13 weeks + some

This is a break from the norm because I haven’t had a prenatal appointment. I just wanted to tell you about my daily walks. Before getting pregnant I exercised regularly on either a stationary bike or an elliptical machine; some days for 30 min and other days for 3 or 4 hours.  After becoming pregnant though, I found that I couldn’t use these machines for more than 20 min without becoming sick or dizzy.  I had to find a new method of keeping my legs strong.

In May we moved near my husband’s parents and I started doing daily walks (5 days a week) with my mother-in-law. We started out pretty slow, probably going only 1/3 of a mile but now we are approaching 4 miles.  My mother in law has lost 20+ lbs, I’ve of course only been gaining weight but my legs are becoming stronger and leaner.  I really hope that I can keep this up into the fall. 

I’m beginning to wonder though if I am pushing myself to hard, it can take the full day for my legs and back to recuperate. I keep my heart rate at a good place and my breathing never gets too heavy so I don’t think it is bad for the baby—or for my body in general.  My legs and back are just not enjoying the extra weight gain. If I don’t exercise now I worry that postpartum rehabilitation will be very difficult.  When it comes to my mobility I need to “use it or loose it”