Besides being a wife and mother, Runner’s World cover girl Ani de Leon-Brown is also a celebrated athlete and coach. She is the first Filipina qualifier for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and she’s also a multi-awarded member of the Timex Multisport Team. When Ani became a mom in November 2011, her life as an athlete didn’t stop.
In the April-June 2012 issue of Runner’s World, she dishes out advice for expectant and newbie moms who want to continue running. “I have several friends who are pregnant at the moment or just gave birth,” she says. “They're asking, 'What do we do now?' I tell them, of course, you can do your normal thing again! You just have to take precautions, but hindi naman kailangan tumigil yung buhay mo, diba? The bottomline is, that's what I love to do, so I'll keep doing it.”
Are you a mom caught in the same predicament? Ease back into your workout routine with these tips.
1. DON'T START RUNNING WHEN YOU GET PREGNANT IF YOU DIDN'T RUN BEFORE YOU WERE PREGNANT.
“That's the general rule. You should have been doing that form of exercise before you were pregnant. If you’ve been running before, just tone it down as your tummy gets bigger. But in the first three months, you have to proceed with caution since that’s the most fragile time of the pregnancy.”
2. YOU DON'T NEED TO DO BIG WORKOUTS.
“People think I'm doing five-hour training days again, but it’s not like that. Even if it’s just 20 to 30 minutes, it's still a workout. Minsan kasi you get discouraged if you don't have time, but if you have a small window, just take it. It adds up in the long run.”
3. IF YOU'RE TIRED, DON'T EXERCISE.
“Your health and the baby’s health should be your top priority.”
4. DON’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF.
“Even if you write a beautifully laid out training plan, and you don't get to follow it, that's okay.”
5. GET SUPPORT FROM YOUR FAMILY.
“My husband is very supportive. He'll ask me, 'Have you done your training today?' He knows I'll get very grumpy if I don't, so he finds a way to take care of the house or the baby while I do my run. Tulungan lang.”
To learn more about Ani, grab a copy of Runner’s World’s April-June 2012 issue, out on stands now! You can also subscribe to the magazine's digital edition.
Also in this issue:
- The Golden Rules of Weight Loss
- The Best of Running
- Injury Prevention Special
- Must Run Spots in the Philippines
(Photo by Dix Perez)
