As some of you may already know, a little human is living inside of me for a few months now. Beginning of January the little cutie is supposed to come to the world and the belly is growing every day. Meanwhile, the every day movements and small kicks from inside of me have become almost normal. This wonder of nature is really impressive and incredibly beautiful (most of the time). That is because you have to get used to the initial tiredness and possible nausea, the extra kilos, the big belly, cramps in the legs, many medical appointments and a lot more.
As a woman who wants children, of course, pregnancy and childbirth are a part of life. Still, you can not really imagine what it means to be pregnant unless you are or have been in the situation yourself. In which way the body changes, the hormones go crazy and suddenly you are no longer “alone” can lead to some confusion.
That brings a few tiny changes along…
On the one hand the island life by the sea and the passion for surfing. At some point it’s not that easy anymore to go surfing.
The belly is unfortunately simply in the way, that means paddling on the knees and a big board are a must. Many have been asking me since, how it is even possible to paddle for a wave and do a take off successfully. It works! You have to lie pretty much on your knees and on your chest; the whole part between the thighs to just below the chest are needed to be stretched as far as possible upwards. Looks pretty stupid, but works. Getting up is not a problem, except the extra kilos you have to press as well. But you will get used to them quickly.
I also noticed that opinions on surfing in pregnancy divert a bit. Many think that it can be dangerous because of the unpredictability of the ocean and the waves. Others find that an adapted form of surfing with a large board, small waves and few people in the water is not a problem. For me, every wave and minute I can spend on the water is worth much more now than before and it brings me so much joy.
How long it will still be possible to continue like that, is not predictable. Especially because now in the Canary Islands the autumn and winter season start with big waves and it is thus difficult to find a quiet and easy spot.. Let’s see…
On the other hand, at a certain point in pregnancy, every kind of training and the courses that I give are different. For example, at some point abdominal exercises are no longer possible and should also be avoided. At least for the straight abdominal muscles (in the middle of the abdomen). The lateral abdominal muscles can be trained in restricted form; it may even be beneficial to strengthen these to achieve a better recovery of the abdominals after birth.
In my Functional Training courses I am now inspired by “low impact” exercises, excluding jumps and focusing on slow, controlled movements. Sounds nice, but can also be quite exhausting ….
In any case, it’s exciting and interesting to follow my current physical condition and gain new experiences. Even if there are moments of frustration and the hormones go crazy sometimes. Fortunately, these are rare in my case and do not last long.
It remains exciting 🙂
If you have questions about fitness exercises or surfing during pregnancy, write an email to info@lesano.es. I’m looking forward to it.
All the best from Fuerteventura,
Kathrin