Exercising early pregnancy?

[Glawen]

Can you run/weight train/exercise at 3/4/5/6 weeks pregnant? I've read things online, some say yes and some say no so I'm feeling a bit lost and I don't want to increase any risks at this early stage

I'm pretty sure you can, but I didn't during my first trimester due to anxiety. However I was back lifting weights after that period

Pregnancy isn’t the time to start new strenuous things but you can carry on doing what you’ve always done in early pregnancy.

If you already do those things then the advice is generally that it’s fine to carry on and just listen to your body. I ran to 27 weeks this time and stopped when I started getting what felt like a stitch in my bump! But until then it felt just the same, I was careful not to really push it and if I was getting out of breath I walked for a bit. Weights - just really watch your form as you can hurt yourself because you have increased relaxin and obviously you’ll have a bump at some point which can alter how you hold a bar etc.

Swimming is great as well as the water supports your weight

I think the best rule of thumb is you can do whatever you did before you were pregnant (so whatever your body is used to doing). If you train at a gym or do classes etc you should speak to the coach/trainer and ask if any exercises should be modified.

You should be fine continuing with your normal levels of exercising until about 12 weeks (that's roughly when the expanding uterus starts to pop out of the pelvis 'bowl'

But

• you may get more tired more quickly
• you might get softening of ligaments (more common in later pregnancy, but can happen earlier)

So listen to your body, and be ready to scale back the intensity

Don't take up anything new, except pregnancy yoga, walking and perhaps swimming. And if you do, do it gently

Thank you all! That's really helpful. I've run and weight trainings regularly but I feel so nervous about doing it again so early in case I do any damage or cause risks x

Hey @Glawen congrats on your pregnancy!

I'm also early days and usually I run three times a week and do HIIT 2-3 times a week.

My doc said its OK to keep exercising if you normally exercise just don't do something new thats too strenuous.

So far I've kept my runs to two slow 5km and only managing 2HIIT sessions a week. I don't have the energy I normally have so taking it a bit easier.

I'm dreading morning sickness properly kicking in so want to stay active while I can. 😊

I was doing HIIT and running until week 7 when nausea/exhaustion wiped me out and I stopped and switched to walking, yoga, swimming. I barely did anything out of fear in my last pregnancy that ended in early MC and lasted as long as I could in this healthy one, 22 weeks and all fine x

Look after your pelvic floor if you’re doing weights.