A woman’s body is a sanctuary, a sacred mass of organs given to her in order to maintain it in the best and healthiest way possible. Pregnancy changes a person, to comprehend that a tiny little human is growing inside of us can sometimes cloud our judgments. Pregnancies differ from one mom-to-be from another and some have it hard while others are perfectly fine, it’s natural and it happens. In either case, maintaining a healthy lifestyle while pregnant can be a bit difficult, all those mood swings, cravings and the constant urge to snuggle on a couch. Working out isn’t very interesting when you’re pregnant but it is somewhat important in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Hard core training isn’t necessary to maintain health, all it requires is providing somewhat of a balanced workout suited for your body and knowing your limits.

Haya Sawan, a mom of two, is an interior designer graduate of DAH who inherited her love for the field from her father, Monther Sawan, a prominent well-known architect in the Kingdom and a certified trainer. Describing this young woman would be difficult since she is doing her very best to become the best she could be, a supermom taking care of herself for the sake of everything dear. Since her college days, young Haya has made it a mission of hers to maintain a healthy lifestyle and has integrated it into her daily routines, only made easier with the help of her husband who is very much a health buff as she is. The couple maintained a healthy lifestyle as their family grew and a lot of fitness routines were added as well.

“After having my first daughter, I started to take my fitness routines more seriously; I realized how it changed my body before and after pregnancy. Working out while pregnant though is very different, it takes a lot more dedication and the energy level isn’t something you understand easily. Every pregnancy isn’t the same; some might be booming with energy in the first, exhausted in the second and so on so forth, it’s hard to determine except through the mom-to-be’s assessment of herself.”

In every pregnancy, doctors always recommend pregnant mothers to keep a healthy weight and so some sort of activity, walking is always a great recommendation. It’s also possible nowadays to do more than just walking, workouts using light weights, medicine balls, yoga balls, TRX, yoga and even simply using your own body weight are all options pregnant mothers can try to maintain not only a healthy weight but also maintain body strength to carry their children. These different workout routines were experiments used by Haya, not only did she want to try them out herself, but also help motivate other mothers-to-be out there that it is possible to move and workout when they’re with a child. As she points on excessively, always check with your doctors first.

“As I was pregnant with my second child, I felt it was extremely difficult for me to workout during my first and second trimester, but I wanted to workout, I wanted motivation and I didn’t want to give up on myself. It was a learning process for me, I experimented and tested myself on how far I can go and I wanted to share my journey with everyone, so I created an Instagram page, named it “pregnant and fit” and went on from there. I did light boxing, TRX, jogged, walked, used my body weight and whatever you can think of all for the sake of maintaining a healthy body. Of course clean and healthy eating was a must, that doesn’t mean if I didn’t crave something I wouldn’t go for it, I understood limits and I kept them in check. As should all expecting mothers should,” said Haya.

Haya is a certified trainer taking courses in many different areas, she’s done her GEL focusing on human anatomy and muscle recovery, TRX, RIP, great workout tools that focus on body strength and she’s currently getting her Crossfit, nutrition and prenatal workout courses. All of which helped her throughout her pregnancy as well as post pregnancy. Being a mom of two didn’t stop her there, a child is a wonderful being in one’s life and great workout buddies too, interested? Simply check out her story feed on Instagram and see for yourself.

Old wives’ tale: Sit, relax, don’t workout, breast feed and eat your heart out for the baby. Truth: NO NO! It is very important to find your bearing after giving birth, it’s a confusing time for many and every baby is different from the other. It’s an exhausting experience to go through but it is no excuse to lay low, overeat and do nothing to get back in shape. Doctors usually recommend 6 weeks of rest post-delivery, and it’s important to take it slow.

“The phrase ‘it took you 9 months to gain it and should take you 9 months to lose it isn’t necessarily true, each body is different, each body reacts differently to any workout but one thing for sure is that it is important to not rush the process. There are no magical tricks to losing all the weight you’ve gained and it’s not easy to change back to your old pre-baby self but think of it as a fun challenge, a new you, trying out new fun ways to get back into shape. finding partners to help you get back into shape is very helpful, my trainers and especially my husband are the ones I have to thank most. He gets a special thank you since he’s my biggest fan, always supporting my work and pushes me to go forward, a blessing Alhamdulillah,” said Haya.

Husbands, take note please, join your wives and kids and create a healthy lifestyle to enjoy together, who knew working out could also mean family time? Haya emphasized that “nothing happens overnight” and working hard to reaching a realistic goal is the best option to go with. It’s so easy to lose yourself as you give in to the relaxing feeling you get while pregnant but the price of that “total relaxation” can be negative post-baby, so it’s very important to keep yourself driven, keep moving, eat healthy and stay focused. I for one learned that the hard way, I love you pizza but I’ll have you as ‘sometimes food’. Staying fit and motivated will not only help to keep up with your child, to run and play and enjoy the time you spend with them, but also with your peace of mind.

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