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 these ways, sometimes sleep or lower intensity exercise is priority for you and your babies health and that’s ok! Listening to your body is key.
For example, It may be appropriate to do a 30 minute warm up with gentle foam rolling, full body mobility, pelvic floor and connection breathing, and core stability, instead of your usual 10-15 minute warm up of mobility, core, and cardio. Both forms of warm ups prior to exercise make a huge difference physically and psychologically before weight training and we’ll get into the how-to’s and specifics 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 personal strengths, 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 also teach you what to look and feel for, as a part of your health care team, and can give suggestions to help with 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, sometimes this will change each session depending on you. As a trainer, I’m known to be adaptable for my pregnant ladies.
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 over-stressing 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:
Developing or maintaining a strong upper back to support the growth of breasts throughout pregnancy.
Strengthen the core to help carry the growing weight and size in the uterus which will pull the pelvis forward.
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:
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.
The Girls Gone Strong Academy Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification Manual. 2018. Girls Gone Strong. P.224
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.
