Seeking advice - staying active- 8 weeks

[onepeter315]

So leading up to my pregnancy, I started developing really healthy habits— esp with cardio using peloton and my Apple Watch.

A few notes:
Pre pregnancy: I made a rule for myself that I had to close my rings on my watch to be allowed to drink an ipa. It was great motivation and often I didn’t need to drink an IPA even after closing my rings. Obviously now, that’s not an option.

I’m in my first trimester and thank god- no nausea, but total exhaustion.

A few things that aren’t helping:
I live in the Midwest where this winter has been particularly frigid.
And
Prior to finding out that Im pregnant, I was on very high doses of ADHD meds, which I planned on taking through my pregnancy, but found that I felt totally panicked taking them. So I stopped taking my adhd meds( I see a therapist weekly and so concerns about complete withdrawal leading to extreme stress can be met through that tool- all of my relevant providers know I’ve stopped taking them.

All of this being said, I cannot tolerate working out on the same level I used to.

Any advice? Any classes that felt right?
I have loved Pilates in the past, but there aren’t many nearby studios and I have to be very careful with yoga- I have a tendency to hyperextend and really injure myself.

Any motivation techniques that have helped?

 

[hb211]

@onepeter315 I got peloton during 1st tri and loved sam yo's classes, especially his recovery rides and low impact rides. I found the zen he brought me was a reward within itself (cheeesy i know)

I also did "dont break the chain" (thanks seinfeld). I have to do one pelo workout a day, period. It can be whatever even meditation but it has to be something.

I also find scheduling my workouts (using the pelo app but could use whatever digital calendar) and using workouts as a break either during the day or between work and dinner really helped.

 

[elitheartist]

@onepeter315 I'm very grateful for my dog who kept me walking for about an hour each day during the first trimester exhaustion! Could you try a walking pad or something, get in 30-60 minutes of walking? It will pass though, I promise! I just hit second trimester today and I have so much more energy.

 

[onepeter315]

@elitheartist So reassuring to hear! I love walking my dogs- but it’s been between like 10 and 30 degrees here and I’m not tolerating the cold like I used to

 

[elitheartist]

@onepeter315 same, I'm in New England. lots of layers are the only thing that work and even then it's rough! very ready for spring!! I'm glad I don't have to deal with winter maternity gear though.

 

[onepeter315]

@elitheartist Yes!!! Summer gear is much much cuter and cheaper!! When are you due?

 

[jhunnix]

@onepeter315 Im 12 weeks. I used to walk 5-6 miles during the work week, and 10-14 miles on either Saturday or Sunday (walking = hiking, I live in the mountains). Now I'm happy to do 2-4 miles 4 days a week. I blame short days, cold weather, and exhaustion ( I'm half asleep by sunset). I want to start swimming at the YMCA, and as the days get longer, I will increase my walk duration as much as I can handle. Swimming will be easy on my joints so I will be able to walk more, instead of wearing myself out with vertical footage every day. I'm thankful to be pregnant, no nausea, only exhaustion, and able to exercise the way I want to. It's important to not make myself feel bad for not being able to meeting pre-pregnancy daily goals. My goals are different now, but still healthy and relevant.

 

[mmdave3]

@onepeter315 I was so wrecked by exhaustion starting at 8-9 weeks, I literally couldn't get off the couch after work most days. I felt hopeless and planned to spend 9 months on the sofa, crying and eating noodles with butter. Then around week 16 I started to feel a little of the promised second trimester energy, I started to move more when I could. I'm now 21 weeks and am able to go to the gym 5 days/week in addition to long walks. It's okay if you just zonk out and rest for a while, it doesn't mean you will feel this way for your entire pregnancy. Sometimes you can't push through, and that is okay!

 

[ghostsofwinter]

@onepeter315 I’m 14 weeks today and dealt with some serious nausea and lower energy (though not horrible exhaustion like some people face) weeks 7-12. For me, it was important to keep my exercise routine of being active 4-5 days a week. But I changed what this looked like - a longish walk counted, I modified peloton strength to low or no weights (Callie is pregnant so I like her classes, if you subscribe), I let myself go as easy as I needed to in any class, allowed myself to do 20 min workouts on bad days instead of 30-45, and took breaks when I felt sick or tired. Now that I’m on the upswing I’m grateful to have stayed in the habit and while I am not back to pre pregnancy intensity nor do I plan to be, I am doing more and better than the prior weeks. Good luck! Just listen to your body, don’t overdo it, but if you can manage to do something small it will probably help mental and physical health.

 

[lundberry]

@onepeter315 I found myself very exhausted during the first trimester if I did any sort of intense workout. I switched to walking or low impact rides on my Peloton. I also do strength training.

Prior to being pregnant, my calorie goal was 400. I was having a hard time reaching that while working out less. So I lowered my goal to 350 as to be more realistic for the time being. It’s important to listen to your body and take a break if needed. My left glute started giving me a lot of pain (was thinking sciatica, but maybe piriformis pain) and I really had to dial it back and recover. I remind myself that some women are so sick and tired they can’t even get off to couch. So I feel lucky to be able to exercise even at low intensity.

 

[michaelsu]

@onepeter315 I took off my apple watch during my first trimester. I was so motivated by numbers and but I took a step back and decided throughout my pregnancy it would be healthiest for my mental health and for my future child to take some time off. One of my girlfriends is on a 1000+ run streak and her kids honestly seem annoyed at her tracking and workout tendencies, and I want my kids to see me working out without numbers sometimes. I loved doing group fitness classes all throughout pregnancy. Water aerobics, yoga, golfing, step aerobics, cycling, and now that I’m 37 weeks I’m just at walking, water aerobics, and chair yoga. The group element helped me make connections, modifications, and I didn’t feel the need to track.

 

[max003]

@onepeter315 I am in the same unmedicated ADHD pregnancy boat I got off them a year pre-pregnancy so I feel like I have started to hone in my nonmedicated workout skills.

I do 5 things regularly: 1) les mis classes at my local gym, 2) peloton workouts, 3) Stair machine followed by whatever feels good 4) More walks with my dog specifically Saturday hikes/(driving somewhere to get myself to commit to a loop) 5) pickleball (2 hour court rental with friends)

I started peletoning instead of running because with headphones blasting I can get hyper-focused. I like looking at the music in the class to make sure there is a song I really vibe with because I have found that I am conditioned to get into the zone especially with songs I vibed with on meds.

For free form strength routines I like to start with 5 minutes on the stair master with absolutely no obligation to move quickly or go for longer unless I want to in the moment. Then I continue with the momentum and either start a super lazy workout, put on a good song or do my favorite moves (swiss ball hamstring curls, bosu pushups, bosu squats, single arm db clean to press) to see what sticks. Then I pair something I love with something I do out of obligation and force myself to finish the set. 3x (10 bosu squats with a kettleball -> 5 Bosu burpees, 15 Kettlebell swings & 10 bent over kettlebell rows). I hate core so sometimes I will throw in a boring set of butterfly kicks to get my heartrate back down.

I think its important to let yourself fail sometimes too so that the gym is pleasant and doesn't become a thing to avoid. I still consider it a success just getting in, finishing my 5 mins on the step machine and laying in the sauna for 5 minutes or walking at an incline for another 5-10. If I went in and crushed it when I thought I would cop out I make sure to acknowledge that feeling and smile.

The pickleball/specific hikes are also just commitment devices so I am not giving myself the opportunity to just go home and curl up in a ball.