I found it very interesting to read what and how other athletes or hobby runners/ skiers trained during their pregnancy, to get motivation, inspiration and tips. But I also really know my own limits and realised what I could do.
This is the most important advice I will ever give if you ask me about training during and after pregnancy. You just need to listen to what your body and mind is telling you.
I did not feel very well the first months, and finishing kungsleden trail that was a 66 hour week 460 km 13 000 meter, I rested for 1 week.
During the rest of the pregnancy I trained around 10 hours/ week. Some weeks 5 hours, some weeks 13-15 h.
Wit training I mean training in the state I was, not at all high level training as pre pregnancy. I did not hard trainings at all. Because it just did not feel very good.
I was hiking, and easy jogging, doing some gym too. And when the snow arrived I did 90% of my training on skis. The rest was gym or yoga.
The gym sessions I focused on the back and shoulders as well as some balancing exercises. For example standing on one leg on a balancing plate, doing shoulder lifts with some kg in each hand. Or back extension, shoulder pushups, side plank, lunges.
I also followed some pregnancy yoga online which was very nice!
Looking back from week to week I don´t really see a pattern, and it´s because I did what felt good. For example week 38 I did 15 hours, but week 20 only 5. And then some longer weeks of hiking/ easy jogging in the Himalayas around week 20, that also became 20 hour weeks or more.
I´m really happy that I did a few gym sessions/ week as I have not been so tired in my back and shoulders as I thought I could be after carrying around some extra kilos for 9 months, and also carrying a little one after! The gym sessions was not long, maximum 45 minutes including some stretching for my shoulders and upper back, as I´m always so stiff there.
I´m also very happy that I was pregnant during snowy months as running did not feel good, I had some diffuse pain (or more like a tiredness, ?) in the symphysis if I ran for longer amount of time.
But I found that ski mountaineering was perfect. Going uphill is such good training and so low impact. Of course going downhill I was going super easy, as offpist also can be demanding sometimes.. 😉
I actually skied and jogged the day Maj arrived!
After giving birth I felt pretty good, for walking at least. I was walking and hiking small hills the days after, and gradually builded up the km and time. I started “core” training immediately and I had good connection with my abs and core in general as I had no splitting of the abs. The first days I was just laying on my back trying to tension all muscles and feel the muscles how the felt.
I also focused on the back, and hips as it all works together. The classical “standing on all four and raising one arm and one leg was a good one to start with, as well as lying on the stomach and raising your back and arms. And hip trusts, and just pushing down the stomach towards the floor laying on the back.
There are many apps to use after pregnancy, and I tried one, but I found that all the exercises where to easy for me, so I did my own, so with this; what I have been dping might not work for you, it can be to easy or to hard.
I got an early check up, after 10 days, and the specialist said I was good to run if I wanted. All my tiny muscles and abs where fine.
After that I started to jog, like 10 minutes, and 10 minutes walking.
The first 5 km I did was after 3 weeks. Very slow. I got a little diffused tired around pelvis but as it was gone for the next day I realised it was ok.
Like this it continued until july, I stepped up the running gradually, and those days I got diffused tired, I rested the evenings and the next day I could train again.
In end of june I was up at 75 km per week, and that felt good.
The strength training I continued but almost the same exercises as pregnant, but then adding plank, and more core exercises.
I could probably do more strength, but as long as I feel good running, I´m not sure I can find the motivation to do more.. 😉
And speaking of running, downhill running demands a strong core, and I really felt that in the beginning, that I did not have the strength to go down fast, the muscles did not react, and I felt more impact on hips and knees.
For us it has worked well for me to be away 3 hours as Maj has been eating every 3-4 hours, and as I choose to breast feed that´s how long I could train. She has also been very good to eat from the bottle since the beginning if I did a little longer training.
For sure I feel that it takes energy to breastfeed, especially after doing a long day, but I believe it´s so good for her to mainly get her energy from that. She starts to eat a little solid now, so maybe my energy levels will increase!
That´s all for now!
Thank you for following my journey and I wish you the best!
I will do my best to answer down here in the comments if you have questions!
Xx
