ALWAYS… LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Excising during your 1st trimester is extremely beneficial for both mom and baby – but there are some important things I want you to be aware of too!
During the first trimester of pregnancy one of the hardest adjustments is the dreaded “morning sickness,” which, due to hormonal changes in your body, usually starts between weeks 4-8 of gestation. Morning sickness can be misleading, just because it’s called “morning” sickness doesn’t mean you only experience it in the morning. You may be lucky enough & have no symptoms at all, or only have morning sickness in the morning– or you may be just plain miserable and feel sick & vomit all day. However if that is you, just remember that by 9 months (well actually, 10) you will have a cute bundle of joy in your arms. In general your sickness should be gone by 14-16 weeks, however some experience morning sickness their entire pregnancy. Even if you feel too sick to exercise during your 1st trimester don’t think it’s too late! Get moving and join me with my prenatal membership once in your second trimester once you are feeling better again.
Exercise & your first trimester:
If you have been an avid or regular exerciser prior to becoming pregnant you may continue exercising the same as before. However, you will probably need to decrease your intensity & time. Remember you aren’t exercising to lose weight. You are exercising to stay healthy, maintain your muscle mass, & prepare your body for a healthy & fast labor (no guarantees, but it definitely increases your chances).
Never exercised a day in your life, or haven’t for a long time? No worries. This is not the time for you to go out and learn a new sport, but a great time to get walking, possibly biking, try pilates, yoga, or lifting light weights to keep the muscle mass you currently have. You will need your strength for labor & delivery as well as after your little one arrives.
I highly recommend finding a trainer who is knowledgable about prenatal fitness. I personally love pilates during pregnancy. I had great results with both of my pregnancies & I did pilates along with walking & biking during both. Pilates is great for teaching you how to recruit & strengthen your deep pelvic floor & core muscles you need for labor, delivery & recovery. Of course this includes the Knocked-Up Fitness and Wellness Prenatal Membership!
You will find exercises that can help strengthen your body to prepare you for delivery & life as a mom! Not to mention the exercises are very functional, designed to help you feel good & give you more energy (yes working out really can give you more energy, even though it may seem hard to get started). For that reason many workouts are short, all less than 30 minutes. Plus the bonus section where I’ll teach you about those deep core muscles (your pelvic floor & transverse abdominals), with images to help 🙂
*Check with your Doc to make sure you are cleared to exercise during your pregnancy*
(You may go through a period where you need to take it easy but after a few days or weeks you can get moving again)
Tips:
- Aim for 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise everyday (yes, walking counts).
- Aim for at least 3 hours/week of cardio to maximize benefits
- Aim for strength resistance exercise 2-4 times/week. (Lightweight exercises, pilates, & yoga count)
- Stay hydrated. Always carry a bottle of water, preferably not plastic. (If you are thirsty you are dehydrated)
- Wear layers so you can easily remove outer ones when you get warm
- Don’t exercise outside in hot humid temperatures or indoors for that matter either (If its hot inside)
- Wear good supportive tennis shoes
- Remember, your body is changing so your balance may not be as good, just be aware.
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