Exercise in the 1st trimester
2 min read
There is a lot of information out there about exercising during pregnancy which can lead women to feel confused about whether they should be exercising during pregnancy. The short answer is, YES, you can keep exercising during pregnancy.
If you are used to regular exercise, then you can completely carry on with your training regime, but it is important that you ‘adapt’ it around how you are feeling and keep in mind these points:
Talk Test – Can I talk comfortably and answer in a sentence? If you can’t, slow that pace down or take a longer rest.
Feeling the heat – Sweating is fine, but do I feel like I am overheating?
Know the limit – Do not exceed a 7/10 effort level. Whilst this can be really hard for some athletes, keeping your baby and yourself safe is really important.
Heartrate Pumping – Does my heart rate return to normal levels during rest?
If you are not a regular gym-goer or have a medical condition, it is likely you can still take up exercise but make sure you have a medical evaluation before starting and begin with something gentle. Exercise can actually help improve pregnancy aches and pains, so keeping the body moving in some way is really worth it.
Things to think about when training:
Clothing - Wear comfortable clothes and proper shoes (we want to avoid falling!)
Hydration – Drink plenty of water during your training, this will help prevent you from overheating.
Falling - Whilst during the 1st trimester the baby is more protected internally, it is worth considering removing exercises with an increased risk of falling (box jumps, HSW, rope climbs) and replacing them with appropriate alternatives.
Rest – Your body is very busy growing a human and some people find the 1st trimester very challenging, do not beat yourself up about this. Listen to your body and if you are not feeling up to it, take the rest day.
What’s going on in my body in the 1st trimester and how does this affect exercise?
Increase resting heart rate – This can increase by 10-15 beats per minute more than your pre-pregnancy resting heart rate. Which is why considering ‘RPE’ (rate of perceived exertion) or the ‘talk test’ is a good way of monitoring exercise intensity rather than heart rate alone.
Blood Volume – This increases by 40-50% during pregnancy which increases the cardiac output by around 30-40%. These changes can lead to you getting out of breath much more easily and again, where the ‘talk test’ and managing RPE come in very handy.
Positioning & Breathing – 2nd Trimester you should stop exercising in the supine position (lying on your back) but during 1st Trimester there are not too many physical adjustments needed. It is worth getting familiar with diaphragmatic breathing as this will be crucial as your pregnancy progresses and in postpartum.
Posture – As pregnancy progresses, your posture will be under additional strain. Slowing down in workouts and reducing RPE to a 7/10 offers a great opportunity to focus on how you are moving and ensuring you are bedding in good positions and posture which will help keep your body feeling good throughout pregnancy and in a better position postnatally.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out!
