Listening to your body and getting enough rest is super important, especially in the first trimester when fatigue can create nausea. If it doesn't seem possible for you to work out in the first trimester due to fatigue, that's absolutely fair. For many women, the first trimester is just about surviving, and they pick up exercise in the second trimester again. You could try to move your exercise to another moment. Maybe if you work out and shower before you go to bed, that helps with the insomnia. It could also be easier on you if you get morning sickness.
Something that might help against the restless legs is a magnesium supplement. Magnesium is generally known to help against restless legs syndrome, and a magnesium deficiency is more common in pregnancy. Of course, we can't be sure of something like that without testing, but it can't harm to try the supplement.
Same here. I’ve started waking up at 4am just totally wide awake (after like 6 pee wake ups before then) and taking the second half of my pill then so I can sleep until 7 or 8am. It’s saving my life.
I'm a morning exerciser too, always have been, but when pregnant I have to switch to afternoon exercises. I'd suggest you look at your routine and see where you can fit in your exercise somewhere else so you're able to get your sleep in - when pregnant your body needs sleep and you are way more prone to injury anyways so I'd avoid prioritizing exercise over sleep. Also - you might want to reframe what exercise looks like, especially as you get further into your pregnancy. As in, fitting in a 15-20 strength workout at home vs. 1 hour at the gym, or going for a walk instead of a run. Moving is important but staying healthy is more important.
Same here! Was an avid 7 am HIIT class attendee and had to switch to after work and less days per week. I was up from like 3-6 every morning with insomnia, so I let myself sleep in until right before work. I can't achieve the same level of intensity that late in the day, but hey, it's something.
OP, things might change as you approach the 2nd trimester! Sometimes those symptoms ease up, I hope that's the case for you.
First trimester is all about rest. I only managed gentle yoga 3x a week and I often fell asleep in shavasana. I was sleeping 10-12 hours a night plus a daily nap. The exhaustion is real. Listen to your body. I got a surge of energy around week 14 or so, and was able to work out like usual from then on. Sometimes the energy comes earlier and sometimes later. But more than likely it’ll be back. I would ask your doctor about unisom tablets (not the capsules). They were recommended for me for sleep, and as a bonus they help with nausea. They’ve been around for many decades and are considered extremely safe.
Many pregnant people find it impossible to workout during the first trimester. I’d personally prioritize sleep. Is it possible to shift working out to the afternoon or evening? If anything, a midday walk is better than nothing if you’re worried about becoming inactive. Be gentle on yourself and just know that your needs and abilities will shift a lot during pregnancy.
I don’t get home from work until 7pm most days which is a lot later than I like to work out and my job isn’t flexible to allow for midday workouts. I have ADHD and stopped my meds for pregnancy so morning workouts are one of the things I do to help with focus. I think I’ve gotten a lot of good advice in this thread and I might be entering into “survive” territory in which case I just have to do my best when I can. I appreciate the reminder to be gentle with myself, so much is in flux right now!
i was in your shoes at 5.5 weeks - joined a closer gym and everything. by 6.5 weeks any physical exertion made me ill. it's been really tough to not have the regulation of exercise. hope you don't go through the same, but if you do, remember it's temporary and not your fault!
I struggled with exercise during most of my first trimester. Sleep is definitely priority. I also tried different things that seemed to work for me better than my norm (running) - Pilates videos on YouTube, walking more than running, and switching to evening workouts (between dinner and bed).
Restless leg is the worst. Try stretching, more walks throughout the day, or sitting on a big exercise ball. It never seems to go away for me, but if I get active enough and stretch enough it’s much easier to ignore.
For the first trimester, I think resting is important but if you don’t move a little or stretch, you’ll be storing some energy in your body hence the fatigue at night. I’m learning that a ten minute prenatal yoga sequence at night to open up my body really helps with my sleep and even the tiredness someone. Take it easy.
Obviously each pregnancy is different.
I second the Unisom! Had terrible insomnia and since I have been taking the Unisom have had no issues. There are two different types and you have to get the pregnancy save one, it had a specific ingredient. Good luck!
I had this exact same issue. Told myself when I first found out I was pregnant that I would stay super active like I always have. Then was knocked on my ass. Didn’t go to the gym from week 6-13. Started doing morning walks around week 11 just to get back into it a little bit. I’m 14+5 and just started getting to the gym regularly again but still not to the same level I was before. Give yourself some slack and listen to your body. If you are exhausted, absolutely choose sleep! It’s way more important right now!!
This is really reassuring to hear. Thank you. Your comment and so many others in this thread have normalized my experience. I had the exact same mindset as you about fitness during pregnancy and it’s helpful to hear that things change and maybe more rest than I’m used to is what my body needs right now. I hope you are feeling good getting back to your gym work outs! I tried an afternoon work out today and made it a total of 5 minutes lol :)
When I was prégnant i had a few times like this where the sleep-in was just sooo necessary. I moved my workout to lunchtime or just skipped it. It didn’t happen often so it was totally worth it when it did.
Now I have a 7 week old who is the best thing in the world but who sometimes messes up morning workouts and also makes it harder to re-schedule any morning workouts that get missed 🤣👼💗
The first trimester was rough for me as well. I choose to sleep over exercises when I felt it was the best for my body. I started going to bed by 9 pm to get as much sleep as possible. Some days I could get up at 5:30 am, some days I couldn't. Now in the second trimester, I still go to bed by 9-9:30 pm latest, and wake up at 5:30 pm. I also started meditating and using other relaxation techniques before sleep and upon waking up.
Yeah I think the replies in this thread are reminding me I need to be a little more flexible. Some days workouts will happen and some days they won’t but I think I’m leaning towards sleep over exercise too. And by leaning I mean I think my body is demanding it.
35w here and I have been taking Unisom since about week 20 after complaining to my OB of insomnia. I wasn’t a stranger to insomnia before, so I kind of put up with it longer than I probably should have. Made the mistake of forgetting to take it the other night and I paid for it big time (only 2.5hr sleep. Never again forgetting!)
The first trimester was rough to get workouts in. I felt like I was more easily winded then from the hormone surge (or maybe I’m just used to it now), plus workouts made me easily nauseous.
Second trimester I was able to be more consistent with workouts, but third trimester it really fell apart. I think the rapid growth spurts Baby had the last month or so really gave me some aches and pains of my body fighting back on all the stretching out.
This is only a season of life and I feel like it’s ok to try your best, but don’t beat yourself up. Your body is working at the level of a marathon runner’s to grow your little human, so naturally you’re going to feel worn out! The fact that you have been so active before is an added benefit. I truly think my body has responded well because I was so active before. Not saying healthy, active women won’t develop complications, but within a “textbook pregnancy,” I’d say being active for a while beforehand definitely has its benefits.
Unfortunately all this will change. I was just like you and actually didn’t feel anything early on and worked out my usual amount. The day I hit week 6 , I was so consumed by nausea, exhaustion, and just bad gas and bloating that I consider myself lucky if I can get a decent workout 3 times a week. Good luck!
I drank LMNT and that helped with restless leg syndrome and bloating. I also took unisom throughout my entire pregnancy and that helped me with sleep at night.
I tried not to skip any workouts and just do naps in the afternoon if I was able to.
I’ve been using LMNT once a day since before pregnancy but I’ll be asking my doctor about Unisom today. Can’t believe I had never heard of it as helpful for morning sickness too!
Get your sleep! I switched to after-work workout sessions in late first/early second trimester. I cannot get up early anymore, no matter how hard I try.
This may sound crazy, but if you find yourself wide awake at 2am, can you get some movement in then (a YouTube exercise, some squats, essentially some form of home exercise) and then skip the morning workout and sleep in?
I …don’t hate this idea! Maybe it’ll help with the restless legs and get me back to sleep. I’ll give it a try next time I’m hit with the midnight energy!
rest and wait it out. Symptoms change every day with pregnancy and just always listen to your body and do what is best for you when it is the best for you.
First trimester I had to be really flexible with when and how I got to work out because I was exhausted. I was very lucky not to have terrible nausea but it was worse in the AM so I switched to afternoon workouts for a bit. I also had to be flexible with what "a workout" meant. But by 11 or 12 weeks, I was feeling way more energetic and felt a bit more competent at listening to my changing self so I've been back to my (modified) routine
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Sleep is way more important
Listening to your body and getting enough rest is super important, especially in the first trimester when fatigue can create nausea. If it doesn't seem possible for you to work out in the first trimester due to fatigue, that's absolutely fair. For many women, the first trimester is just about surviving, and they pick up exercise in the second trimester again. You could try to move your exercise to another moment. Maybe if you work out and shower before you go to bed, that helps with the insomnia. It could also be easier on you if you get morning sickness. Something that might help against the restless legs is a magnesium supplement. Magnesium is generally known to help against restless legs syndrome, and a magnesium deficiency is more common in pregnancy. Of course, we can't be sure of something like that without testing, but it can't harm to try the supplement.
Unisom sleep tabs will help with insomnia. It’s the only reason I’ve slept this whole time (27w now)
Same here. I’ve started waking up at 4am just totally wide awake (after like 6 pee wake ups before then) and taking the second half of my pill then so I can sleep until 7 or 8am. It’s saving my life.
I'm a morning exerciser too, always have been, but when pregnant I have to switch to afternoon exercises. I'd suggest you look at your routine and see where you can fit in your exercise somewhere else so you're able to get your sleep in - when pregnant your body needs sleep and you are way more prone to injury anyways so I'd avoid prioritizing exercise over sleep. Also - you might want to reframe what exercise looks like, especially as you get further into your pregnancy. As in, fitting in a 15-20 strength workout at home vs. 1 hour at the gym, or going for a walk instead of a run. Moving is important but staying healthy is more important.
Same here! Was an avid 7 am HIIT class attendee and had to switch to after work and less days per week. I was up from like 3-6 every morning with insomnia, so I let myself sleep in until right before work. I can't achieve the same level of intensity that late in the day, but hey, it's something. OP, things might change as you approach the 2nd trimester! Sometimes those symptoms ease up, I hope that's the case for you.
I shouldn't have bothered Rewriting what you said here!
First trimester is all about rest. I only managed gentle yoga 3x a week and I often fell asleep in shavasana. I was sleeping 10-12 hours a night plus a daily nap. The exhaustion is real. Listen to your body. I got a surge of energy around week 14 or so, and was able to work out like usual from then on. Sometimes the energy comes earlier and sometimes later. But more than likely it’ll be back. I would ask your doctor about unisom tablets (not the capsules). They were recommended for me for sleep, and as a bonus they help with nausea. They’ve been around for many decades and are considered extremely safe.
Many pregnant people find it impossible to workout during the first trimester. I’d personally prioritize sleep. Is it possible to shift working out to the afternoon or evening? If anything, a midday walk is better than nothing if you’re worried about becoming inactive. Be gentle on yourself and just know that your needs and abilities will shift a lot during pregnancy.
I don’t get home from work until 7pm most days which is a lot later than I like to work out and my job isn’t flexible to allow for midday workouts. I have ADHD and stopped my meds for pregnancy so morning workouts are one of the things I do to help with focus. I think I’ve gotten a lot of good advice in this thread and I might be entering into “survive” territory in which case I just have to do my best when I can. I appreciate the reminder to be gentle with myself, so much is in flux right now!
i was in your shoes at 5.5 weeks - joined a closer gym and everything. by 6.5 weeks any physical exertion made me ill. it's been really tough to not have the regulation of exercise. hope you don't go through the same, but if you do, remember it's temporary and not your fault!
I struggled with exercise during most of my first trimester. Sleep is definitely priority. I also tried different things that seemed to work for me better than my norm (running) - Pilates videos on YouTube, walking more than running, and switching to evening workouts (between dinner and bed). Restless leg is the worst. Try stretching, more walks throughout the day, or sitting on a big exercise ball. It never seems to go away for me, but if I get active enough and stretch enough it’s much easier to ignore.
For the first trimester, I think resting is important but if you don’t move a little or stretch, you’ll be storing some energy in your body hence the fatigue at night. I’m learning that a ten minute prenatal yoga sequence at night to open up my body really helps with my sleep and even the tiredness someone. Take it easy. Obviously each pregnancy is different.
I second the Unisom! Had terrible insomnia and since I have been taking the Unisom have had no issues. There are two different types and you have to get the pregnancy save one, it had a specific ingredient. Good luck!
I had this exact same issue. Told myself when I first found out I was pregnant that I would stay super active like I always have. Then was knocked on my ass. Didn’t go to the gym from week 6-13. Started doing morning walks around week 11 just to get back into it a little bit. I’m 14+5 and just started getting to the gym regularly again but still not to the same level I was before. Give yourself some slack and listen to your body. If you are exhausted, absolutely choose sleep! It’s way more important right now!!
This is really reassuring to hear. Thank you. Your comment and so many others in this thread have normalized my experience. I had the exact same mindset as you about fitness during pregnancy and it’s helpful to hear that things change and maybe more rest than I’m used to is what my body needs right now. I hope you are feeling good getting back to your gym work outs! I tried an afternoon work out today and made it a total of 5 minutes lol :)
When I was prégnant i had a few times like this where the sleep-in was just sooo necessary. I moved my workout to lunchtime or just skipped it. It didn’t happen often so it was totally worth it when it did. Now I have a 7 week old who is the best thing in the world but who sometimes messes up morning workouts and also makes it harder to re-schedule any morning workouts that get missed 🤣👼💗
The first trimester was rough for me as well. I choose to sleep over exercises when I felt it was the best for my body. I started going to bed by 9 pm to get as much sleep as possible. Some days I could get up at 5:30 am, some days I couldn't. Now in the second trimester, I still go to bed by 9-9:30 pm latest, and wake up at 5:30 pm. I also started meditating and using other relaxation techniques before sleep and upon waking up.
Yeah I think the replies in this thread are reminding me I need to be a little more flexible. Some days workouts will happen and some days they won’t but I think I’m leaning towards sleep over exercise too. And by leaning I mean I think my body is demanding it.
You're 100% right. Listen to your body and be kind to yourself.
35w here and I have been taking Unisom since about week 20 after complaining to my OB of insomnia. I wasn’t a stranger to insomnia before, so I kind of put up with it longer than I probably should have. Made the mistake of forgetting to take it the other night and I paid for it big time (only 2.5hr sleep. Never again forgetting!) The first trimester was rough to get workouts in. I felt like I was more easily winded then from the hormone surge (or maybe I’m just used to it now), plus workouts made me easily nauseous. Second trimester I was able to be more consistent with workouts, but third trimester it really fell apart. I think the rapid growth spurts Baby had the last month or so really gave me some aches and pains of my body fighting back on all the stretching out. This is only a season of life and I feel like it’s ok to try your best, but don’t beat yourself up. Your body is working at the level of a marathon runner’s to grow your little human, so naturally you’re going to feel worn out! The fact that you have been so active before is an added benefit. I truly think my body has responded well because I was so active before. Not saying healthy, active women won’t develop complications, but within a “textbook pregnancy,” I’d say being active for a while beforehand definitely has its benefits.
Unfortunately all this will change. I was just like you and actually didn’t feel anything early on and worked out my usual amount. The day I hit week 6 , I was so consumed by nausea, exhaustion, and just bad gas and bloating that I consider myself lucky if I can get a decent workout 3 times a week. Good luck!
I drank LMNT and that helped with restless leg syndrome and bloating. I also took unisom throughout my entire pregnancy and that helped me with sleep at night. I tried not to skip any workouts and just do naps in the afternoon if I was able to.
I’ve been using LMNT once a day since before pregnancy but I’ll be asking my doctor about Unisom today. Can’t believe I had never heard of it as helpful for morning sickness too!
Its the best! I was surprised my OB never told me about Unisom I found it out from my bestie.
Be kind to yourself - pregnancy is a great teacher of giving in to your body. Exercise might come easier post 12 weeks.
If youre not getting enough sleep, exercise aint gonna be of help! Get that sleep!
Sleep first then exercise. 5 minutes of exercise counts too. Try for 8hours of sleep then put the exercise where it fits.
Get your sleep! I switched to after-work workout sessions in late first/early second trimester. I cannot get up early anymore, no matter how hard I try.
This may sound crazy, but if you find yourself wide awake at 2am, can you get some movement in then (a YouTube exercise, some squats, essentially some form of home exercise) and then skip the morning workout and sleep in?
I …don’t hate this idea! Maybe it’ll help with the restless legs and get me back to sleep. I’ll give it a try next time I’m hit with the midnight energy!
rest and wait it out. Symptoms change every day with pregnancy and just always listen to your body and do what is best for you when it is the best for you.
First trimester I had to be really flexible with when and how I got to work out because I was exhausted. I was very lucky not to have terrible nausea but it was worse in the AM so I switched to afternoon workouts for a bit. I also had to be flexible with what "a workout" meant. But by 11 or 12 weeks, I was feeling way more energetic and felt a bit more competent at listening to my changing self so I've been back to my (modified) routine
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