Teresa Palmer's go-to pregnancy workout.

Image via iStock.

By Teresa Palmer, who’s mother to Bodhi Rain.

So I thought I’d write about my pregnancy workout. I’ve always heard of labour described as similar to “running a marathon,” so I knew that one of the most important aspects of my pregnancy would be maintaining my fitness level.

I’ve been pretty active over the last five years and didn’t want to let pregnancy be an excuse to stop my workouts. I also downloaded “Exercising Through Pregnancy” by James Clapp and Catherine Cram, which talked about certain myths in pregnancy exercise and how being told to “slow down” doesn’t mean “stop altogether.”

RELATED: The 4 safest (and unsafest) gym classes for pregnant women

After reading this ebook I understood that the old belief of keeping your heart rate below 140 bpm was both a dated and conservative idea that needn’t apply to women who were used to having a much higher heart rate during exercise.

There are, however, certain things that I knew I would have to change, for instance I knew I couldn't participate in hot yoga. Our babies are already a few degrees warmer than us whilst in our tummies so it's important not to put strain on their little bodies by overheating ourselves and them. Here is what I have been doing...

First trimester

I really listened to my body during this first and very important trimester. I didn't have any morning sickness but I was shooting films back to back and felt very tired. I decided to start prenatal yoga early and attended my first class at 6 weeks. (Post continues after gallery.)

For those who don't know what to expect in prenatal yoga, it's basically a much slower version of a regular yoga class. It emphasises bonding with the little spirit within you and makes amendments for certain yoga postures which don't serve us during pregnancy (i.e twisting inwards and inversions etc). The teachers also really prep you for labour and how dealing with the intensity of labour through yoga poses and deep breathing (Ujjayi breath) during your birthing day will be really helpful in finding more comfort.

RELATED: Zooey Deschanel is one celeb who won’t be worrying about her “post-baby body”.

For me, since I'm planning a drug-free natural water birth at home, I know that what I learn in my prenatal yoga will be incredibly beneficial in preparing me for this incredible day.

So first trimester I attended prenatal yoga two times a week and continued my regular Pilates classes two times a week. I also took a lot of naps on the weekends!

Second and third trimesters

I got a lot of my energy back during these last two trimesters and now at 30 weeks I'm feeling great. I have started hiking as well as continuing my prenatal yoga. I try to hike for one and a half to two hours once or twice a week, prenatal yoga two times per week and I also go to the gym two to three times per week. Out of everything I've been doing, my gym workout has been my favourite physical activity each week. I wear a heart rate monitor and try to keep my heart rate below 170 bpm, which means I can still talk whilst working out.

RELATED: 12 essential beauty products every pregnant woman needs.

The gym routine

1. Stair master on level five. (five to 10 minutes about 40 flights of stairs)
2. If I only do five minutes on stair master, then I do five minutes on the rowing machine.
3. Treadmill on four mph for four minutess and slow jog on six mph for 1 minute. Do this four times. (Total 20 mins)
4. Elliptical on level eight. (15 mins)
5. Three sets of 20 squats, 12 reps dead weight lifts with 40lb weight, 12 reps of five lbs dumbells, 12 reps of suspended TRX push ups, 12 reps of resistance bands for the triceps (15-20 mins total)

TOTAL TIME: One hour (post continues after gallery.)

Lastly the most important thing is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you need to skip working out for the day then do it, if you need a sleep then take a nap.

Keep really well hydrated whilst working out and don't push yourself too hard. You should be going about 70 percent of your usual workout routine. Eat plentiful meals, every few hours and remember that you are not eating for two, just yourself and a tiny little being inside of you. You don't need to up your calories any more than an extra 100 per day in the first trimester, 300 per day in the second and 500 per day in the third trimester.

RELATED: MIA: “No I’m not pregnant. This is just my stomach.”

Every pregnancy is different, but just remember your thoughts, actions and choices that you make during pregnancy will in turn affect your little darling. Be healthy, active and happy and most importantly ENJOY YOUR PREGNANCY!!

This article was originally published on Your Zen Life. Read the original article here.