Top Tips for Staying Active During Pregnancy

I've been lucky with this pregnancy to have minimal morning sickness and few body pains so I was able to stay active throughout every trimester! For anyone looking to stay active during their pregnancy, here are my top 5 tips!

Find classes taught by instructors who are supportive of pregnant mamas and know lots of modifications. I'm lucky to be surrounded by some incredible fitness instructors who make me feel like a complete ROCKSTAR for even showing up to class! The best ones will automatically offer modifications without you having to raise your hand or ask for one. Remember, no instructor should EVER make you feel less-than or embarrassed for being pregnant and taking their class! <--if they do, walk out of their class immediately. I'm serious.
Set a doable daily goal. Mine was to move for 30 minutes a day. Remember some days you will be able to conquer the fitness world and others you'll be so tired that any kind of movement sounds insanely difficult. Having this simple goal allowed me to feel successful even when all I could manage was a super slow walk on the treadmill.
Have an accountability buddy. My dad is my buddy! We call each other every day and share our "fitness report"! We share what we did that day to workout or how difficult our workout was or even some PR's! It's a super fun way to make sure you stay on track.
Mix up your routine. Prior to being pregnant, I had never tried reformer pilates but at around 16 weeks I was really hitting an exercise plateau and nothing that required me standing/running/jumping sounded good so I tried out reformer pilates and LOVED it! You never know what is going to feel good to your changing body so don't be afraid to try new things (as long as they're doctor or midwife approved!).
Stop comparing yourself to other people or to how you used to be able to workout. As a naturally competitive person, this was THE hardest thing for me. I kept wanting to keep up with the tempo of people around me and felt guilty if I was the only person modifying an exercise. That was a gross way to think. Comparison is never a good idea and it's even less of a good idea when you're pregnant! So if you find yourself in a class and feeling less-than, take a breath, push down that nasty comparison monster, and focus on how great it is that you can be moving your body!