Hey friends! So, it’s safe to say I officially feel ginormous (even though everyone keeps telling me how small I am) and have slowed to a waddling penguin turtle’s pace. Everything hurts. My back, my sides, my belly, my skin. It’s definitely not the best I’ve ever felt. So I guess I am thankful that the aches and pains held off for as long as they did and that I was able to be pretty active and exercise pretty normally for the majority of my pregnancy.
Being healthy and active is always important to me, but it’s been especially important since we found out we were expecting a little one. I want to give Baby P the best start in life that I can, so that means keeping us both healthy while she’s snuggled up inside me. Some people use pregnancy as an excuse to loaf around and eat junk (and trust me, I did some of that, too) but I was determined to stay active and feeling great as long as my body would let me.
At 20 weeks, I was still going on some pretty wild and strenuous hikes on our trip to Joshua Tree National Park and Sedona, Arizona. It was great to be out in nature and so fun to take a last just-the-two-of-us vacation.
At 26 weeks, I ran my last 5K. I ran it slowly and the adrenaline carried me through, but boy was I sore afterwards. It was one of my last runs, but I was proud to still be running that far along!
These days, I’m getting into a bit of a slower routine. Since I’m not running like a crazy person, I’m trying to eat better too. You know, not a whole bag of Easter candy in two days. I’m letting myself reach for the chip bag a little more often than I normally would, but I’m making sure that I’m counteracting that with lots of healthy stuff too, so Baby P is getting all the vitamins and nutrients she needs. Our garden is flourishing, so this hasn’t been too hard.
Another way I’m getting lots of good stuff? Drinking lots of those Naked Cold Pressed Juices that I told you guys about a couple weeks ago! I seriously can’t get enough. And since I’ve been so thirsty lately, they’re perfect for hydrating and getting my vitamins at the same time. Naked Pressed are veggie-forward juices made with simple ingredients– no added sugars or preservatives. Right now Naked Pressed is available in West Coast stores and is coming soon nationwide.
Though I’m not running anymore, or doing much uphill hiking, I am still keeping up with yoga and walking. It’s been in the 70’s here lately so it’s perfect walking weather. It does get a bit toasty once I get moving, so I like to bring a drink with me to keep hydrated. One can only drink so much water before getting bored with it, so the Naked Cold Pressed Juices are perfect for bringing along!
After trying all the flavors, I’m really in love with two flavors– Bright Greens and Hearty Greens. Bright Greens is a mix of apple, cucumber, celery, lettuce, lemon, kale, spinach and wheatgrass, which is really refreshing and– well– bright! Hearty Greens is a mix of celery, apple, lettuce, cucumber, orange, spinach, lemon, wheatgrass and kale with a hint of spearmint. The spearmint is subtle but adds really great flavor to this one. Both green juices are packed with potassium (super important for warding off those pregnancy leg cramps) and vitamin K!
Nick’s favorite is the Bold Beet– beet, carrot, cucumber, apple, lemon, orange and ginger– so we always have some of those stocked as well.
Since my whole body has been hurting, I’ve been trying to stick with doing a lot of yoga as well. Whenever I can get my back stretched out it feels about 1000 times better. I’m still going to classes, but also doing some shorter stretching sessions at home almost every day. I feel like a creaky 90-year-old when I get out of bed in the morning, so some stretching and relaxing is the perfect way to start the day. Especially when paired with a delicious Naked Pressed Juice to kickstart a day of healthy eating.
I definitely feel better when I eat right and start moving. All the tight joints and ligaments loosen up, and it’s one of the only times I feel like a normal person again. So hopefully I’ll be able to continue being active for a couple more months. It’s crazy to think Baby P will be here in 8-10 weeks!
What are your favorite tips for staying active and healthy? Do you have a special routine you’ve gotten into?!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Aww, your baby belly is the cutest! <3 I definitely felt huge and like a whale past the 30 week mark – at some point everything just starts hurting. But it's so worth every little ache!
I'm always amazed when I see how active you still are! And feel lazy, haha 😉 I don't really have an excercise routine now with a crazy 18 month old, but we do make sure we go for long walks with her pretty much every day, chase her around and eat as well as we can. Home cooked meals only, even if it sometimes means scrambled eggs for dinner 😉
Those juices look so nice and refreshing – we make our own with our juicer but not nearly as often as I'd like to drink them. The clean up is awful, haha!
Aww, thanks, Nora! EVERYTHING definitely hurts, but luckily there are some good days mixed in with the bad. Only a few more weeks, eek!!
I am so impressed with how active you have stayed throughout your pregnancy! And your baby bump is the cutest! 🙂 Those juices look like the perfect way to get a few more nutrients into your diet!