Don’t just take my word for it, ask your doctor. One of the best things for your body and for baby is to be working out while pregnant. My trainer Brandon was the first person we told about being pregnant to. I knew that my workouts would need to be adjusted. There were only a few things my doctor said I need to watch out for. I also wanted to cover some of my favorite pregnancy foods. Let’s dive into my first trimester workouts and favorite foods that helped me stay healthy.
First Trimester Workout
The one thing that I can’t stand to hear is to take it easy on working out while pregnant. There are so many benefits to working out. It creates endorphins. Your baby will love this as much as you will. Happy babies are a good thing! Working out helps you sleep at night. Let me be the first to tell anyone looking to get pregnant, you will want this! I thought sleep was something you desired after the baby comes. Truth is, I wake up 3-4 times a night. Needless to say again, sleep is a good thing right now.
Another benefit to working out is recovery after giving birth. Granted, I’m not there yet but this is what I’ve found in my study about training during pregnancy. Plus, every mom I’ve asked that has had a natural birth and workout out said recovery was short and they were up and moving around within a day or two. I loved hearing this.
Working out also helps during delivery. It gets your strength up and your body ready for long hours of pushing.
I asked my trainer Brandon to give me three of the workouts he had me do during my first trimester.
Notes: You can perform these in a circuit or rest about a minute between each exercise. Weight for dumbbells shouldn't feel so heavy that you are struggling half way through.
Workout #1
- Warm up for 10 minutes
- Dumbbell goblet squat (pause and squeeze glutes at top) – 10-15 reps X 2-3 sets
- One arm dumbbell chest press – 8-12 reps per arm X 2-3 sets
- Inverted row (we use TRX)- 10-15 reps X 2-3 sets
- Dumbbell step up – 8-12 reps per leg X 2-3 sets
- Side plank on knees – Hold for 30-60 seconds on each side
Workout #2
- Warm up for 10 minutes
- Bodyweight reverse lunge (pause and squeeze glutes at top) – 8-12 reps per leg X 2-3 sets
- Incline push up – 8-12 reps X 2-3 sets
- Cable seated row – 10-15 reps X 2-3 sets
- Assisted (we use TRX) side lunge – 8-12 reps per leg X 2-3 sets
- Band pallof press isolated – Hold for 30 seconds each side X 2-3 sets
Workout #3
- Warm up for 10 minutes
- Dumbbell goblet squat with pulse at the bottom (pause and squeeze glutes at top) – 10-15 reps X 2-3 sets
- Standing cable single arm chest press – 8-12 reps per arm X 2-3 sets
- Dumbbell bent over single arm row – 10-15 reps per arm X 2-3 sets
- Floor glute bridge (pause and squeeze glutes at top) – 15-20 reps X 2-3 sets
Doctors order
My doctor gave me very few things to watch out for while working out.
- No twisting. This includes: elbow to knee crunches and pulls from the cable machines that twist your torso. There are lots of core exercises you can do without twisting.
- Don’t add weight. The key to successful working out while pregnant is maintain where you are, There’s no reason to add heavier weights and over do it.
- No jerking. You don’t want to put any extra stress on tendons, ligaments, and bones. During your first trimester and beyond they will be going through enough without you adding any extra tension.
- Keep heart rate under 140. This is extra good for someone who is just starting to workout during pregnancy (which you 100% can do) and for someone less experienced in working out because they aren’t conditioned.
My favorite pregnancy foods so far
During my first trimester I was hungry all the time. Week 6, 7 and 8 were not easy and one thing I could always count on to rescue me momentarily from nausea was peanut butter and crackers. Now that I am into my second trimester I still rely on this go-to. I’m going to share my personal favorites with you but by no means will this work for everyone. One of my girlfriends loved ice cream. Meanwhile, I am not into anything sweet. Just give me anything that is bland.
- cereal- my personal favorite started out as Lucky Charms but now it’s Raisin Brand.
- granola, yogurt and strawberries- dairy free yogurt (Silk brand).
- guacamole with chips
- black bean soup
- chips and salsa
- tomato, cucumber and avocado salad with a little salt added
- Central Market has a great selection of boxed pre-made soups. I’ve tried all of them by Pacifica and they are delicious.
- Pecans! I can’t stop.
- fruit- mostly pineapple with sea salt and sometimes a little serrano pepper to spice things up
- Panera Bread turkey club- the full size, please. This would keep me full for quite a while
- Acai bowls- ones with everything in it.
- Sliced toast with melted peanut butter
One thing I decided was to stay away from caffeine. For whatever reason having any during my first trimester didn’t feel right. This was a personal decision. In fact, my doctor said I could have up to 200 ml a day but I wasn’t comfortable having any. So water is was.
Speaking of water. This was a tough transition for me. I really was only use to drinking about a liter a day. But water is extremely important while pregnant. Not only does it help you trick your body into be a little full but it flushes out any bad crap and helps fight away illnesses. I’ve worked my way up to 2 liters a day…accompanied by lots and lots of bathroom breaks.
So, there you have it. My personal way to stay healthy during the first trimester. I’m not expert but this is what worked for me. Of course, always talk to your physician first. They know your body best and what it needs to have a healthy little love bug!
Dolly says
This is awesomeness it is so important to stay fit while pregnant! It will help tons with labor & delivery! As well as post pregnancy! Keep it up!