I've mentioned it before, but I think I've reached a stage of not sleeping as well throughout the night. Even when I'm exhausted, I wake up a couple of times to go to the bathroom, and sometimes it takes me a while to fall asleep again. Terry and I have switched sides of the bed so I have easier access to the bathroom, which is helpful. Those extra ten steps really do make a difference.
Yesterday (around 4 in the morning) I also experienced my first pregnancy leg cramp. I've had a charlie horse or two in the past, but somehow this one felt more intense. Luckily, Terry used to be a swimmer and is what I would consider an expert in treating leg cramps. I woke him up (rather frantically--the poor guy), and he massaged the muscles until they relaxed. It was nice practice for labor; apparently I will panic, and Terry will calm me down and know exactly what to do.
Despite the less than stellar nights of sleep and a sore calf muscle, yesterday morning started on a wonderful note: At our doctor's appointment, we learned that baby has flipped! He or she is now head down, which is the appropriate position for birth. We still have several more weeks, but it's nice to have one fewer thing to worry about.
With that news in my pocket, I enjoyed the rest of my day of errands and chores. I had a big list to tackle, but I'm also trying to remind myself that when things don't get done "on time" it's not the end of the world. Rest and keeping stress to a minimum are far more of a priority.
This week is what I would consider our first routine week in our new place. Terry isn't traveling for work; we're both going to work regularly; we're cooking dinners each night; and we're finally getting back to our workouts. On Monday we did some upper body action in our new gym, which, unfortunately, is even smaller and more crowded (equipment-wise) than our old complex's gym. We're trying to think of some creative solutions.
Of course, cardio is pretty simple: we love running, hiking, and walking. Right now I'm officially down to just walking, but Terry and I have talked about finding a 10K that we can train for together to get me back in shape after baby arrives. We're thinking maybe November or December; I think a few months will be enough time to work back up to six miles.
While the area where we live now isn't fantastic for our usual evening walks (too much traffic immediately outside of our complex), we are a very short car ride away from some awesome trails and beautiful hikes, so we'll take advantage of those before and with baby.
For strength and/or variety workouts, we have a few options. I love bodyweight training, as you know, so sticking to the basics like squats, burpees, push ups, lunges, etc., will be an automatic part of our routine. But we can also add in more comprehensive at-home options, like yoga videos and boot camp-style videos.
We're also strongly considering purchasing a nice set of adjustable dumbbells like these that we can use at home.
I have always loved at-home workouts, so it'll be an easy adjustment for me, and Terry says he's totally willing to try it out. I expect that the next few months (for me) and baby's arrival (for both of us) will throw us off track quite a bit in terms of our "usual" workouts, but I'm excited about the changes. We've done a good job keeping up our walking and pregnancy-friendly exercises, so I'm sure postpartum exercises will be another adventure we enjoy just as much. Hopefully we can combine all those options to stay fit while we transition into parenthood!
Any tips for staying healthy as a new parent? Do you prefer gym or home workouts?
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI would say home workouts initially till you get your routine with the baby.
Next time you get those leg cramps, get out of bed and walk around a bit. Your cramp will resolve quickly and your dear hubby and you would get a few more minutes of sleep.