Prenatal exercise part 3; First trimester

First Trimester

In the first trimester (weeks 0-13), hormones, energy levels, appetite, and other aspects can influence your behavior, mind state, and the way we train. I don’t want to overlook the importance of adapting to these new changes and working together to find comfort, satiety, and resolution where needed. Regular physical activity has been shown to be associated with improved mood, cognition, attention, memory, and decreased depression, anxiety, and stress (1). Even though exercise is beneficial in many ways, sometimes sleep is a priority and that’s ok! Listening to your body is key (pregnant or not 😌). For example, It may be appropriate to do 30 minutes of stretching, breathing, and pelvic floor connection breathing instead of bicep curls, reverse lunges, and cable rows. Both forms of exercise make a huge difference physically and psychologically and we’ll get into the how-to’s for all of these exercises in our training together. 

While exercise in pregnancy is safe for you and your baby, and can be really fun discovering your capabilities, there are precautions and considerations we must take while choosing exercises to perform. It’s also important to get feedback from you and notice if anything feels off. I’ll teach you what to look and feel for and as a part of your health care team, ensure you have the appropriate care when and wherever necessary.

The first trimester is accompanied by some or all of these physiological changes and symptoms (2).

• Increased blood volume

• Increased heart rate

• Increase in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) - hormone that stimulates ovarian cells to produce progesterone.

• Increase in human chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS) (aka human placental lactogen (hPL)) - helps regulate metabolism. 

• Increase in estrogen and progesterone

• Fatigue

• Morning sickness (nausea, vomiting)

• Breast tenderness

• Breasts feeling fuller and heavier

• Headaches

• Increased urination 

• Insomnia

• Vivid dreams

Not all women experience these symptoms, what you experience during your pregnancy will be unique to you and we will adapt your exercise program to fit your needs and goals. 

Training goals for a Well-Designed Exercise Program throughout the First Trimester Include (3):

• Maintain good posture and alignment

• Maintain or increase strength

• Maintain or increase lean muscle mass

• Strengthen core and balance the tone (strength and flexibility) of the pelvic floor

• Develop a solid aerobic foundation

• Promote healthy weight gain

• Yield health improvements without overstressing the body

• Understand that her body is changing and she may feel a difference when she exercises

• Ensure adequate rest between sessions

• Stay active even when experiencing mild to moderate fatigue

Specific strength training modifications in the first trimester include:

1. Developing or maintaining a strong upper back to support the growth of breasts throughout pregnancy.

2. Strengthen the core to help carry the growing weight and size in the uterus which will pull the pelvis forward.

3. Strengthen the glutes to help keep the sacrum in a more neutral position to avoid sacroiliac joint discomfort and unnecessary stress on the pelvic floor.

Cited Sources:

1. Salmon P. Effects of Physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory. Clin Psychol Rev. 2001 Feb;21(1)33-61. 

2. The Girls Gone Strong Academy Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification Manual. 2018. Girls Gone Strong. P.224

3. The Girls Gone Strong Academy Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification Manual. 2018. Girls Gone Strong. P.243

For questions or to set up your first session contact Brie.

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