Exercise in the first trimester of pregnancy

Exercises early in pregnancy should focus on achieving flexibility, strength and endurance, all of which will help alleviate some of your discomfort. You have to be careful with certain exercises that produce undue strain on the uterine ligaments, pelvic floor muscles, and lower back, and avoid exercises that include jerky movements.

Before you start your exercise program during pregnancy, you have to consult your doctor. If you have exercised before becoming pregnant, you can continue with your physical training program and change it as your pregnancy progresses. If you are just starting an exercise program, start at a low intensity for a short duration and work up to accumulate 30 minutes daily.

Aerobic exercise

During pregnancy, this type of exercise helps you to increase your endurance. The American College of Sport Medicine recommends to practice it under a light to moderate intensity, it depends of how the exercise affects you and without controlling your cardiac frecuency.

Some of these exercise are walk, swim, bike, jogging, go up staris…

Kegel exercises

This type of exercise helps you to have the muscles that surround the uterus stronger. This can make the giving birth work easier and prevent some complications.

For doing this exercises you have to contract the muscles of your pelvic floor. You have to keep it contract for 10 seconds, then relax and breath while you hold the position. For example, you can do it lying on the floor with a soft ball between your legs, or just with the help of your breathing.Do it between 2 and 3 series of 10 to 15 repetitions.

(Original source: https://okdiario.com/bebes/2017/02/27/ejercicios-kegel-embarazo-34496)

Squats

This exercise can make your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes stronger. During the giving birth work, having the strength to hold you squatting can help to open your pelvis exit, allowing the baby to come down. For doing the squats, you have to put you feet separated at your shoulders height. Then, when you breath out, you have to get back to you initial position. Do it between 1 and 3 series of 10 to 15 repetitions, in non-consecutives days.

Wall sliding

These exercises may prepare your muscles to give birth and help your endurance during the pregnancy. To do it, you have to put yourself in the wall with your feet separated at your shoulders height. Slowly, you have to get your back down for flexing your knees. It have to seems that you sit on a chair. Mantein your knees flexed and keep the position for more than 5 seconds while you are breathing. Slowly, get up and repeat the exercise. Do it between 1 and 3 series of 10 to 15 repetitions, in non-consecutive days.

(Original source: http://www.fittamamma.com/section.php/300/1/wall_slide_pregnancy_pilates)

The exercises of this post are an example of what you can do. Of course, you can do others exercises but always under the consent of your doctor.