplished in her life some of which includes; she was Miss Universe, served in the Israeli army, does most of her own stunts in movies and is a Mother of two. She even filmed part of Wonder woman while being 5 months pregnant! I think she and I could definitely be friends.
Being pregnant myself right now, it is frustrating to see how backward most of the world views pregnant women and motherhood. Maybe part of me is a little extra sensitive or hormonal right now too but in my opinion motherhood is such a beautiful part of being a woman and kind of makes us all wonder woman in some way. I am so excited for that opportunity. I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember and I plan on my family being my number one priority from here on out. However, I am not about to let that be the only thing that defines me. I think it is important for children to see their parents set and reach goals and be passionate about things.
I am still shocked by the number of people I talk to who think that pregnant women should not be working out and even the excuses that many women have given me for why they didn’t workout while they were pregnant. I believe that each women’s pregnancy is her own journey and I would never judge someone. Health and fitness is my passion so I would like to defend why I personally recommend it and provide some research based benefits to staying active during pregnancy so that women can make a more educated decision for themselves. People often try to give me uneducated and albeit unsolicited pregnancy advice. They are never experts on the facts nor medical professionals but somehow at least two times a week I have someone tell me (Should you really be doing that, you’re pregnant). My answer is yes, I should! I work very closely with my doctor to make sure that everything about my pregnancy is healthy and in the best interest of my baby. I have read many research backed studies proving not only the safety but the importance of exercise while pregnant. I do not do anything I wasn’t doing before I was pregnant and I avoid exercises that are high impact or use a lot of core muscles.
Research has shown that exercising while pregnant has benefits such as:
- Improved brain development, intelligence, memory and a stronger heart for the child
- May help to prevent or even treat gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia
- Helps prevent swelling, constipation, bloating, backaches and nausea
- Improves mood, circulation, energy level and sleep
- Less likely to have complications during delivery. Women who exercise regularly while they are pregnant are 75% less likely to need forceps during delivery, 55% less likely to need an episiotomy and 4 times less likely to need a C-section
- Shorter, easier labor and faster postpartum recovery
- Greater sense of accomplishment
Last week I set a new PR for my dead lift, I was very careful to warm up properly and make gradual weight increases to avoid injury. I also made sure that even though I am competitive I didn’t push myself beyond what I could do with proper form and felt that I could safely do. I tied for a gym record (among the girls) of 275 lbs. I kind of felt like wonder woman and it felt good to accomplish this as a women but was made even sweeter knowing that I was 36weeks pregnant. There is something very empowering about still being able to do something challenging while you are pregnant weather its running a few miles, hiking without falling behind the group, or whatever else it may be. Just listen to your body and work with your doctor to find what is healthy for you. I am not saying that I think pregnancy is the time to ramp things up. You should not try to loose weight or break any records while you are pregnant but you also don’t need to feel helpless or that it is not safe to let your body sweat a little. Our bodies are incredible, if you listen to it, (and your doctor) it will tell you before you push it too far. Women are all amazing, don’t be afraid to let your inner wonder woman shine and celebrate it.
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