Tips for Successful Running While Pregnant

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Running is amazing and running while pregnant is just as wonderful. Being on my second pregnancy, I once again fully embraced running. You definitely need to prepare yourself and my tips will help you succeed!

 

It’s essential to prepare yourself before deciding to run throughout your pregnancy. Doing so is a big must and imperative to your success! Running while pregnant is a process that starts way before you get pregnant. This is because the number one thing doctors tell you is to maintain your life as you have been living it. That means running if you always run and not shocking your body beyond that baby growing inside you.

With my first pregnancy, my doctor said that I can and should do everything that I did pre-pregnancy, within reason of course. I ran every day and about 30 miles a week for a long time prior to getting pregnant, so my plan was to continue to run throughout pregnancy. I did just that and ran nearly every day until the day I gave birth. There were a few hiccups and lessons learned, but it was seamless overall.

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Having already done this once, I was ready for my second pregnancy and definitely know how to successfully run while pregnant. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone into it lightly the second time around. This time I’m normally running with my toddler, pushing my little girl in a stroller the whole way. This adds so much more challenge to my daily runs. That’s why for me, it’s all about adjusting myself to running while pregnant.

Adjusting yourself is essential to success. For my first pregnancy, I did this by scaling back on how far I ran. As my belly got bigger, my back and sciatica hurt more due to the growing pressure. I used to run 5.5 miles daily, but scaled back to about 4.5 miles as I got father along in my pregnancy.

 

 

A big thing for me throughout both pregnancies is my pace. By no means can I run as fast as I did pre-pregnancy or when I’m by myself. That means I don’t care about pace at all when I’m pregnant. I run for myself and the sheer act is what is important. I find that my body naturally slows down due to the excessive weight when I’m pregnant, so I let it.

It’s essential that you listen to your body while pregnant. I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s okay if I don’t run as far, or if I don’t run as much. Pregnancy changes your body so much that it’s okay to adjust and to slow down. Its okay to rest for a few days or walk. The real goal is to stay active and keep yourself and your baby healthy.

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This applies to all aspects of pregnancy, but especially fitness. Don’t listen to other’s advice or complaints. They aren’t pregnant and don’t know your body. So many people want to give you advice and tell you what you can’t do. I had tons of people tell me how I can’t run when I’m pregnant and I shouldn’t do any physical activity. That is flat out wrong and in direct contrast to what my doctor advised. If you’re physically active prior to your pregnancy and you’re not having a high risk pregnancy, then you should continue your physical activity. Personally, I just listened to those people but didn’t take in what they said, then continued to workout.

Successful running while pregnant is all about preparation and making adjustments. Its about listening to your body and taking care of yourself. If you do that, then run to your heart’s content and and have fun. That’s how you arm yourself for success!

 

Meet Our Runner:

Mandi Mellen is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-Owner of BuzzChomp. She’s an acclaimed Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for her film work, or get lost in her comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow her on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit to Yours Truly

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