Has anyone started exercising, from nothing, in second trimester?

[namechangemarch21]

Everything I have read about exercise in pregnancy says its fine to keep going if you were exercising before but not to start doing anything strenuous. Which is fine in theory. But before I got pregnant I was deep in lockdown and basically walked from downstairs to upstairs, had put on a stone in the last year, and am more unfit than I ever was. Then I developed HG, and went from vomiting everything to needing to constantly eat toast (after medication). So... I'm slowly starting to feel better, and wondering how to build up exercise.

I'd love to do a workout video, or start running: I'd like to swim but where I am pools aren't open. But I don't want to do anything 'bad.'

So - has anyone started a pregnancy exercise regime from scratch? What did you do, and could any of it be done from home?

Hi!!

This sounds just like me....

I found a few pregnancy workouts on YouTube, low impact. I think I am going to start fitting them in to my routine each morning before work, along with some more sensible eating.
Let's start together! I think I'll go with a Monday start

Hi! I’m the complete same as you, lockdown wasn’t kind to me and I knew if I stayed as unfit as I was 3 months ago I’d find labour even more physically demanding than it usually is. I’ve bought an exercise bike and cycle for 30-45 mins each evening! I’m not trying to lose weight per se, just trying to get my body a bit healthier so that I’m in a better position to A) push a baby out! B) hopefully bounce back a little quicker post partum and C) not find getting around with a big bump too tricky. I’ve found the cycling really easy to do, just pop on the telly and 45 mins has gone before you know it! You can get some reasonably priced ones at Argos (I have an Argos card so am paying back £50 a month which is a lot easier than forking it out in one go)

This is me too! I started with a personal trainer to counter the lockdown lifestyle two weeks before I found out I was pregnant and the hyperemesis hit forcing me to stop. Multiple hospitalisations and the threat of a feeding tube later I've only just got back to a healthy weight!

I've started by building up to doing longer and longer walks. I think the key is that provided you can hold a conversation whilst exercising you won't be overdoing it! I'm going to start doing some gentle stretching and resistance based exercises but hold off the cardio until after baby is here. If I'm feeling brave I'll do some PT sessions again but don't want the HG to reoccur because I've overdone it!

Personally Something like running I certainly wouldn't take up from scratch in the second trimester. You'd be better off perhaps with some pregnancy yoga or even setting yourself a goal of 10,000 steps a day

Hey, I'm in a similar position to you. Last year I was running 3 days a week during lockdown. I then had my gallbladder removed in December so didn't run for a month after, then I fell pregnant. I spoke to my midwife and she said not to take up running again until after the baby is born. Instead go for long walks or swimming etc. I can't see any harm in low impact workouts though, but nothing to strenuous like HIIT workouts. If in doubt, have a word with your midwife ☺️ xx

Yes I have, my advice is to start very gently. It helped me to think about it differently - exercising for movements sake rather than getting sweaty and out of breath. I started out walking and then added in some YouTube workouts - I found looking for videos aimed at 2nd and 3rd trimester and about 20-30 minutes long are very manageable. I wouldn't start running as it's quite high impact on your joints, maybe save that for afterwards. Hopefully pools will be open near you soon, I've just started swimming again and it's been very nice with the bump.

I had been going to the gym and losing weight before I (unexpectedly) fell pregnant. I pretty much stopped any and all exercise immediately, partly because I felt like crap for the first few weeks but also the gyms shut again and it was winter. Got to my second trimester and suddenly realised how unfit I’d gotten from being pretty much sedentary for months. I tried some pregnancy yoga, but really struggled with it. I was managing some decent walks, but then developed PGP at the end of my second trimester. I’m 35 weeks now, can barely walk to the shops and have just accepted it, really. I’m going to attempt some swimming over the next few weeks, but I just feel so sore 95% of the time it’s not worth putting my body through the extra strain of exercise right now. If I could go back, I’d have tried to do a bit more before the PGP kicked in! Feel like I’m in the worst shape of my life leading up to the biggest workout of my life - labour. 😂

Hello! This was me. I was doing couch to 5k over the summer then when it got to autumn I stopped going for jogs then I got pregnant. First trimester was just awful but during the second trimester I started doing some low impact pregnancy exercise/ pilates videos on you tube and also got a subscription to an app called results wellness lifestyle which has specific prenatal exercise videos. I love the RWL app because loads of the videos are quite gentle and you can go at your own pace. You can get a 14 day free trial.

I have just started swimming too but am 34 weeks now and just feel so much worse than I did a few weeks ago so have only gone for one swim session this week. Am hoping to get a quick workout in this eve if I can be bothered lol

Start out with walking, easy to do.
Yoga can be good, plenty of free videos on YouTube.

We have our own gym set up at home, I went from doing barely anything and being pretty broken physically after huge twins to powerlifting a good amount of weight. You start out slow and build it up, works for any exercise. Listen to your body, it will let you know if you're doing too much.

I am still training despite spd/pgp worsening too, it's been more manageable this time than my last 3 pregnancies. I do need a nanna nap after a session these days though lol.

I did in my last pregnancy, although not as ambitiously as you! My sights were set very low! My recommendation is to do YouTube pregnancy exercise videos at home to start off with.

Videos aimed at pregnant women will avoid any exercises which will strain your abs, for example - especially if you can find a trimester specific one. You can also tailor it to how you feel - slow down, skip reps, etc.

If you are doing a video at home, you can stop immediately if you don't feel good. If you're not sure of your fitness level, this is really important. Instant access to a nice sit down, a cool drink and a warm shower. I found I could go from feeling fine to feeling awful REALLY fast, and I would have hated to be dealing with that anywhere other than my own sitting room.

Once you've done a few weeks, you'll have a better idea of the intensity you can cope with and how much stamina you have, and can start planning other exercise. I found I had to stick to really low intensity exercises the whole time I was pregnant, but that I had a surprising amount of stamina. So I could keep up a moderate walking pace for a long time, but a brisk walk absolutely killed me within a few minutes.

I have wondered about this too. I'm confused by it!

I am a bit hit and miss with exercise, gym a couple of times a week, normally but not always including a short run on the treadmill. Does this mean I'd be allowed to continue running on the treadmill? Do I count as a runner that's allowed to continue??

Basically, how often do you need to be already doing something to be able to continue? Or is it a case of if you've done it enough to be familiar with your limits/footing then it's ok?

Hi OP, I'm in a similar position to you. I actually was going a women's health strength based fitness programme when I fell pregnant, I knew I was highly likely to get HG again this time so wanted to be in better shape before it hit. I'm glad I did, although I've just spent the last few months totally sedentary and frail with HG. So I am eager to get more active again now (18 weeks) but I obviously can't jump back into fitness I was doing months ago given the condition HG has left me in plus the ongoing symptoms of it itself which are worsened by fatigue. All I have managed so far is some short slow walks a few times a week as well as a few 10/15 min pregnancy yoga/stretching videos from YouTube each week. I noticed how I'd even lost flexibility just over the last few months. I think we have to be realistic about how much we can achieve after HG, it puts you totally on the back foot. Having said that, I really didn't make enough effort first time around and apart from quite a lot of walking I didn't do any other exercise and really regret it. I had a very long, exhausting labour which ended in an instrumental delivery and permanent damage to my pelvic floor (thankfully now asymptomatic) and I also was basically totally inactive apart from walking for many many months after my DC was born too, I just didn't prioritise it and I regret it.