MIND THE BUMP
Feeling nervous about
exercise? Follow this guide
from Brit Williams, author of
Mind, Body, Bump (White
Lion Publishing, £16.99).
‘Your best coach will
invariably be your own body.
Learn to listen to it. Whileexercise offers a way for you
to feel empowered and take
control of your pregnancy,
it’s important to defer to a
doctor if you have any doubt
about your own wellbeing
or that of your baby. If you
experience any of thefollowing symptoms during
exercise, stop immediately
and consult a doctor.
●Vaginal bleeding
●Dizziness
●Shortness of breath
●Severe headache
●Abdominal pain●Chest pain
●Substantial swelling in
face, hands or legs
●Decreased foetal
movement
●Leaking amniotic fluid
●Significant and sustained
back painGEMMA
ATKINSON,
actress‘Maintaining training through
pregnancy has been great
for me, physically and
mentally. My sessions are
nowhere near as intense
as they were before I got
pregnant, but I’ve started
doing Pilates and yoga, plus
I’m enjoying walking! I want
to keep my fitness levels up
and my body strong, which
will hopefully help me during
labour**. I’m also hoping that
staying fit now will benefit
me when I start
to train
properly after
pregnancy.’EXPERT TIP
Pre-natal yoga can
ease pregnancy aches.
‘If you’ve not done yoga
before, wait until your
second trimester to begin,’
advises Candice Roberts, of
Yogamatters (yogamatters.
com). ‘You may feel
energetic during this stage,
so yoga practices can reflect
this [think modified sun
salutations, balancing and
standing poses]. In the final
trimester, you’ll feel fatigued
so a more calming practice
is recommended.’ Yoga
nidra breathing can be
practised during every stage.*Jane Wake is working with NIVEA and its NIVEA Q10 + Vit C Firming Body Lotion, the upgraded version of Meghan Markle’s go-to affordable beauty buy. The body lotion is the perfect product to use throughout pregnancy. ** At the time of going to press, Gemma was still awaiting labour.MEGHAN MARKLE, THE
DUCHESS OF SUSSEX
It’s been reported that Meghan Markle turned
to yoga during pregnancy. ‘Meghan is a keen
walker and yoga practitioner – both of which
would have really helped her,’ says celeb
fitness and yoga expert Jane Wake
(janewake.com)*. ‘Yoga is backed by
research for its calming effect. I cannot
stress enough how important this is for
giving birth! When you are calm and
confident, the right hormones will enable
you to progress through labour and birth
with more ease – I have no doubt this
will be why Meghan chose to keep yoga
going through pregnancy, and will pick it
up again at the right time.’SIMONE DE LA
RUE, celeb pt‘Exercise is my therapy and
me-time. It immediately
rebooted my mood, not to
mention provided many health
benefits for my baby and me – working
out through pregnancy can increase
energy, improve posture and assist in
labour. I recommend continuing your
current exercise plan – it’s not a good idea
to take up training for a marathon if you are
six months pregnant and have never run
before! If you’ve not worked out before
pregnancy, then I suggest walking, yoga,
Pilates or, of course, Baby by Simone.’PRE-NATAL
SIMONE DE LA SIMONE DE LA
RUE, celeb pt RUE, celeb pt‘Exercise is my therapy and
me-time. It immediately
rebooted my mood, not to
mention provided many health
benefits for my baby and me – workingDUCHESS OF SUSSEX
It’s been reported that Meghan Markle turned
to yoga during pregnancy. ‘Meghan is a keen
walker and yoga practitioner – both of which
would have really helped her,’ says celeb
fitness and yoga expert Jane Wake
(janewake.com)*. ‘Yoga is backed by
research for its calming effect. I cannotconfident, the right hormones will enable
you to progress through labour and birth
with more ease – I have no doubt this