Being pregnant doesn’t always have to mean stopping physical activity and piling on the pounds.
Celebrity fitness trainer Tracy Anderson, whose clientele includes Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, gives Metro readers tips on how to stay glowing and gorgeous before, during and after the pregnancy.
PLAN IF YOU CAN
Women trying for a baby should immediately get rid their bad habits, take up an exercise routine and go on a cleanse to get the body back on track.
The point of the cleanse is to conscientiously re train the pallette to like clean and lean foods by wiping out all processed and sugary foods and stocking up on those containing valuable nutrients, such as whole grains, lean meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
For exercise, the best is to do something your body is used to and that can you can carry on throughout the nine months.
“The body changes drastically so having a strategy is key,” stresses Anderson.
When women get pregnant they don’t realize bad habits will carry on until after the baby is born. What matters is the mental and physical health of the mother.
DIET
Taking exercise and diet seriously when pregnant is crucial. Eat by the mantra quality not quantity and don’t restrict calorie intake, as the baby will need the nutrients to develop.
Enjoy, listen and learn to manage cravings. “Many women will crave chocolate and coffee,” explains Anderson. “So be smart and have a fruit puree handy to curb the cravings.”
Allow for a flexible diet as, although you may only want to eat only what’s good for you, you may notice you cannot stand certain healthy foods. In Anderson’s case, she couldn’t eat roasted chicken, usually one of her favourite foods.
Eat foods high in folic acid, which is even more critical in the first trimester: kale, brussels sprouts, turkey breast and quinoa are good sources.
You can also load up on fresh fruits, such as apples, blueberries, strawberries, dates and peaches.
You are and you aren’t eating for two — you need to make sure you give the baby everything it needs to develop healthily, but you must not over indulge and put your health at risk.
EXERCISE
Do exercise to keep your muscles tightly knit and your structure together.
Walking on its own won’t cut it as muscles and tissue are continually stretching — work on keeping the skin close to the muscle to make it easier to regain firmness after giving birth.
“Be mindful of your lower back and do nothing too aggressive on the joints.
“Rebounding is bad so using a trampoline is out of the question,” advises Anderson. Carve out time for light weights, cardio and mat work. Avoid breaking out in sweat, as this can be dangerous.
Anderson suggests listening to your body as the pregnancy advances and having a mental image of how you want to look once the baby is born. Thinking ‘sexy, lean and long’ will keep you motivated.
AFTER
Breast-feeding is nature’s way of helping women get their figure back — it helps to ‘pull’ everything back in and burn calories.
You should never not be exercising and most women don’t realize the effort needed to keep in shape. From her celebrity clientele, Anderson has learnt a lot.
“After Gwyneth (Paltrow) had her second baby she had an extra 30 pounds she couldn’t get rid of.
“She understood there would be no superficial transformation and worked really hard to get her killer body.” Muscular structure is a recurring word used by Anderson. “You can run and burn calories but you’ll have no muscular structure. For a Victoria Secret’s bum, do circuit training and work the entire body in motion.”
