Working Out in the First Trimester
Sara French
August 23, 2024
So you’re in your first trimester of pregnancy. You might be feeling all of the symptoms by now or having no symptoms at all! Either way, you probably have some questions about exercising now that you are pregnant. The research is heavily supportive of exercising during pregnancy. If you are new to exercising, however, there are some guidelines and points to consider before you jump right in.
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, or ACOG, there is nothing wrong with beginning an exercise program during pregnancy, especially if you were inactive before getting pregnant. If you are having a healthy pregnancy and cleared by your doctor, it can only benefit you and your baby to begin exercising as soon as you can! There is a strong correlation between healthy mothers and healthy babies. ACOG recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity planned activity per week for the average pregnant woman. Simply put, the benefits of exercising during pregnancy outweigh the risks for the general population. Establishing healthy habits during pregnancy has been shown to have lasting benefits for both the mother and her baby even after the baby is born. Some benefits of exercising during pregnancy include, but are not limited to:
- Establishing a healthy mindset going into labor and postpartum. Think about all of those happy hormones that are released during exercise!
- Reducing constipation
- Easing back pain, pelvis pain, and tailbone pain
- May decrease risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes
- Promoting healthy weight gain during pregnancy
- May help with healthy weight loss in the postpartum period
- Preparing your body for labor, and may even help to shorten labor
- Improving overall fitness
Contraindications to Exercising During Pregnancy
Every pregnancy looks different for pretty much every woman. Not all experiences are the same, and some women have to be extremely careful with movement during pregnancy. There are several conditions that make it difficult, or even unsafe, to exercise during pregnancy. Indeed, some contraindications to exercising while pregnant include, but are not limited to:
- Placenta previa
- Preeclampsia
- Persistent bleeding
- Premature labor
- Ruptured membranes
Additionally, if you have been cleared to exercise during pregnancy, but experience any of the following, stop immediately and contact your doctor:
- Bleeding or amniotic fluid leakage
- Dizziness or shortness of breath
- Calf pain or unusual swelling
- Heart palpitations or chest pain
These are all unlikely scenarios, but it is good to know what to look out for.
Powering Through Fatigue
One of the most common symptoms during the first trimester is fatigue. When I was in my first trimester, it felt like I was physically and mentally wading through fog every day. I had very little energy to perform the most basic of tasks, and that weighed me down. If this has been your experience during the first trimester, you can still find ways to be active without overdoing it. It is important to give yourself grace during this period as well. Remember that it is temporary, and you will likely see improvements in energy in the second trimester. My top tip for powering through first trimester fatigue is this: start with your warm up, and determine how you feel afterward. Warmups should be at least ten minutes long and should consist of gentle movement. I found two outcome possibilities that worked for me when I tried this method:
- I discovered that I had enough energy to continue on to my workout once the warm up was completed. Indeed, I always felt better mentally and physically when I completed the workout.
- Sometimes the warm up was all I could handle. In this scenario, I either continued performing mobility exercises for a little while longer, or I replaced my workout with a gentle walk. Mobility and walking was my bread and butter during the first trimester. And I felt so much better afterward!
You will notice that I felt better both physically and mentally no matter which scenario played out. Motion is lotion no matter how you look at it! It also helped to think about my “why.” On the days when motivation was lacking and fatigue was taking over, I remembered why I exercise. My “why” might look different than yours, and that is okay! Just give yourself grace and remember why you are doing this. You got this, mama!
Sources
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy