I’d like to introduce you to Jenny Willits, who used to train with Bondi Bum x3 times per week…twice per week in a large corporate group and once per week in a smaller group with a couple of colleagues.
When I say she ‘used’ to train with Bondi Bum, I think she would still be training with us if it wasn’t for the fact that she is four weeks away from having her first baby!
Here is why Jen is a star client…
Jen, its not long now until your due date for baby number one, congratulations! How long had you been training with Bondi Bum before falling pregnant?
I had been training for six months with a bunch of people from work – and was loving been super fit!
And when you found out you were pregnant, did you have any concerns about continuing your fitness training? If yes, how did you overcome them?
Surprisingly, I didn’t have any big concerns really – I knew I wanted to keep up my fitness while I was pregnant. One concern was that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to push myself as hard as I usually do and it would frustrate me that I couldn’t be as competitive as I had been up till then!
I think my husband had more concerns around me training than I did but that was just about him worrying about me training too hard and taking care of the baby, particularly in the early stages.
Once my doctor had given me the all clear to exercise and I had had a conversation with my trainer to let them know I was pregnant, it was training as usual…except at a slightly slower pace than before and with my trainer keeping a close eye on me!
How has being pregnant affected your training?
I’ve had to slow down…a lot. I found I couldn’t push myself as hard and some of the exercises have become a lot tougher. When you’re pregnant your body goes through so many changes…I get tired and breathless a lot quicker than before. Running and hill sprints became more problematic in the last few months as my weight increased …but even up to seven months I was able to run maybe one lap of Observatory Hill with a couple of hill “jogs” too!
Have you felt the benefits of staying fit and training while pregnant? What benefits have you felt?
Absolutely! I’ve managed to maintain a level of fitness which has definitely contributed to being healthy throughout my pregnancy. Simple things like just being able to get outside for some fresh air has been so beneficial, especially as I started getting larger, which was around the 6 months mark. Being able to keep up exercise has made me feel stronger, brighter and more positive.
I haven’t suffered from any postural aches or pains – which can be quite common during pregnancy because of the additional weight you end up carrying – and I attribute that to my continued functional strength training with Bondi Bum.
I think being fit and healthy can only benefit the baby and I hope it means that I’m able to deal with what could be a long labour, given this is my first!
Would you recommend exercise to other pregnant ladies and why?
Definitely. You’re clearly not going to be able to push yourself to train for a new event or break any records, but its an important time to be as healthy as you can…and getting out and moving around, no matter how small is better than doing nothing.
I’ve simply listened to my body (and my baby!) and when I’ve felt tired or not quite 100% I’ve let my trainer know and have taken it a little easier.
Will you picking training back up again one bump has arrived?
I sure will and can’t wait! My goal is to run the half-marathon next April/May which gives me a good seven months to get myself back into peak fitness.
Thanks Jen, I can’t wait to meet bump!
Em and the Bondi Bum Team 
Bondi Bum is qualified in pre and post natal exercise and is happy to offer advice to anyone who is debating if/what exercise to take part in while pregnant.
Bondi Bum recommends you seek approval from your GP before taking up any exercise while pregnant.
