First Trimester Workouts: When Growing an Organ Is the Workout
THE GLOW
You know that “glow” everyone talks about in early pregnancy? Yeah, that’s sweat and nausea. For me personally, I didn’t get nauseous (I GOT LUCKY), so I missed the whole glow season thing….
If you’re in your first trimester and you’re exhausted, dizzy, and wondering if it’s possible to nap while eating carbs and drinking Gatorade — congratulations, your hormones are doing their job.
YOU’RE CASUALLY GROWING LIFE INSIDE OF YOU…
Progesterone’s up, hCG’s going wild, and your blood volume just doubled.
Translation: you’re growing an organ and a human at the same time - so no, you don’t need to “push through” anything. My partner’s favorite line while I was pregnant was “Can you at least pretend like you’re pregnant today?!”
WTF ARE MY HORMONES DOING?!
Progesterone: makes you sleepy, puffy, and weirdly zen.
hCG: the reason you gag at the smell of toast.
Blood volume: More blood = faster heart rate + dizziness. Your blood volume is up 40–50%, so if you feel like you can’t catch your breath — you’re not out of shape, you’re just very pregnant.
Progesterone ↑ = fatigue + slower digestion. You feel sleepy, puffy, and weirdly zen…..well, some of us not so much (and girl, that’s okay).
Gentle strength = less joint pain later.
Thermoregulation shifts - stay cool + hydrated.
Consistency > hero workouts. Always.
SO CAN I STILL WORKOUT?
Keep it simple, short, and kind to your body.
This phase isn’t about “gains.” It’s about staying sane, strong, and supported.
3 strength days max.
Rest between sets (your body’s building a placenta, not prepping for a marathon).
Avoid overheating or breath-holding (we like oxygen, remember?).
ON A PERSONAL NOTE…
I was doing 10-11mph sprints on the treadmill the day I found out I was pregnant, and Luca (my son) was great the whole pregnancy. So please don’t freak out if you have been going hard at the gym and trying to conceive. This is just the science, and if you are trying to conceive, maybe chill out a bit! For me, Luca was a big surprise, and I was not trying. He is now 19 months old, and still hasn’t brought up the 10mph sprint trauma, so I think I’m safe.
EXAMPLE WORKOUT
Wall Sit with Breathing – 30 sec
Band Row – 10X
Elevated Push-Up – 8X
Seated Shoulder External Rotation –12X
Cat-Cow + Deep Breathing – 8X
FINAL THOUGHTS….
You’re not lazy - you’re literally growing a baby and an organ.
Do what feels good, move when you can, and ignore anyone who says “just listen to your body” like that’s an instruction manual. I’m legit eye rolling while writing that.
