I have loved working out and trying different movements and classes since my last year of college. I was quite fit going into pregnancy. I had actually run a 12K across San Francisco less than two months before I got pregnant! That was a fun one.
Because fitness is a big part of my life, I did my best to stay active and healthy throughout my pregnancy. In addition to improving overall health, staying fit really helps your body adjust well to carrying around a little human in there and push efficiently during labor (if you’re doing a natural birth). This has been shown in multiple studies including this one and this.
Here’s everything I did in my pregnancy workout plan, including what I stopped and new things I started to give you some inspiration.
First Trimester
Pickleball
I was actually in a pickleball league with my husband when I found out I was pregnant. We typically practiced twice a week for a few hours and had game night every Thursday. We were pretty far into the season when I decided to stop playing. I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time and didn’t want to risk anything. Although pickleball was such a great way to spend time with my husband while getting our exercise in, I’m glad I stopped at 6 weeks. By week 8, I was feeling very nauseous by late afternoon every day and would not have made it to practice and game nights anyway.
If you do have the energy and want to continue a non-contact sport that you’ve already been playing, run it by your ob/gyn and then go for it!
Vinyasa Yoga
I was also doing hot yoga consistently once a week and continued that until week 9, when my ob/gyn said to stop since the heat was not good for the developing embryo. Instead, I switched to regular vinyasa yoga class at my gym. I usually went on weekend mornings because I’d be too exhausted and nauseous on weekdays after work. I enjoyed the weekly yoga until week 15. Then I decided to stop for the safety of baby since many of yoga poses were core-intensive and generally not pregnancy-friendly.
Weight Training
During first trimester, I also attempted to do weight training and inclined power walking on the treadmill at home. Sadly I rarely ended up doing them. I remember often feeling frustrated with myself during this time. I’d start the day feeling energized and plan to work out in our little home gym after work but by the time work ended, the nausea and extreme fatigue was in full force. Usually I would take a long nap instead of exercising.
I now realize my frustration came from not knowing what to expect and still expecting my body to do what it had always done before pregnancy. I’m hoping that by sharing my experience, it inspires you to give yourself more grace and know that it’s okay to need extra r&r time during this special phase of life.
Also contrary to common belief, weight training is safe during pregnancy. Do consult with your doctor about it first and start easy, especially if you aren’t as experienced in weight training.
Second Trimester
More Weight Training
At this point, my belly was growing more but I had so much more energy. I was ready to work out more often again! My routine included light weightlifting a few times a week to stay toned and strengthen my back. From my experience, the back muscles are extra important. Taking care of a baby or toddler requires so much bending over and picking them up – much more than I had realized!
Pilates
I also signed up for SoulSyncBody, an online pilates program created by one of my favorite Youtubers and former Victoria’s Secret model, Sanne Vloet. Although it doesn’t have prenatal pilates programs specifically, there are a lot of fully standing workouts which worked great for me. I also got these cute and very effective ankle weights to go use in the pilates workouts and add some intensity.
Since then, more popular fitness apps and platforms have created prenatal workouts that are totally pregnancy-friendly. This article from The Bump gives a great list of highly rated recommendations for online prenatal workout programs.
Inclined Power Walks
I did these on the treadmill a few times a week, sometimes while working or watching Netflix on my iPad. I set the incline to at least 7, speed to 2.5-3, and walked for about 30 minutes (basically a less intense variation of the 12-3-30 workout). It was very effective in getting the heart rate up and working up a good sweat.
Third Trimester
By third trimester, I was too big to comfortably do weight training and stopped. I actually wish I’d continued to retain my muscle that I had worked hard for. This is something I recommend continuing if possible.
Long Walks & Paved Hikes
Instead of weights, I continued doing light pilates workouts that weren’t core-intensive. My husband and I also started going on long walks and easy paved hikes every week. We went more often especially in the last month before my due date. This was a good way to stay active and also make sure baby was in the right position (head down and dropping lower in the uterus) in preparation for a smooth birth.
Kegels
Although Kegel exercises are one of the most recommended pregnancy exercises, I didn’t do much of these. I’d love to try them more consistently if we have another baby as I’ve heard good things.
What core exercises can you do?
This is a common question. It’s something I had also Googled at the time because I didn’t want my hard-earned core muscles to melt away into flab during pregnancy.
The two main things to avoid in core exercise are lying flat on your back (it reduces blood flow to the baby) and of course, lying on your belly (not that you’d do this anyway!). Instead, I did the exercises listed below which are generally safe for all trimesters:
- standing exercises with ankle weights and resistance bands. These were my go-to core moves and I felt safe and comfortable doing them
- Cat-cow stretches and bird-dog on all fours
- modified slide planks with knees on the ground
Overall I felt that my level of exercise throughout pregnancy was decent but I’d definitely work in more toning and strength training next time around!
What did you try during your pregnancy that you enjoyed? It can be home workouts, apps, and fitness studios. Share with other expecting mamas by dropping a comment below!
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