Exercise in the first trimester

[NamechangeTTC]

Hello!

looking for some accountability and motivation to keep exercising in trimester 1 and beyond

pregnancy #1- had been injured and my activity was low. Too terrified to exercise. Did nothing except walks.

pregnancy #2 - 39 kg lighter than the start of pregnancy #1. Gym 2x per week (weights) then running 5-6 times a week. Hoping to be able to maintain gym and some running.

any others out there?

Hi! Firstly, congratulations on your second pregnancy!
I'm at 13 weeks in my second pregnancy. Similar to you in that with my first pregnancy I went to the gym sometimes and walked a lot, but this tapered off towards mid pregnancy when I felt too embarrassed in the gym.

This time around I have already learnt that the gym is not for me and have been running for the past few years. I'm much fitter than I've ever been and keen to not give this up. So far throughout the first trimester I've managed to keep up the running, albeit I'm already a bit slower and have made adjustments to do shorter routes. But I'm really hoping to aim for keeping a baseline running level throughout that I can then build back up post birth. I'm also trying to fit in home strength training (which is not my love.)

What are your go to sports/activities? Have you thought about little adjustments to keep everything attainable?

Sorry, answered part of my question already. Can I blame the "pregnancy brain" for not being able to remember that you gym and run?!

I'm past 1st trimester now at 26 weeks, but still exercising on the whole 4 times a week - one HIIT class, one spin class, a swim and a weights/uphill walk treadmill session (all exercises/effort adjusted depending what's on the class plan and how I'm feeling that day).
It's my first pregnancy so I can't say whether I feel any better than I might if I wasn't doing it, but have found it's been great to keep to a routine, and I'm feeling really good. I've gained minimal weight so far and currently not having any trouble with sore hips/back/PGP etc. Of course I could just be lucky and/or still have issues to come, but the thought that keeping active has possibly been a contributing factor has kept me motivated, and if I continue as I am I intend to keep going as close to birth as I can.

Well I had the aims of an ultra in spring but that feels like it might not be!

hoping to keep weightlifting and running with maybe some more flexibility to rest. Probably 5k to fit around work and a toddler!

did 14 miles at the weekend with running pram so pretty shattered.

I carried on going to the gym until I was 8 months pregnant but just took it easy. I stopped going because I looked ridiculous towards the end🤣

Which running pram do you have? Really keen to try one this time around!

@TheVeryHungryTortoise out n about nipper sport. Got it second and it’s brilliant. Such a workhorse of a pram and I wouldn’t be without it. Now coveting a double

Almost in my third trimester now.

I've been mostly sticking to my usual routine of gym 4/5 times a week. I've found it really helps to have a friend relying on you to keep them company!
Beside going to the gym, I'm definitely doing way less steps than before, and probably spending more time sat down.

I'm hoping to keep going to the gym just to move and also for the social aspect, and so I leave the house regularly. Exercising did feel so much better in the second trimester, I felt less exhausted overall and less need for a nap in the day etc.

That sounds great @Goldpanther

I am 28 weeks and have managed 4/5 times a week. Carrying on with what I did before, powerlifting but just less heavy. With a few extra accessory exercises to support hips and back etc.
Did start to get pelvic pain but been using the hip adductor machine more regular and that seems to of helped a lot

This was my biggest concern! I am currently only 4 weeks but all of my friends are telling me it’s too risky to train! I usually only do weight lifting and very light cardio 4x a week. Obviously I will not be hitting any PR/PB’s whilst pregnant but it is still safe for me to continue exercising right?

I mean Serena Williams won the Australian open whilst in her first trimester so if exercise is something your feeling well enough to do then crack on! Personally I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to exercise, I'm nauseous and exhausted at 7 weeks. I have done the odd bit of pilates but the sport I really enjoy is badminton and think that's a bit too high impact. Plus my usual badminton partner would wipe the floor with my right now!

Speaking as someone qualified, it is fine to exercise within reason ( you won't be hitting PBs and I would avoid certain exercises like hip thrusts especially as the pregnancy progresses). Watch your heart rate. Light cardio, pregnancy safe pilates and moderate weight training was my go to during pregnancy but I did this to a more intense level before. I wouldn't pick up weight training for example if I had never done it before during pregnancy. A lot of it is common sense, look for pregnancy safe core exercises.

I was training for triathlon before. I'm 22 weeks now. I stopped running early on because I was just so out of breath and nauseousand all my joints hurt. I've dropped down swimming a bit partly because my training session is late in the evening and I'm too tired. I'm certainly feeling my fitness drop alongside the breathlessness, and I'm slowly dropping down places in the swim pack. Doesn't help that pregnancy sports swimsuits don't seem to exist and the decathlon one I've got is like a bloody sail. I've picked up pregnancy pilates though with a physio though so hopefully I won't lose too much muscle.

I’m just over 24 weeks now. I used to exercise regularly before pregnancy but stopped im the first trimester, I was too nauseous and tired. We were on a hiking trip though so I walked around 20 km every day. I picked up my routine back in week 13 and I have been doing weights, Les Mills Shapes and Body Balance several times a week. I had to modify Shapes core part at some point because my upper abs have already separated and any type of front crunch was making it worse. I stopped running completely, but I can still exercise lying on my back without any problems and I can still use the same weights as pre-pregnancy. I plan to keep going as long as I feel up for it, I try to listen to my body and make changes accordingly.

Don’t think I’m aiming for that standard 😂

I’ve been weightlifting for a few months so hoping to continue that. Felt I couldn’t face normal deadlift last night so reduced the weight.

still hoping to keep running. May shelf the ultramarathon and have booked a 10k for 13w instead

My physio has told me categorically not to do any crunches or plank because it reduces the chance that your muscles will go back together after birth because they've been trained to work apart. I was also told to limit lying on back exercises pretty much up physio sessions only.

I think the difference in advice given to pregnant women makes it hard to know what you should/shouldn't do and women are more likely to stop exercising for fear of doing something wrong.

My prenatal physio on the other hand said I was fine to continue doing ab exercises, just to be alert for signs of coning/doming and then stop. And to continue doing stuff on my back and to stop if I started to feel faint/tingling sensations, but that would only be likely after 2 hours! I definitely don't exercise on my back for 2+ hours normally.

I think it comes back to everyone being individual with different levels of fitness/ability before pregnancy so giving advice that is appropriate for all women is difficult.

The latter depends on your pregnancy (this is going to be my third DC). It depends on how the baby is placed - with my first I could easily lie on my back till the end and never felt anything. With my second I would immediately feel dizzy and lightheaded, close to fainting when I was on my back.

It’s not some kind of magic, the baby can press on vena cava and restrict the blood flow back to the heart. You immediately know if you can still lie on your back or not, because the symptoms of vena cava compression are difficult to ignore.

Nice to read this thread. Second pregnancy here. Continued running 3 times a week (down from my usual 4) until 39 weeks with my first, and regular yoga. Finding it a bit harder second time in terms of energy levels but still running 3 times a week at the moment (24 weeks). I'm also still doing my weekly yoga class.

I had a reasonable diastasis recti last time which appeared early again this time so am having to be careful re. strain on abdominals. It's good to keep active though, I bounced back really quickly after birth last time and definitely think keeping exercising so long helped.

Hoping to keep going as long as poss this time too! I've got. 10k this weekend, will see how it goes!

I was weight lifting 3 times per week and doing cardio about twice (though still obese haha). But since I became pregnant, I have been absolutely exhausted and had to deal with a cold, so I haven't really done any exercise. Which is annoying as I was hitting my personal bests before.

I think I will have to start doing some regular walking to at least get some exercise in.

This is also what I heard, to be mindful of coning.
And it’s only the rectus abdominis that separates, it’s fine to exercise obliques and transverse abs.

I see huge positive difference compared to my previous pregnancy, especially the first. Before getting pregnant with my first I used to run 5 and 10K but hardly ever did any strength training. I had really bad lower back pain starting in the second trimester and could barely walk because of SPD and that was my mid 30s! I’m 46 now and I feel so much stronger in this pregnancy, my lower back doesn’t hurt and SPD doesn’t feel great but it’s not crippling me, I still walk everywhere.

My abdominals were already a riot from #1 and weight loss.

I felt the need to drop my deadlift weight this week but hoping to get it back. It feels a bit lazy at 5 weeks for me to be blaming that!

also trying to attempt running every day in December. Let’s see

It’s totally normal not to feel up for exercise in the first trimester, it’s the time when baby develops and differentiates all important organs and systems so there’s much more going on than later in pregnancy.