Exercise in the first trimester

[RMarieClaire]

Interested to know how much exercise you got or are getting? I am usually the kind of person who works out a lot. Either going to the gym or for a run 5 or 6 times a week.

However, I'm now 9 weeks pregnant and i either have no energy or I feel too sick and dizzy to do anything other than walk or sit down. It's making me feel really down as I want to try to keep my fitness up, but I'm knackered.

Anyone else feel like they can't do anything?

I feel the same although I have been carrying on with yoga which I do one night a week. I did stop breifly for 3 weeks from week 4-7 when I felt shocking. But yes sometimes even walking makes me feel rubbish. We’ve been buying more fruit and veg this week - as I’ve totally been off anything and hoping this will help with energy. I’m 10+3 today so hoping my energy will come back soon.

I was exactly the same. Pre-pregnancy I was running 4-5 times a week and walking 4ish miles a day. When I was 6-11 weeks pregnant I felt so tired that walking upstairs got me out of breath. I'm almost 24 weeks now and feeling much better (though still not running). I think it's pretty normal to feel horrendous in the first trimester, take it easy and don't be too hard on yourself. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm 6 weeks today and was trying to keep up with the gym the last couple of weeks (maintaining weights instead of increasing) but the exhaustion was making it very difficult, and now the sickness has hit me it seems impossible :( but I have a meeting with my trainer next week so I need to at least get to that. I can't stomach chicken or egg at the moment which are my usual protein sources.

I’m mostly not the exercise type, but these past few weeks I’ve felt pretty rubbish. I have had some fairly long walks (we’re talking 6 miles, say, around a city, very much at my own pace!), mostly 7-8 weeks (holiday - was the activity I could actually do), and that’s about it. Some days I haven’t even got dressed.

There’s a prenatal yoga class which takes people from 12 weeks. I’m 11+3 today, and generally starting to improve (says she who, on 3 occasions yesterday, just lay down until her husband brought her the correct food - yesterday was not a good example!), and my goal is to start yoga classes at 12+6, and gradually increase my exercise from then (yoga at home, more walking, giant inflatable ball, squats). If I don’t feel up to it, I’ll just wait until I do.

I think that the first trimester is a time for as much rest as you need. I’d recommend going for a very gentle walk if it feels like a good idea (the fresh air and change of scenery often help me), and just resting as much as you need to rest. You have time to exercise when you feel better.

Thanks all. Good to know I'm not alone. I actually managed a short run today - just 2.5 miles, a far cry from the marathon training I started the year with. But I now feel even more tired than before. Think I'm just going to ride out the next few weeks and pray weeks 12 onwards are better.

I'd love to get into yoga! Let me know how you get on @Spargle

Hi @RMarieClaire - former marathon runner here (only the one though heh!), smashed a half in 145 (good for me) earlier this year.... I am also now struggling to go beyond 4/5 miles in one go now....I find whilst my HR stays ok, I get much more out of breath now, not to mention the boob pain I’ve been doing pump to keep up my tone but this week my heart just hasn’t been in it as been feeling green think you just have to go for it when you can and accept that you will have off days / weeks. Good luck xxx

I did lot of weight training and running before falling pregnant and thought I’d keep it up no problem, but from about 6 weeks I felt knackered! Did a few hiit/pump classes (after a chat with my instructor) and felt quite light headed at times, so decided to stop. 12 weeks now and feeling a lot better so I’m going to give them another go. I’ve kept up with 5ks and felt more out of breath than normal but it’s been manageable. The advice I’ve been given is to do what you’re comfortable with! It’s frustrating seeing your fitness deteriorating (I’ve also go a lot of FOMO going on!) though isn’t it?!

I’ve really struggled with both of my pregnancies and I have to stay it killed my fitness. I started going to buggy bootcamps 8-10 weeks after giving birth (instrumental so couldn’t really do much before then) and it was so hard. I promised myself I’d be better with number 2 but this pregnancy I’ve basically done nothing other than waking.

From experience, I’d recommend thinking about how you’ll get exercise in once you have the baby. I accepted pregnancy was a time to take my foot off the peddle but found it harder psychologically to have to schedule it in post baby and arrange childcare. Buggy bootcamps worked for a while and were the easiest to fit in because they didn’t need childcare. But, my baby stopped tolerating them and would just scream so I had to stop. It then became a real luxury to get to the gym for a few hours at the weekend whereas pre-kids I’d think nothing of going 5-6 times a week and could do that without a care in the world.