Benefits and risks of exercise during pregnancy

Benefits and risks of exercise during pregnancy

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child I was currently in the process of running 12 Marathons for charity. I still had 2 Marathons to run, and I was scared that it would be a high risk if I continued to run. But I educated myself about exercising during pregnancy and and all the benefits and risks attached. In the end I ran two more Marathons in my first trimester, as I felt confident that it would not harm the baby.

I have collected all the knowledge about exercising during pregnancy that I gained through my research here and want to share it with you. Please bear in mind that I am not a doctor, midwife or personal trainer. Any pregnancy is different, so please conduct your health professional beforehand.

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How to become a morning person

How to become a morning person

Until a few months ago I was not a morning person at all. I would get up fairly late (at around 8 a.m.) and be at the office by 9:30. I would work out in my lunch break or in the evenings. But then I changed cities and jobs and working out at lunch time was not an option any more. I had to work out in the mornings if I wanted to get in my training in as planned. My only option was to transform myself into a morning person. (Btw: Here you can read about how to get into a new fitness routine after a move.) Fast forward a few months: I transformed myself into a morning person, getting up at 6 a.m. (nearly) every weekday and working out. It was not an easy process, but I applied a simple 5 step strategy to help me with it.

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Why you should try spinning

Why you should try spinning

I recently started indoor group cycling also known as spinning as a cross training activity for running. I never thought I would like it, until I actually tried it. 2019 Update: I rediscovered indoor cycling as alternative, low impact and low risk activity during the third trimester of my pregnancy and absolutely love it. Spinning is actually a registered trademark name for indoor group cycling. However the concepts of other group cycling classes are quite similar: a group of people is cycling indoors on special watt bikes guided by an instructor. The instructor defines a basic program with a warm up, hills, intervals, maybe arm exercises and a cool down. The riders cycle to the beat of the music and adjust the resistance according to their own abilities. So why did I fall in love with spinning or indoor cycling classes?

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Why you should try Pole Dance and Aerial Fitness?

Why you should try Pole Dance and Aerial Fitness?

Over ten years ago I started Pole Dance in a dodgy Parisian strip club (with the now famous Marion Crampe as my teacher). It felt very naughty and underground, and not really socially acceptable. But I was hooked immediately. When I moved away from Paris I had to stop Pole Dancing for a while because these studios were not really common at the time. However once I started again, I discovered that Pole Dance had evolved to a full athletic sport. It took a lot of inspiration from gymnastics and circus arts, and had become much more professional. It now even has it’s own international association, is recognized internationally and on the way to becoming an Olympic sport. I also took on Aerial Hoop (Aerial Lyra) and Aerial Silks which are two circus arts also often taught in Pole Dance Studios.

So here are my top reasons why you should try Pole Dancing and Aerial Fitness.

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