The rush of emotions! That positive test has you feeling all types of emotions from excited and happy to stressed and overwhelmed for what’s next. So what IS next? Everyone’s pregnancy journey is different and can present new obstacles so what is the “standard” for working out during your first trimester?
Fitness and pregnancy can feel complicated if not properly educated on what’s right or wrong. If you’re not sure, it’s always best to work with a professional from a Personal Trainer that specializes in pregnancy to a Pelvic Floor Physical therapist. Believe it or not, working out during your first trimester is actually considered one of the easiest trimesters to work out. Even though you may have that nausea or food aversion, your body hasn’t really started to physically change all that much so whatever fitness routine you were doing prior to pregnancy, you can continue. The only restrictions would be anything that’s considered “hot” like hot yoga to prevent overheating.
Working out during your first trimester should be focused around three things:
1. Consistently moving on a daily basis
2. Focusing on breathing
3. Maintaining a healthy pelvic floor
Even if you are simply going for a walk every day, moving your body during pregnancy will help with everything from preventing high blood pressure to promoting a healthy baby. Your workout routine can range from cardio and hiit to strength training. Whatever you decide, it’s just important to do it consistently because as your pregnancy journey continues, it may become more and more challenging to maintain and your intensity will decrease.
Focusing on breathing is important during pregnancy and especially if you are strength training. When we strength train, we typically hold our breath through big lifts or movements. Breathing through your movement and preventing early pressure on your pelvic floor will help with any later on pelvic pressure or pelvic injury. So an example is in a squat. As you are squatting down, you will breathe out and on the way up breathe in.
As your baby starts to grow and get bigger, it will put more pressure on your pelvic floor. Exercising with intention to movement and building strength while at the same time flexibility will help with preventing any complications later on in your pregnancy. Good ways of helping with pelvic floor health are prenatal yoga classes, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist, as well as being intentional with movement and focusing on form and technique.
Overall, working out while pregnant at any phase is about listening to your body and what feels right. And if you’re not sure, working with a professional that can properly guide you. Your body will feel challenged and your intensity will look different, but the most important part is just moving.