How much exercise could you manage in first trimester -- and after?

[edeluna]

I'm not a super sporty person by any means, but I usually go to my gym twice a week, yoga once a week and do lots of walking in between. I've been so tired and often nauseated over the past six weeks, though, that I'm lucky if I make it to the gym once a week.

I'm really hoping to get back into a regular routine after I hit twelve weeks or so and hormones start to settle down. How has everyone else been managing on the exercise front? Has anyone adopted an exercise routine designed specifically for early (or general) pregnancy that they'd recommend?

I did nothing for the first 14 weeks as I felt awful! I'm 28 weeks now and do aqua natal twice a week, which is not exactly strenuous but better than nothing. I also manage to fit in the odd mile and a half walk but by the end of it all my ligaments (in stomach) are killing me.

I'd say just do what you feel you can. There's a girl at my aqua natal class who is continuing all her gym classes but with lighter weights and then there's people like me who have to drag themselves off the sofa! Just listen to your body, get plenty of rest and don't exercise if you don't feel like it.

I was too exhausted to do anything in the first 13 weeks. Now I am swimming 20 lengths about 3 x a week. I never used to see the point of swimming, it didn't feel like exercise, but I am so unfit now that it certainly does! I am just hoping I can maintain some level of fitness, even if it is much lower than pre-pregnancy.

I did pretty much the same as normal - just a bit less stenuous after the 16th week. Was doigna circuit class until 37 weeks!

I have to say I think it helps with ms.

Saying that it's a good excuse to take a test if you want to!

with my first pregnancy i felt far too terrible for the first 16 weeks to do anything - it was survival, that's all. then i hired a personal trainer who specialises in antenatal exercise. it was expensive (i'd never had one before) but i think it was worth the money as i didn't have any of the aches and pains many people get and was very well right through until giving birth. i also did a fair amount of walking and even a bit of cycling.
with this pregnancy i've done very little as i have had four miscarriages. this is our miracle pregnancy and i am super paranoid and doing nothing that might risk it. i've been walking a few miles at weekends and trying to 'keep moving' but that's it. if our 21 week scan is good then i might see if i can get the personal trainer back again, even though the thought of it makes me groan inwardly.
i've always been proud of my fitness and don't want to let everything slide, if possible.

I think it depends on what you are used to doing pre-pregnancy.

I have always been a total gym bunny and was able to continue with my usual aerobic and step classes upto about 7 months both times - I gradually dropped the high impact stuff during my pregnancies until I was not doing any by the end.

With my first pg, I didn't do anything for the first 12-13 weeks as the exhaustion was so bad plus I was bleeding on and off. Listen to your body and do what you feel you can

Didn't help my weight though as I just ate and ate aswell - ended up 4 stone heavier once DS2 was born (put 2 stone on with each pg )

Really couldn't do anything for first few months with any of my pregnancies - just so sick and tired.

I am hoping that I will feel a bit more up to some excercise this time and plan to get in the pool once the older children are back at school.

I fear this time round it is force myself or end up the size of a house!

I continued to swim through both of my pregnancies. I was fairly active before- gym/yoga/swimming- and so continued exercising up until a few days before i gave birth on both occasions. In addition to swimming I also did some pregnancy yoga, including a home based program. I think it really helped me to be in good shape mentally and physically before giving birth but that's just me. I think what is important is to listen to your body and rest when and as much as you need to.

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This is an early April Fools thread right?

I carried on with belly dancing up to about 28/29 weeks. We had a performance back in March and the prep for that made me keep up with it through the nausea stage which I felt was good for me. Still have a little gentle shimmy at home sometimes. Apart from that just walking, swimming and running around after a toddler was enough activity for me.

In my first pregnancy I did nothing up to about 17 weeks as I felt so ill. Started aquafit then later aquanatal and swam at least twice a week. Second time around I had to fit around toddler so just made it to the pool when I could.

That would be NONE.

I used to go to my lovely gym and as soon as I got pregnant (even before I knew) was unable to exercise. It's like I can't get the oxygen in: even climbing a flight of stairs makes me feel winded.

It's really annoying, as I have to compensate by being mindlessly healthy with food whenever I can.

I will try pregnancy yoga if midwife can recommend somewhere good but tbh, exercise not my first priority at the mo. Not overweight, not eating badly, see no reason to worry.

I was doing quite a lot of exercise before i found out i was pregnant with nos 3. I would run 2 a week and work out with a friend and a trainer 2 a week and play tennis once a week. I only managed to go running once after i found out i was pregnant, and then i stopped as i found it absolutely exhausted me. I continued working out once a week with a trainer, and playing tennis once a week until i was about 30 weeks. Stopped that now (am 36 weeks) and just walk the dog as often as i can and maybe fit in a swim at the local leisure centre if possible. It's not that i feel too tired to do anything, but i have DS1 and DS2 on summer hols at the moment so have to entertain them! congrats on your pregnancy!

I was exercising 5 x a week before I got pregnant an done of the early signs was total exhaustion. No way could I have exercised, I used to want to lie on the loo floor at work and shut my eyes.

Am 24 weeks now and I do a pregnancy cardio DVD once a week, and pregnancy yoga DVD twice a week, and every day I walk for min 15 minutes, twice a day, at weekends it's much more.

I'd like to do more but work and getting to work goes on from 8am - 7pm. By th etime I have eaten in the evening it's 9pm and there's no time for exercise as I'm ready for bed by 10pm. I am hoping to leave work at 33 weeks and start mat leave and go gentle yoga, swim or walk every single day. Don't laugh.

I continued with my boxing class (with pads and gloves) till 25 weeks, and replaced my gym workout with swimming as soon as I found out I was pregnant, just as I have no self control and workout till I drop, so decided swimming was safer.

Swimming is brilliant..... I actually prefer being in a pool to out of one at this stage in pregnancy...
Just done 30 lengths and being induced tomorrow....

I have continued going to the gym throughout pregnancy but I was very fit before hand. I have just stopped running and instead go on the bike and cross-trainer, stepper and lift weights. I used to run 5-6 times a week though so my routine is more low-key now. I have found it has kept me sane and means I don't get too exhausted. I am using feeling pretty tired when I start but by the time I finish I feel much better.

I am 29 weeks. Who knows how long I will be able to keep going but I am determined to do so until my body tells me otherwise....

I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 8 weeks and had been going to the gym as normal 2-3 times per week. Didn't have any sickness and not much tiredness so carried on. By about 28 weeks I was down to one yoga class per week. I could manage more but like doing classes and the lower impact ones are always when I'm at work. I'm 35+4 and can see myself just carrying on with yoga once a week.
I think it all depends on how you feel, I have some days where I can't do as much and some days where I feel great.
I was recommended to do swimming, yoga and walking. You could try and find any antenatal classes near you.

I too exercised in early pregnancy both times (gym bunny pre-pregnancies) but dropped the running as found it too exhausting. Continued with body combat, body pump, boxing work (pads only), pilates and gym sessions though until around 8 months. As an earlier poster said, do what feels right for you and your body - if you're too tired, give the gym a miss and rest; if you're feeling too hot and bothered, stop what you're doing and rest - and drink lots of water while exercising.

I carried on but just eased up on the intensity. Had been training and competing in ski marathons before I knew I was pregnant so I finished off the season with a half marathon which actually felt quite easy. Then switched back to my summer activities of rowing, running, swimming and cycling, but no high intensity intervals for any of them. Bump started getting uncomfortable for rowing and the racing bike at about 5 months even though it wasn't that big and I ran up to 26 weeks, but I've just been on holiday and haven't run for three weeks and I'm thinking of stopping as the pool is more comfortable and my bump seems to have just had a growth spurt.

I do think that I've been incredibly lucky though - morning sickness actually felt better if I did some sport and I didn't get the debilitating tiredness that most people get during the first trimester.

First 3 months, ugh, just so so tired. Was going to bed at 8pm and having a sleep in the loo at the office during the day too!

After that was swimming regularly though and not exactly powering up and down, but felt good.

Oooooh swimming is so good once you're the size of a whale as it's the only time you feel lovely and light. Heartbreaking once you haul yourself out and realise your true lumbering nature. I also cycled 50km a week until I was seven months. But that was my commute to work - I wouldn't recommend starting cycling when preggers. However I had SPD and eventually found cycling much easier than walking.