When you first become pregnant, you may be wondering what direction your exercise routine should take. Is it still safe or recommended to exercise in the early stages of pregnancy? What are the best exercises for the first trimester? What modifications, if any, do you need to make?
Due to the confusion and misinformation, we wanted to provide you with simple first trimester exercise guidelines so you can feel confident and safe while benefiting you and your little one(s).
Read on to find out:
- General guidelines for exercise in the first trimester
- Basic physical changes that occur and effects on physical activity
- The best training strategies and exercises for the first trimester
- Additional resources for creating a first trimester workout plan
General guidelines for exercise during the first trimester
First, it is important to know that regular exercise during pregnancy is not alone safe but incredibly beneficial for your health — and the health of your growing baby. To see how important the research-backed benefits of prenatal exercise are, read on The amazing benefits of prenatal exercise and How prenatal exercise benefits your baby.
Because of how important the benefits of prenatal exercise are, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — the official medical body that provides exercise guidance for pregnancy and postpartum — encourages those with uncomplicated pregnancies to “Engage in aerobic and strength training before, during and after pregnancy.” ACOG also recommends getting at least 20-30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day most, if not all, days of the week during pregnancy (ACOG 2020). This applies to those who exercise regularly and those who may not have been active before pregnancy.
If you participated in an exercise program before pregnancy, you can continue with it the same intensity you are used to unless on medical advice to the contrary (ie IVF, high-risk pregnancy). Moreover, you can continue with basic exercises that are comfortable for youincluding crunches, leg raises, and bicycles, as modifications aren’t necessary until the second trimester (or when you have a moderate belly). Finally, if you’re just starting out, you can start at a low to moderate intensity and slowly work your way up as comfortable as possible.
Always keep this in mind you is the expert on your body and therefore adopt the following recommendations based on your comfort level and adapt the guidance to how you feel on a given day. There are a lot of fluctuations in mood and energy level during the first trimester, so do what’s best for you.
Key Physical Changes & Implications for Physical Activity
During the first trimester there can be a wide variety of physical changes. Some people start gaining weight right away while others may not gain weight at all. In addition, some may lose weight due to nausea and vomiting. Many experience fatigue, which can limit the energy available for exercise, while others may feel perfectly normal and can continue with regular activities.
If you feel well and want to continue your training, the only general modification would be to avoid exercising in high heat or humidity. In the early stages of fetal development, you want to stay in more temperate environments, which can be helped by focusing on hydration and wearing breathable clothing. Avoid hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, and even hot yoga.
BOTTOM LINE: Allow your body to get what it needs — sleep, eat, exercise, rest — and ride the waves as best you can. The good news is that these symptoms usually disappear after the first trimester.
Best First Trimester Workout Strategies & Exercises
Whether you are well-trained or new to exercise, you want to make sure you incorporate the following strategies because they will even more important as weight gain and other physiological changes increase during pregnancy.
1. Enter “Neutral Alignment”
This idea may not seem like the sexiest topic when it comes to prenatal exercise, but it is one of the more critical — especially when it comes to protecting your body from the aches, pains and injuries that can come with the normal pregnancy changes that lie ahead. The first trimester is the perfect time to form neutral alignment while your body is still able to move with ease. Learn how to Enter Neutral now so your body is ready to handle the increased stresses that will come later in pregnancy.
2. Master the #1 Most Effective Core Exercise
Once you get your body in neutral alignment, optimizing deep core function is the the most important thing to focus on. Developing a strong, well-functioning core helps you mitigate aches and pains, enables you to push more efficiently, and even improves your overall health – and the health of your growing baby. Start with mastering 360° Breathing. We refer to it as the #1 most effective core exercise because of the systemic impact it has on every system in your body. Every exercise we teach incorporates 360° breathing as a foundation, so it’s important to master this movement first. Click here to Learn 360° Breathing and how to incorporate it into your movements (in and out of the gym).
3. Prepare your pelvic floor
Because of it critical The role the pelvic floor muscles play during pregnancy and labor is important to do targeted work on them to 1) develop the strength to withstand the stresses of pregnancy, 2) the ability to lengthen to help the baby to come out during labor. Learn how to achieve this through specific exercises referred to as Pelvic floor activations (PFAs).
4. Prioritize strength training
While physical activity, in general, is beneficial, strength training is one of many best forms of physical activity you can do (for you and your little one); It goes without saying that pregnancy and childbirth place very specific and high stress demands from your body. Strength training is key to preparing your body to successfully handle these stresses so you can continue to move with energy and ease throughout your pregnancy and be prepared for 24/7 (very physical) demands of parenthood. Of course, we realize there are many questions when it comes to strength training – including what the guidelines are, what exercises are safe and beneficial, and what to avoid. So, we put together a comprehensive Gguide to strength training during pregnancy to answer all these questions and more.
5. Start Practicing Parenting “ADLs”
When it comes to exercise during pregnancy, we often forget about preparing for her physically demanding tasks new fatherhood. Think of all the squatting, bending, lifting, lifting and lowering off the ground, pushing, pulling and carrying (and carrying, and carrying…) that new parents do. Then think about having to do all of these things while you’re exhausted and recovering from childbirth (then later with a heavier toddler). Start now to prepare your body for it Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) what will you do continuously as a new parent. The more you practice these patterns now, the easier it will be to perform them postpartum with minimal stress on your body. This translates into less aches and pains and faster recovery.
Get a safe and effective first (and second and third) workout plan
Understanding the exercises and training strategies to do is one thing, but figuring out how to structure your workouts—and evolve them as your pregnancy progresses—is another. We’ve done all the work for you with our self-guided guide Prenatal training programs. Simply choose the program that’s right for you based on how far along you are in your pregnancy, and the app will guide you through a complete training program (with three full-body workouts per week) for the duration of your pregnancy. The workouts are focused on strength to prepare your body to successfully handle future stresses, but you’ll make it cardio with our property LIIT™ (Work Intensity Interval Training) to help prepare you physically and mentally for the demands of Work Stage 1.
Are you a health and fitness professional?
Are you a health and fitness professional interested in training pregnant and postpartum clients? Us Pre-Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification gives you step-by-step instructions for program design — with planning templates, sample workouts, and a library of video exercises to help you do it easy to design safe and effective programs for pregnant and postpartum clients of all stages and fitness levels.
Alternatively, if you’re a group fitness instructor just interested in learning how to safely and effectively support the pre- and postnatal members who attend your classes, check out our short (but powerful) course: Pre/Postnatal Education for Group fitness instructors.
