Pregnant Exercise First Trimester Guidelines
Pregnant exercise during the first trimester of your pregnancy is generally safe, however there are a few common sense guidelines that you should follow.
Of course, before you do any exercising while pregnant, please make sure you have the okay from your doctor.
During you first trimester, you will notice a number of changes happening to your body, and to your emotions. Maintaining an exercise routine can help reduce some of these symptoms. It’s recommended that you exercise about 3-4 times a week, for about 20-30 minutes.
Exercising has been known to reduce the severity of morning sickness, reduce fatigue and help you stay in a more balanced emotional state.
At the end of your first trimester, your baby should be about 4 inches long, and weigh less than an ounce. In this early developmental stage your baby will be in the process of forming major organs, developing the heartbeat, arms, legs and hair.
Since your baby is in the early developmental stage during the first trimester, your exercise routine can still be very strong, more so than in later stages of pregnancy. But, you still need to use common sense and exercise some caution.
Here are some common guidelines to follow.
It’s not a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach during pregnancy, so eat a small snack about 30 minutes before starting your exercise routine.
With your body going through the normal pregnancy changes, it’s important to stretch and warm up more than you had pre-pregnancy.
Before exercising, make sure have been drinking water and your body is hydrated. Also, make sure you drink water throughout your workout – remember, you are drinking for two. And, don’t forget to drink plenty of water after your workout.
Do not over-exert yourself. If you have been exercising up to this point, you know what your pregnant exercise limits are – no need to try and exceed those limits now.
Monitor your heart rate. Generally your heart rate should not climb above 140 beats per minute.
You also don’t want to become too winded, your body needs plenty of oxygen and your babies body needs plenty of oxygen. You should be able to carry on a normal conversation.
During pregnancy your joints soften, and you will become – how do we say this nicely – you will become a little bigger. Your balance may not be what it normally is, so you need to be a little more cautious to protect yourself from falling. We would suggest you not partake in exercises like skating, roller blading or any other activity that requires great balance.
You also need to avoid any sort of activity that involves hard physical contact – we’re not sure what that would be, but use common sense and avoid anything that could lead to a hard blow the stomach area.
It’s best to choose a pregnant exercise that is low impact, and where your feet are pretty much on the floor, like brisk walking, swimming or biking.
For a safe pregnant exercise experience we recommend this easy to follow pregnancy exercise plan. It provides you with a detailed exercise plan to help keep you on track.
Barb and Mike
