Third trimester workout updates

Well at 33 weeks i am still feeling wonderful, have lots of energy and rarely have any back pain. I get it here and there but often found (after further investigation) it was after my 10 km runs. So after another physio session and another pelvic tilt exercise to add to my daily regime i decided to decrease my inclines for running and walking workouts as well as my distance and since then. WOW what a difference. My pelvis has felt much better with my max runs being 8km now. And thus less strain on other parts of my back too. So now i am doing 4, 6 and 8 km runs. I am so happy i am still good at 8. I will continue listening to my body and decreasing again if need be. I also found a new walking incline workout yesterday that i did last night. It was one i found for an intermediate/advanced women in her 3rd trimester. I however found some walks a little too slow so i sped them up and altered the workout to suit my fitness level at this time. It is more of walk/run incline workout and i felt great last night and still do today so i know i didn't over do it. My legs are actually pretty sore today from all those squats and lunges:)

Now let's touch on the importance of doing pelvic tilts during pregnancy especially your third trimester. Your pelvis is going through a lot of changes and the hormone relaxin is doing it's work to relax all the ligaments in this area to make room for baby to come out (don't worry everything goes back to the way it was before for most women). So pelvic tilts help ensure that your pelvis doesn't stiffen up due to all that extra weight on it from baby and it strengthen your abs and helps to prevent and soothe back aches. They also help encourage your baby to get in proper positioning for delivery head down and back towards your back. They also help ease delivery of your bundle of joy. So many pros and i know i have noticed a huge difference since i have started incorporating them.

Here are the ones i do before and after every workout:

Pelvic tilts with back against a wall so my arms wouldn't be up like this picture. Repeat 10 x

Pelvic tilt with hands on wall: Stand a few feet out from the wall and lean forward and put hands on wall at shoulder height. Keep legs hip distance apart and knees slightly bent then tilt your pelvis much like picture above. Repeat this move 10 x


Cat cow yoga pose: Start on all fours in a neutral position with your back push your belly down with head up and bum up like a cow then arch your back up much like a scared cat would do and go back and forth between these movements 20 x

Pelvic tilts while seated: sit with both feet firmly planted on the ground and place hand on one leg and push down as you try to lift up. This is essentially a pelvic tilt only on the side you are doing it on. Repeat on both sides 10 x. You can also push down opposite leg and push it down with your hand as well which also works the other side in another way. Repeat 10 x. I only do this one for my left side as thats where i seem to have the issue. This exercise was given to me from my physio Heidi.

32 weeks and 6 days

Clean gluten free biscuits 2 ways

Hi guys. Its been awhile since i posted a recipe. On Sunday i made a big batch of curried sweet potato apple soup from Gracious Pantry.  And of course i needed to make my clean gluten free biscuits however i couldnt find the recipe i normally used to i adapted one from http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com. I will include my go to recipe after i post my adapted version below.

*Makes approximately 16 large biscuits depending on how large your biscuit cutter is (and by biscuit cutter i mean a glass from your cupboard)


1.5 cups brown rice flour
1 cup corn starch
1.5 cups sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum
8 Tbsp Earth balance spread
1 1/4 cups plain almond milk
 1 1/4 cups water
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
 1 egg, beaten (or make a flax or chia egg if vegan)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum.
3. Use a pastry blender to blend the butter into the flour. However if like me you don't have one simply use a fork and blend up until well combined and no chunks of butter are left.
4. Add the almond milk, water, vinegar and beaten egg to the flour and stir until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined.
5. Roll out the dough thickly on wax paper sprinkled with flour and cut out round shapes with a large glass cup and Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.


Now you can see my go to recipe here:) For this recipe i use earth bnlance and plain almond milk as well. Let me know if you try either recipe in the comments below! Please note i have found that gluten free biscuits are better the next few days heated again in the microwave they don't crumble quite as badly then and taste better! I spread mine with a little earth balance spread.

Working out in the 2nd trimester

WOW. It's hard to believe i am already 30 weeks today. This pregnancy is sure flying by! I have noticed these last few weeks that my runs are getting a little slower and my circuit weight training is a little slower too. But that's ok! At least i can still work out.

Working out in the 2nd trimester was amazing i had so much energy and was able to even incorporate some easier intervals:) I was atill doing all the Tone it Up circuit workouts with some super set arm and leg workouts from PB fingers thrown in as well. I just had to modify some of the moves to work with my growing belly and make sure i listened to my body stopping certain moves as needed. I was actually able to still do crunches up until 22 weeks. I know working out on your back isn't recommened by many however through my research and talking to my dr it's ok as long as i feel ok doing it. So right now i am still doing glute exercises on my back and feel great doing them. The key is that as long as you are still moving and not laying still on your back (and don't feel dizzy) you are good to go and it's not bad for you or the baby:) I was also able to keep my runs at a max of 15-16 km for long runs, intervals one day and then steady runs with no walking breaks another. I also added in another cardio day where i would do a running/toning workout (where i'd do a toning circuit & then jump on the treadmill to run 5 min-ish intervals between circuits) or a walking interval workout. For my long runs i would mainly run 10 min and walk a min or even take more walking breaks if i needed them. I did my last 15 km long run at 26 weeks and since then decreased to 10-12km but as of last few weeks i'm down to 10km max.

Now as i mentioned above working out in the third trimester has changed a little. I ended up tweaking my pelvis a little the week before christmas. I over did it that week with a killer leg workout and then a running workout where you'd jump off every 5 min or so and do squats and jumping jacks. Needless to say as of sat that week my pelvis on my left side started to get a little tender during my run and then ached on and off throughout that week after taking a few days off.

As of this past monday it was still hurting on and off when i ran so i went to see my physio, Heidi from Physio for you. And i was sooooo happy to hear her say it wasn't major and basically my tight glutes, hamstrings as well as tater tot always hanging out on my left side cause my pelvis to get a little over worked and then the tight muscles pulled it forward a little on the left side. I had started doing pelvic tilts as well as only pre natal workouts the week of Christmas so i think thathad helped it from getting worse. So all Heidi had to do was some traction work to get it to loosen up a bit and go back in place:) This is what i remember from my appointment with Heidi so it may not exactly be it...Heidi may correct me a little on this.

I now do pelvic tilts & some stretches for my glutes before and after every workout and its feeling much better now! Pheuf! I was worried that it was time to stop running:) But not yet...body and baby are still good to go with my workouts:) YAH! Next week i may start incorporating some tone it up circuits again (modified of course) as long as they feel alright! (I am currently still doing some pre natal specific workouts along with my running and incline walking workouts). I am so grateful i can run as far as i do now as well as workout as much as i do too! I also have moved my runs all inside on my safe treadmill. It's too icy and snowy out there and i don't want to risk falling!

And because its not janurary without some fun challenges to keep you motivated I have joined the Tone it Up Love your body challenge that runs from now until valentines day (It's not too late to still sign up, join the fun here). As well as Janine's (writer of the purple giraffe blog) Chilly challenge:) You can sign up here still! It's fun to do little challenges to keep myself accountable as well as keep myself on track with eating clean and healthy while being pregnant. I definatley had too many sweets over the holidays and have been craving them daily...so im working on not indulging as much and limiting my sweet intake.

Post Friday 60 min bootycall workout this morning:)