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When you find out you’re pregnant, or even before you find out, you might be aware of the amount of pregnancy books there are available. Pretty much whatever your outlook on life, there’s a pregnancy and birth book to suit you. It can be so confusing looking at all the options. I have book recommendations I make of my favourites from authors I trust and those I’ve read personally, so I don’t recommend any books lightly.
I was sent a copy of the Mind Body Bump pregnancy book to take a look at and I have to say I’m really impressed. It is sadly a common myth that you need to ‘eat for two,’ and stop exercising when you’re pregnant, but that really isn’t the case. Eating a healthy balanced diet is encouraged, and if you exercise regularly in whatever sport, it’s OK to carry on with the guidance of your instructor or personal trainer. If you don’t exercise regularly, it’s still OK to do gentle exercise, and will help keep your body in good shape for the birth and beyond. Running after a toddler is hard work!
The Mind Body Bump book is written by Brit Williams, a personal trainer based in London and a fitness guru taking social media by storm. When she became pregnant with her first child, she was surprised by the lack of proper pregnancy exercise programmes including nutrition, so she took it on herself to produce her own guide. As her baby was born, Mind Body Bump was also born! Her daughter is now 6 months old and she continues to practice what she preaches and she looks great. Find her on Instagram as @fitbritcollective for more fitness inspiration.
What do you get inside Mind Body Bump?
Endorsed by Tamra Hill-Norton, the founder of Sweaty Betty, Brit has written a month by month guide to each stage of pregnancy, both what is happening to baby and you, and then she has exercises to do tailored to that month. You can adapt them to suit you. As well as the exercise, there is a focus on wellness, in the mind as well as the body. There are recipes from the Mindful Chef included, which look delicious and are nutritionally balanced for you and your growing baby.
I really like that there is a fourth trimester section included at the end, for that transition into motherhood. All too often, the story ends at the birth, when really, that is just the beginning of the journey.
The workouts are nothing scary and not too intense, they use the body’s own resistance or you can use equipment.
Do I need any equipment to use the book?
All the workouts are designed to take less than hour and can be done at home or in the gym. You can use your own bodyweight as resistance, or you can use simple equipment like the following (shop the list here):
- Medium kettlebell between 6-10kg or one light 4-8kg and one heavy 9-12kg
- Pair of light to medium dumbbells between 3-6kg, two pairs at either end of the spectrum or a set of adaptable dumbbell bars and weight plates
- One light to medium resistance band, ideally with handles
- One medium to strong resistance loop
- One set of gliders, ideally double sided for suitability on hard and carpeted floors
- A high quality exercise mat
- An exercise swiss ball (doubles as a birthing ball)
- Aerobic step
Get it all in one go via my shopping list! You don’t need it all or you can pick and choose what you need.
What if I don’t normally exercise?
Take it slowly and go at your own pace, but these workouts are designed with pregnancy and a beginner in mind.
So to conclude, it’s a great handbook to pregnancy, with the added bonus of the workouts and recipes too. The pictures are clear and there’s no guilt trip if you can’t do it or don’t feel like it. You also have my permission to eat chocolate when you feel like it. It’s all about balance after all. I have happily added Mind Body Bump to my recommended pregnancy books without hesitation.
