Exercising during 1st trimester??

[tripleblessed]

I probably sound silly asking...since I know it's good to exercise while pregnant...but what about during the 1st trimester. I'm just super paranoid of m/c again...so I hadn't...but went today for the 1st time in a while (i'm 6 weeks)..and I feel okay but had some mild cramping/sharp pains while there...I don't know...is it worth it...it just seems like your "jiggling/shaking" the baby around while exercising?? no??

Karen

[Pyxi]

My OB told me it's ok to exercise the same as I had been all along. For me that meant brisk walking for about 30 mins 3-4 times a week. Now that I'm almost to the end, I took out the 'brisk' and increased the number of days, but I have read that keeping to your routine is okay.

What sort of exercising are you doing? That might help others to know how to reply. I would imagine jogging/aerobics would probably not be good since there is a lot of bouncing and jarring involved, but treadmill or elliptical would be better since the movements are smoother.

[Vicitoria]

Go with what is comfortable. At 6 weeks I felt the same and took a few weeks off from working out. I'm back to curves 3 times a week and doing a dvd 2-3 times a week. I feel better but still get tired and have to stop. Do what feels comfortable to you.

[shandy]

I work out everyday and have had no problems with either of my pg's. I run 3x/week and lift weights, etc. I think that the most important thing is to listen to your body!! If it feels good, keep doing it, but if not, stop! Your body will tell you what is right!!!

[meghandmama]

how about sit ups??? can we still do those??? i'm only 8 wx pg so far...or can i do sit ups the whole time, if we can do them, that is? not that we feel like exercising! especially in 1st trimester...blah! :( tia!

[ready4myjoy]

I had 2 m/c before this pregnancy and was also scared about working out (I used to work out quite frequently). My OB said that it was ok, but to also listen to my body. I worked out a couple of times, but I would cramp pretty bad so I decided to quit. I started excercising again at 12 weeks and I feel great now! I would wait a while. . . just for your mental and physical health.

[HeatherB]

I actually started working out at not quite 6 weeks with this pgcy, with the advice of my MW. The first trimester wasn't too bad (stay WELL hydrated), but I've had to slow it down in the second now. I'm not sure how much is that I've missed a few workouts now or if it's the change in the toll the baby takes on my heart, but my heart isn't reacting quite as well now to the workouts. I have a heartrate monitor and HIGHLY recommend that for working out while pg, so you always know that you're in an appropriate workout zone for you and the baby.

But I definitely feel better now and am getting myself in better shape for this pregnancy, labor, and birth!

[cherubess]

I was advised that it was okay to exercise but not to get overheated.

In my first pregnancy I was also told to stop doing sit ups by 4 months.

[PPK]

I always worked out and ran 3-4x/week in addition to dancing, yoga and fencing. But, I slowed down alot right before finding out I was preg (at 6 weeks) and shortly after that felt cramping when I worked out, so I stopped..then I got morning sickness and very tired.. so I stopped until about the 2 1/2 month.

I do feel that stopping my activity in the beginning was a good thing.. I didn't have much body fat and personally felt like the baby needed time to 'attatch', and get off to a good strong start. I didn't feel that it was safe for the baby to go on through the strong cramping. Even long walks were giving me cramps.

I felt pretty good in my 3rd month with about a 40% of my normal workout routine and even started to jog again. I'm in my 6th month now and still jog(well..shuffle) once or twice or do elliptical machine and maybe 60% of my reps of my old weight routine (I don't lift as much weight as I used to though, I DO feel a strain in my lower abdomen if I do too much weight). I still get more tired than I used to, and stop whenever I think my heart rate is too high/for too long, or too hot (Houston is already getting hot!).

Also, another thing I had to learn, if you are having to adjust your routine at some point and decide to try new machines ( I know I just couldn't use certain ones anymore) always start with little or no weight, just until you get the feel for the mechanics of the machine, or exercise-even if its one that you just haven't used in a while. Sounds obvious, but it wasn't something I thought of until after I strained a bit one day.

If you don't feel comfortable now, just wait. My energy picked up alot more in the beginning of the second trimester, and always listen to your body. And I know how hard it is (mentally and physically)to go from being active, to having to take it slower. But just be patient and listen to your body.

At worst, if you aren't feeling comfortable during your pregnancy to do much, just know that time does seem to go quickly and you'll be back to your pre-pregnancy body and energy soon enough. And again, I'm glad I took it easy in the first trimester..Good luck, Jen

[jdejong]

I don't do much exercise but walking, but I will chime in with something I noticed... I was skiing for a week in December, before I even knew I was pregnant (although I took the test the night we got home:o) , and I felt fine, if not a little mroe tired, but then we went skiing again in February, when I was about 11 weeks pregnant, and I felt incredibly clumsy. I couldn't bend quite the right way, and I just didn't seem to have the right balance. A friend said that perhaps my ligaments were already loosening to some extent, and that was causing the balance issues. So, if I were to do much else besides walking, I'd take into account that my balance/clumsiness-factor might not be the same as what I'm used to. Good luck!

[GearGirl]

I was working out pretty regularly and had two very, very early m/c. I don't think it was the exercise per se, but I think maybe the exercise was lowering my progesterone, or adding to it being low. I could be wrong, but I read that it is possible somewhere, so I'm paranoid about it now. I will go back to exercising at about 12 weeks and start really slow, light weights, walking, swimming, and eleptical probably.

[Sunflower223]

My ob is always pushing me to exercise more during my pregnancy to keep my mood up. It does make me feel better to exercise, and I have known of lots of people who exercised their entire pregnancy. It is normal for you to be cramping a little at 6 weeks and even having some sharp pains every now and then. I agree with the previous posters, just don't push yourself. Also you want to get out of the habit of exercising on you back now, when you are farther along, exercises that require you to lie flat on your back are not recommended.