How do y’all do it??

S

stephenk

New member
I’m 16 weeks. Before getting pregnant I was training for a half marathon. I worked out 4x a week and I stuck to my schedule religiously. Now I just don’t have the energy at all. People kept telling me that the 1st trimester I was going to be exhausted and the 2nd trimester I would get better. But now that I’m in the 2nd trimester I still don’t want to work out. I’m too exhausted to go before or after work. Now the only time I feel up to working out is on Sundays, the 1 day a week that I don’t work. How do you guys have the energy to work out consistently during your pregnancy?? I’m feeling so discouraged, frustrated, and kind of depressed. Working out/running was such a huge part of my life and I’m afraid that I’m never going to have the time or energy to run again. Especially after the baby gets here. Anyone have any advice? Or in the same boat as me?
 
@1astrokid1 Man I can barely even wake up in time for work. Even if I go to bed early. I just feel like if I work out before work I’ll be too exhausted during the day to do my job. I work with kids so it’s already so tiring lol
 
@stephenk Im the last gal in my friend group to get pregnant and each friend reminds me that everything is a temporary phase. If you don’t have the energy to workout right now, that’s okay. this phase will pass and you will get back into it when the time is right for you.
 
@stephenk I just want to say I’m in the same boat. Almost 15 weeks, went to the gym Saturday morning and slept ALL DAY Sunday trying to recover. Used to run marathons. I always thought I’d be a person who could push through pregnancy but it’s just not an option. Stay hopeful and pay attention to your body and your energy level and say yes when you feel like you’ve got it in you. But for me it’s just… not an option most of the time. That’s why I’m lurking here trying to believe in my future self!
 
@mmdave3 I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling like this! Yes I was hoping it would get better and I’d be back in the gym more during my 2nd trimester but idk it’s not looking too good
 
@stephenk I've found that lowering my expectations dramatically makes it easier - I don't need to have a good run, I just need to shuffle around my route at whatever speed works for me that day (like a minute and a half slower per mile). And I get into bed by eight and go to sleep by 9 - super fun 🫠 I have promised myself to keep it up until it becomes prohibitively painful and then to switch to something else, and in return I reward myself with whatever delicious foods I'm craving that day.
 
@autumn1123 Yes! This is what’s really helped me too. I used to work out pre kids for 60-90 minutes at a time, now with a toddler and being pregnant I’ve needed to adjust my expectations to being okay with only getting a 20-30 minute workout, or having a less intense day otherwise I wouldn’t work out at all because it wouldn’t be “worth it” since I couldn’t do what I was doing before.

Also just starting slow helps to build up the momentum. Sometimes it’s sucks getting started but now at 24 weeks I’m back to lifting 4-5 days a week anywhere from 30-60 minutes and try to include a couple core days too.
 
@stephenk I’m not doing it. I went from working out every day and feeling/looking amazing to having zero energy, nausea from hell, and just no desire to lift a finger. It’s really affecting my mental health and I, too, would love to know how people remain active during pregnancy 😅😅
 
@mayadanielle I didn’t feel good until 15 weeks. I’m now 25+4 starting to slow down a bit again. But the energy really did hit me out of nowhere and I felt totally normal aside from a higher heart rate! It’s different for everyone but it definitely sucks when you get the short end of the stick.
 
@stephenk Just go for a walk. That’s all you really need for a healthy, fit pregnancy. If you can get yourself to take a brisk 30 min walk every day, or even every other day, it will slowly start to get easier and more enjoyable.

I would walk on a treadmill and would adjust my speed/time/incline based on how I was feeling that day, but what was most important to me was that I showed up for myself.

I ended up working out until the day I went into labor (40+3). When I finally went for my first run at about 3 months pp, to my own surprise, I was able to easily run 30 minutes with no break and I felt great. I have no doubt that my pregnancy walks helped keep me at a healthy baseline, that I can now build on and return to my pre pregnancy activity levels fairly quickly.
 
@joyfullyhis2347 Yes, this. Walking is good and it’s enough. I tried to run through my last pregnancy but this time have just done brisk walks (mostly due to time constraints with a toddler) and actually feel better than the first time around. I wish I’d been a bit gentler with myself and just quit running last time when it started getting unpleasant.
 
@stephenk I had extreme exhaustion the first trimester due to low iron and low blood pressure. Even when i was 14 and 15 weeks i was still very tired. I decided to just start going slow, and do as much as i could. I started with walking for 30 min at a lower pace than i was used to and no incline, but it helped to get my body out of the sedentary state it was for weeks. I started to add some weight lifting here and there and now im 18 weeks, im running again, doing the same weight lifting exercises i did before and some core exercises to help pregnancy. Im telling you, most days in the beginning i did not have the energy or desire to go, but i kept pushing myself and somehow it helped get my motivation back and love for working out back. It’s all about baby steps. Going back to my workout routine has really helped with my overall energy and mental health.
 
@stephenk I got more energy gradually over 2nd tri- it didn’t come immediately. The key for me was to reset my expectations: pre-pregnancy I would at least do 45+ min workouts at a moderate/high intensity, but during pregnancy I had to learn to start small and build up from there. 10 min on my yoga mat or treadmill. Then 15, 20+… but oh wait, some days you’re just more rundown than others, so it may be a rest day or just a few stretches or weights. Start small, start slow, celebrate each win, and don’t expect your body to perform the same as it did before.

I’m now 38 wks and still working out and trust me it is DRASTICALLY different from my peak during 2nd tri, but comparatively to how I’m hearing most women feel during 3rd tri, I feel pretty good, I move well (no wobble), I did a 15 min weights class this evening then cooked dinner and folded a months worth of laundry I’d been procrastinating - I’m not completely pain free, but I’m taking the win.
 
@stephenk I feel you. I ran my 5th marathon right before getting pregnant and qualified for Boston for the second time. Now I’m running the slowest and shortest I have in my life and about half as often. It doesn’t excite me to run when I feel like garbage
 
@sherithorb Wow that’s so impressive! I wasn’t running as much as you lol but yeah I’m definitely running a LOT less now than I was. It’s just not as fun anymore when I’m so tired and my belly is getting bigger lol
 
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