Being pregnant is a journey with its ups and downs. That’s how it was for fitness influencer Ophela Mhlauli, who kept up her workouts throughout the journey. Here’s how she adjusted her fitness while pregnant.
Ophela Mhlauli’s first trimester
When Ophela, 25, found out she was pregnant, her first trimester didn’t go as easily as she’d hoped. Instead of feeling blissful, she spent most of her time resting because of morning sickness that lasted most of the day. “I need people to know that there is the good and the bad to that, you know, and we need to just stop sugar-coating it so much,” she says. “It is a wonderful journey. However, it also has its own obstacles.”
One of those obstacles was her difficulty keeping any food down. For the first trimester, she subsisted on ice, frozen drinks and a little fruit. “I could not stomach anything. That was what was so frustrating,” she recalls.
Added to that, her energy levels were low and her workouts, which she’s so well known for on Instagram, took a knock. Instead, Ophela turned to light swims in the pool. “I would go for a swim, for forty-five minutes, maybe an hour, depending on how I felt,” she says.
The second trimester
By the time her second trimester started in November, Ophela’s energy levels started coming back, along with her appetite. “From then I just really started enjoying my pregnancy because I could eat anything and everything that I wanted,” she says.
“Pregnancy just changed everything. It just took me back,” she says. Ophela would find herself wanting to eat foods from her childhood, like Maltabella, masi, meat and potatoes and infuse it with her usual healthy foods, like broccoli, brown rice and asparagus. She also loved to mix potatoes with spinach and cabbage, as she had in her childhood.
For her workouts, her energy levels and doctor gave her the go-ahead to train the way she’d been doing before pregnancy. She returned to cardio and weighted workouts. “ I would do some squats, weighted squats. I would do walking lunges. I would do single-leg deadlifts,” she says.
The third trimester
By the third trimester, her baby was growing and so was she. She kept at her workouts, but scaled them down to keep her heart rate in check. “I told myself that I’m just going to go with the flow, whatever it is, that is within my control,” she says. This involved light, simple weighted workouts, like squats with a Bosu ball and simple dumbbell presses. She’d also stick to swimming with her flippers on and did walks on the treadmill.
Looking back, Ophela thinks of her pregnancy with mixed feelings. “I can overall describe my pregnancy as a little both rocky (in the beginning because of the sickness) and a walk in the park (after the sickness),” she says.
To others, she advises to take things as they come and listen to your body. “My approach to health and fitness during pregnancy is to block all the noise, people’s opinions and experiences, social media (especially Google) and listen to your doctor and body and you’ll have the most blissful experience,” she shares. “When you feel like training, go and when you feel like resting, take that rest.”
Pregnancy is an extraordinary journey for many women, one which can often be filled with highs, lows and surprises. Despite the unpredictability of it all, staying in shape doesn’t have to be out of reach. Fitness enthusiast and mama-to-be Anna Wilson shares how she maintained her fitness regime during a rocky pregnancy.
As a former professional athlete, Anna was used to staying fit and active, but never before had she gone through a pregnancy. Despite her best efforts to stay in shape, both physically and mentally, the journey has been filled with some unexpected curves.
“At times, pregnancy has been incredible, and at others, it’s been a challenge and definitely not what I expected. As a lifetime fitness enthusiast, I have come to realize that pregnancy takes your body on a wild and difficult ride,” said Anna.
But it’s been through dedication and perseverance that allowed Anna to stay active and healthy throughout her entire pregnancy. She credits emphasizing movement, a high-quality diet and adequate rest for helping her stay in the best shape possible.
Anna stresses that it’s important to listen to your body and understand it’s unique needs. Rather than trying to push through or pushing herself to do things that felt like too much, Anna was mindful of what she was able to do, making modifications and substituting exercises where necessary.
“I was able to switch my circuit training to bodyweight exercises — lunges, squats, planks, and more — and kept my weights very light. I would always focus on quality, more than quantity and I felt this kept me fit and healthy throughout my pregnancy,” she commented.
Anna also changed her diet and began to prioritize nutrition, reducing her caffeine intake and avoiding processed foods. She’s also been supplementing with a prenatal vitamin to ensure she’s getting all the essential nutrients she and her baby needs.
It won’t be an easy feat, but you can stay fit and healthy throughout your pregnancy. Anna’s top tip? “Stay patient, practice mindfulness and devise a plan that works for your body and life”.
A fit pregnant mom is often an anomaly in today’s society, with celebrity moms like Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski glowing with their fit bodies while expecting. This article will discuss an everyday woman’s journey to staying fit while pregnant.
When Amanda Benson entered her third trimester, she knew her goal was to remain as fit as possible throughout her pregnancy. As a former athlete, she was familiar with the commitment that would be required to accomplish this goal and therefore was well-prepared for a healthy and active pregnancy.
Although it definitely wasn’t easy for Benson to stay in shape throughout her pregnancy, she was determined to do it and remained dedicated to her workouts throughout her nine months.
The first challenge Benson encountered was finding an activity she could do without putting strain on her body. After spending some time researching different exercises, Benson chose yoga and was able to stick to her routine for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Benson made sure not to overextend her body during her workouts, but instead, she focused on modifications that worked for her growing body, something she would highly recommend to any pregnant woman wanting to stay fit. Benson also recommends tailoring your own workout routine and to encourage yourself as much as possible. As it was with any fitness journey, Benson had good days and bad days alike. However, she persisted and was able to stay dedicated to her fitness routine.
On top of her physical fitness, Benson also took extra care of her mental health, meditating and journaling to help manage any stress she was feeling.
All in all, Benson described her overall pregnancy experience as physically challenging, but also rewarding and beneficial for her long-term health. Although she would not recommend trying to stay exceedingly active on your own, she believes that it is important to continue to be physically active, if you can, throughout pregnancy in order to benefit both you and your growing baby.
