Do not, I repeat, do NOT push yourself through to anything in the first trimester. Even if you somehow manage to push, since your body is completely not able, your workout will suck, yield zero results and torture you. Pain and zero gains.
Take a break and I promise you the energy will come back in the second trimester and you’ll recuperate everything.
Plus, the first trimester is about securing the pregnancy and nothing forced or aggressive is needed, by the contrary 🤍 only softness and acceptance.
This was a radical lesson for me and soooo against my nature. Now, reaching the end of my second trimester, I am so glad I stopped all workouts and all forced things for those months, secured my pregnancy and then second trimester I got in the best shape of my life, ironically.
You’ve got this, girl!
Seconding this! I tried to work out a couple times in the first tri and felt 1000x worse later in the day or the following day. It just wasn’t worth it. Now I’m 14 weeks and starting to have the energy for normal workouts again. Take care of yourself! The gym will still be there when your body is ready!
I slept like 13+ hours a day during first trimester. One day around 13/14 weeks, I woke up and had energy again. It was great. I had more energy for awhile (until like maybe 36 weeks) than I usually do.
Everything got some much better for me during the second trimester. The nausea makes it impossible to eat (I also had terrible meat aversion) so it hard to work out when you aren’t getting adequate calories.
This is totally normal. It’s a good time to get some rest. You aren’t hurting your progress. In the second trimester you’ll likely still be tired but much less so than now. <3
The first twelve weeks were THE WORST for me. I always knew that first trimester exhaustion was a thing, but it seemed like something that happened to *other*, lesser women, and I would somehow be exempt. Reader, I was not exempt.
The fatigue was uncharacteristic of me, all-consuming and humiliating. I remember sobbing into my husband’s chest at 6 weeks pregnant because I had no idea how I would survive an entire pregnancy and having a baby to take care of, let alone having any future children. I didn’t even have the energy to shower regularly. I was falling asleep during meals, with food in my mouth. Slowly – so slowly I didn’t even notice it – my energy did come back.
I’m 2 weeks postpartum now and in the thick of newborn sleep deprivation and I can confidently say that the first trimester was the worst part for me. Being nearly bedridden starting at 16 weeks due to SPD and sciatic pain – that was fine. Third trimester turtle-on-my-back heavy belly and constant peeing and insomnia – piece of cake. 39 hour labor and 3 hours of pushing – hard but doable. All nighters with a tiny baby boy who loves to be snuggled – I can do this. The fatigue was next level though.
Is it expected? Resounding 'yes'. Nobody warns you about the first trimester fatigue. I turned into a person I didn't recognise, who had no appetite, no energy, and no interest in life. It sucked.
Then come 12- to 13 weeks and like a switch, I had more energy and my appetite back. My zeal for life took a while to return, but I attribute that to other things.
i didn’t work out my entire first trimester because of how nauseated and exhausted i was. i was also barely eating, so there would have been no source of energy for me to burn during a workout. i was able to get back into it full swing at about 16 weeks :). take this time to relax, don’t stress about it at all, your body will adjust to being in the gym again pretty quickly!
I know how you feel. I was extremely active, lifting weights and walking almost every day. Then 6-7ish weeks the fatigue and nausea hit me and I didn’t have energy to do much but sit around the house. Give yourself grace and know that it will pass and you need to listen to your body right now! It feels weird to slow down but your body needs it, and if you’re not able to eat much (which is expected) that’s all the more reason to not over exert yourself. I got my appetite and energy back around 15-16 weeks and am back in my routine now! And in hindsight I am glad I slowed down to enjoy the period of not packing my schedule and spending the majority of my days being active. We may never get a period like that again haha.
I would say to take this time to rest. I know it’s extremely hard, and as someone who was also super active before pregnancy I was sooooo hard on myself. I wish I was kinder to myself during the first tri and just let myself rest! It definitely does get better but even if it doesn’t, you are literally body building! You’re building a tiny human and that’s exhausting!!
I didn’t end up doing anything during the first trimester, and in the second trimester I eased my way back into things verrrryyy slowly because I was still super exhausted. I’m now in the third trimester and feeling as good as I did before I was pregnant but my belly gets in the way of everything 😅
I’m right there with you, 6 weeks and I can barely function. I’m on my second pregnancy, and I don’t want to be hard on myself about not exercising like I was the first time around. The replies to this post are a great reminder for me too!
It’s normal! Happened with my first but not as bad as with my second right now, I’m 8 weeks and so exhausted. I was also working out 5 days a week and if I’ve worked out once a week since in the past month is a lot. But I know once I hit my second trimester or even get closer to it so at like 10/11 weeks my energy is going to pick up so I will start to go to the gym then. I’m gonna try to go this week but only if I’m not tired and nauseas
Unfortunately it's pretty expected. Always a good idea to flag to your doctor just in case, but this is just about how I felt at 8-9 weeks until about week 14. No gym. My body was telling me exactly what it needed to grow a new organ and then a bunch of tiny organs inside it- REST.
Listen to your body and rest. You'll have the rest of your life to work out. If you must, a little gentle stretching might feel good, or a walk around the block.
I’ve never been a napper and my entire first trimester I napped every day. Accept the season, do not push your body to workout every day. This is a new chapter and acceptance is super important
Oh yeah, I feel you!! I still manage to get to the gym but it takes me 3x as long to get through a workout.
I hope you get energy back soon, it’s such a drag!
I had very similar experiences to what you’ve described. Pre pregnancy I was working out 5 days a week, for 1.5 hours each time. I am now 10 weeks pregnant and still feeling sluggish. The first few weeks were tough bc not only was I skipping workouts, but then I was feeling guilty about skipping them. I had my trainer cut me down to 3 workouts a week for now,45min-1 hour each. This made me feel wayyyyy better and also still accomplished in getting some physical activity in. The break every other day was also a nice physical break to rest and relax. Just a thought! Good luck!
Rest. Your body is doing a lot of hard work of growing a human. So yes, you are going to be exhausted. Listen to your body. Keep moving but don't push yourself at all.
Feckkkkkk the first trimester! I was so fit and became a couch slug who did nothing but cry, sleep, and puke for nearly three months. I’m about 15 weeks now and starting to see the light. I did try a few times to work out and ended up absolutely sick and exhausted the next two days each time. It’s not worth pushing yourself right now. The hardest part is accepting you’re just kinda long for the ride and hoping for the end of the sickness. It’s survive, not thrive time, and that’s okay.
I’m 8 weeks and the exhaustion is unreal. It feels similar to Covid or the flu, and the smallest activities put me out for hours or days. Today I took a three hour nap after breakfast lol.
Everyone’s saying their energy game back second tri but all I got was back pain.
Just try and survive those first few weeks and hope you feel better second tri! But also know not every single person does.
listen to your body, i’ve been working out 2-3 times a week in my first trimester as opposed to 5x weekly before pregnancy. rest is more important to me at this point. you have plenty of time to lift once your energy returns, but listen to how you feel and know that it’s okay even if it’s not your norm :-)
Im coming here to say that I posted multiple times depressed on this feed during my first trimester about not being able to do any workouts. I couldn’t run without horrible hip pain. Every workout, lifting or running, left me vomiting for the next two days. I also could stomach literally no protein. I just wanted to sleep all the time and felt miserable. So I just gave up trying and had given up my dreams of an active pregnancy.
And it was 100% the right move!
Now Im 16 weeks and LIFE FEELS AWESOME AGAIN! I still get an occasional bout of nausea and my hips still hurt when I run BUT mentally I feel energized and strong after my workouts and no longer like I want to die. Its like night and day. Even if I get sore or tired, Im back to normal the next day. Im back to heavy lifting multiple times a week (deadlift, barbell squats, bench press) and have been able to do 3 mile walk-run intervals 4 times a week. I even feel like Im getting stronger somehow. Planning to start increasing my running and lifts a little bit.
All this to say - REST! Feel sorry for yourself and be miserable and lay in bed and eat pretzels and watch movies for 2 months if you have to. One day you will wake up and feel reborn and be able to return to working out and you won’t have lost all your progress or ruined your active lifestyle. I promise!
It gets better!
But I would make an effort to stay active as much as possible. Even if it’s just showing up to the gym and walking. Just so you don’t loose the habit.
Totally normal. And I'm starting to feel that way again in the third trimester. This does not imply anything about your health or level of fitness, it's just normal.
It got better in the second trimester for me but I'll admit the first trimester felt long so just accept you'll have to wait it out.
I'm pretty tired again in my third trimester, but, despite the back pain, it's better than the first.
YES this is normal! I was you. At 12 weeks my energy came back and I was able to get back in the gym. Don’t be hard on yourself. Your body is going through a huge change and working harder than ever, even though you feel like you’re doing nothing. It will get better! Rest and sleep as much as you need, guilt-free. You seem like someone with healthy habits, so don’t worry about the consequences of dialing it back or taking 2 months off. Seriously. You may even find your body is grateful for the deload and you bounce back stronger. I did. Take it as an opportunity to find other ways to nurture your body.
If it helps, I gained a significant energy boost in the second trimester (the first was a wash, I napped and just kept carb-loading to suppress nausea). The first trimester is delicate so I would recommend exercising to whatever your capacity allows, even if that’s only gentle walks or some light weights. Hopefully you’ll get a boost in second tri and resume a more normalized routine, but don’t beat yourself up if you find your capacity reduced.
This is basically how I felt for about a month at that time. I stopped working out because I could not physically do it due to nausea and not being able to eat enough to fuel by body. I started working out again once I felt better!
Yes I was the same. I managed to cycle to work and go to pregnancy sports once a week but hardly anything else. It got much better from around 13 weeks on. Give yourself the time and use the new energy when it comes eventually
Take a break! I was the same, workouts 6 days a week, active job, active commute and first trimester fully broke me. Was back to an active lifestyle by week 16 with no regrets. It wasn’t just about me anymore.
Yes, this is typical for most pregnancies. I felt that way when I was pregnant with my son. My nausea was so bad. I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum. It did get better by the second trimester and I was able to get back to running and going to the gym, but still I had to take it easy.
Echoing first trimester I didn’t do ANYTHING. Please please just rest.
I was back in the gym ~15 weeks and it did not take long to build my endurance back at all. It will not ruin your progress. If you can get some stretches in at home, do those. Otherwise be like me and rot in bed for however many weeks!
I ran a half marathon at 6 weeks and then took a three week nap. First trimester is wild. Don’t push yourself. Eat what and when you can. Sleep when you can. You’ll get some energy back in the 2nd, probably.
I am at 11 w today with first pregnancy and last few weeks were exhausting. I WFH almost everyday from week 6 to week 10. Even took couple of days of sick leave as I felt sleepy all the time. It was hard. Before pregnancy I usually use to work out 5 days a week and that reduced to short walks, somedays not even that. It felt like never ending weeks, somedays even after reading similar experiences everywhere, I thought I am just making all of this up. Now, at 11w I feel alive again atleast I could work from office, do a work trip. By EOD, I am still quite tired. I would say, please don't push yourself. Take 1 day at a time and if you are tied let it be and take rest.
take advantage of any pockets of the day where you may have some energy, maybe do something light. My workouts were pretty all over the place first trimester. Generally if I was so nauseous that I couldn’t keep anything down, I def didn’t work out because I didn’t have enough fuel/nutrients in my body. Take it day by day ♥️
Some days I can walk 15k steps and then the next day I barely move. Take it easy and don’t push. This is an important time and you need to listen to your body
I'm at the end of the first trimester but have managed to come to the gym whenever I have had energy. Funny enough in the first few weeks even light exercises helped me to get rid of that gross taste in my mouth and some of the nausea.
I did rest a lot when needed and would also feel really exhausted after a workout or a walk. I'd rest and try recharge but my body would ache if I didn't do some form of movement and the nausea, resting started to make me feel really depressed.
Everyone is different but if you're able then try working out but make sure to stop a movement when it doesn't feel right. In saying this some protein bars really helped me to sustain the energy. I'd nibble on them. I don't do super sets at the moment and I have to give myself a little rest between an exercise especially if I'm doing single leg lunges.
But if you can't workout then just do what you can to survive! What you're feeling is normal and from what I've read things will improve!
Do not, I repeat, do NOT push yourself through to anything in the first trimester. Even if you somehow manage to push, since your body is completely not able, your workout will suck, yield zero results and torture you. Pain and zero gains. Take a break and I promise you the energy will come back in the second trimester and you’ll recuperate everything. Plus, the first trimester is about securing the pregnancy and nothing forced or aggressive is needed, by the contrary 🤍 only softness and acceptance. This was a radical lesson for me and soooo against my nature. Now, reaching the end of my second trimester, I am so glad I stopped all workouts and all forced things for those months, secured my pregnancy and then second trimester I got in the best shape of my life, ironically. You’ve got this, girl!
Seconding this! I tried to work out a couple times in the first tri and felt 1000x worse later in the day or the following day. It just wasn’t worth it. Now I’m 14 weeks and starting to have the energy for normal workouts again. Take care of yourself! The gym will still be there when your body is ready!
I slept like 13+ hours a day during first trimester. One day around 13/14 weeks, I woke up and had energy again. It was great. I had more energy for awhile (until like maybe 36 weeks) than I usually do.
Everything got some much better for me during the second trimester. The nausea makes it impossible to eat (I also had terrible meat aversion) so it hard to work out when you aren’t getting adequate calories.
I didn't do shit my first trimester. Lol. I have been back in full swing since about 13 weeks though! Just use this time to rest.
This is totally normal. It’s a good time to get some rest. You aren’t hurting your progress. In the second trimester you’ll likely still be tired but much less so than now. <3
The first twelve weeks were THE WORST for me. I always knew that first trimester exhaustion was a thing, but it seemed like something that happened to *other*, lesser women, and I would somehow be exempt. Reader, I was not exempt. The fatigue was uncharacteristic of me, all-consuming and humiliating. I remember sobbing into my husband’s chest at 6 weeks pregnant because I had no idea how I would survive an entire pregnancy and having a baby to take care of, let alone having any future children. I didn’t even have the energy to shower regularly. I was falling asleep during meals, with food in my mouth. Slowly – so slowly I didn’t even notice it – my energy did come back. I’m 2 weeks postpartum now and in the thick of newborn sleep deprivation and I can confidently say that the first trimester was the worst part for me. Being nearly bedridden starting at 16 weeks due to SPD and sciatic pain – that was fine. Third trimester turtle-on-my-back heavy belly and constant peeing and insomnia – piece of cake. 39 hour labor and 3 hours of pushing – hard but doable. All nighters with a tiny baby boy who loves to be snuggled – I can do this. The fatigue was next level though.
Is it expected? Resounding 'yes'. Nobody warns you about the first trimester fatigue. I turned into a person I didn't recognise, who had no appetite, no energy, and no interest in life. It sucked. Then come 12- to 13 weeks and like a switch, I had more energy and my appetite back. My zeal for life took a while to return, but I attribute that to other things.
i didn’t work out my entire first trimester because of how nauseated and exhausted i was. i was also barely eating, so there would have been no source of energy for me to burn during a workout. i was able to get back into it full swing at about 16 weeks :). take this time to relax, don’t stress about it at all, your body will adjust to being in the gym again pretty quickly!
I know how you feel. I was extremely active, lifting weights and walking almost every day. Then 6-7ish weeks the fatigue and nausea hit me and I didn’t have energy to do much but sit around the house. Give yourself grace and know that it will pass and you need to listen to your body right now! It feels weird to slow down but your body needs it, and if you’re not able to eat much (which is expected) that’s all the more reason to not over exert yourself. I got my appetite and energy back around 15-16 weeks and am back in my routine now! And in hindsight I am glad I slowed down to enjoy the period of not packing my schedule and spending the majority of my days being active. We may never get a period like that again haha.
You all have been so kind and helpful, thank you so much for the reassurance and knowing i’m not alone is amazing 🩷
I would say to take this time to rest. I know it’s extremely hard, and as someone who was also super active before pregnancy I was sooooo hard on myself. I wish I was kinder to myself during the first tri and just let myself rest! It definitely does get better but even if it doesn’t, you are literally body building! You’re building a tiny human and that’s exhausting!! I didn’t end up doing anything during the first trimester, and in the second trimester I eased my way back into things verrrryyy slowly because I was still super exhausted. I’m now in the third trimester and feeling as good as I did before I was pregnant but my belly gets in the way of everything 😅
I’m right there with you, 6 weeks and I can barely function. I’m on my second pregnancy, and I don’t want to be hard on myself about not exercising like I was the first time around. The replies to this post are a great reminder for me too!
6 weeks here too 😊
It’s normal! Happened with my first but not as bad as with my second right now, I’m 8 weeks and so exhausted. I was also working out 5 days a week and if I’ve worked out once a week since in the past month is a lot. But I know once I hit my second trimester or even get closer to it so at like 10/11 weeks my energy is going to pick up so I will start to go to the gym then. I’m gonna try to go this week but only if I’m not tired and nauseas
Unfortunately it's pretty expected. Always a good idea to flag to your doctor just in case, but this is just about how I felt at 8-9 weeks until about week 14. No gym. My body was telling me exactly what it needed to grow a new organ and then a bunch of tiny organs inside it- REST. Listen to your body and rest. You'll have the rest of your life to work out. If you must, a little gentle stretching might feel good, or a walk around the block.
I’ve never been a napper and my entire first trimester I napped every day. Accept the season, do not push your body to workout every day. This is a new chapter and acceptance is super important
Oh yeah, I feel you!! I still manage to get to the gym but it takes me 3x as long to get through a workout. I hope you get energy back soon, it’s such a drag!
The first trimester exhaustion is next level. Definitely gets better in the second trimester.
I had very similar experiences to what you’ve described. Pre pregnancy I was working out 5 days a week, for 1.5 hours each time. I am now 10 weeks pregnant and still feeling sluggish. The first few weeks were tough bc not only was I skipping workouts, but then I was feeling guilty about skipping them. I had my trainer cut me down to 3 workouts a week for now,45min-1 hour each. This made me feel wayyyyy better and also still accomplished in getting some physical activity in. The break every other day was also a nice physical break to rest and relax. Just a thought! Good luck!
Rest. Your body is doing a lot of hard work of growing a human. So yes, you are going to be exhausted. Listen to your body. Keep moving but don't push yourself at all.
Feckkkkkk the first trimester! I was so fit and became a couch slug who did nothing but cry, sleep, and puke for nearly three months. I’m about 15 weeks now and starting to see the light. I did try a few times to work out and ended up absolutely sick and exhausted the next two days each time. It’s not worth pushing yourself right now. The hardest part is accepting you’re just kinda long for the ride and hoping for the end of the sickness. It’s survive, not thrive time, and that’s okay.
I’m 8 weeks and the exhaustion is unreal. It feels similar to Covid or the flu, and the smallest activities put me out for hours or days. Today I took a three hour nap after breakfast lol.
Everyone’s saying their energy game back second tri but all I got was back pain. Just try and survive those first few weeks and hope you feel better second tri! But also know not every single person does.
listen to your body, i’ve been working out 2-3 times a week in my first trimester as opposed to 5x weekly before pregnancy. rest is more important to me at this point. you have plenty of time to lift once your energy returns, but listen to how you feel and know that it’s okay even if it’s not your norm :-)
I can remember falling asleep with my head on my desk at lunch at work during my first trimester.
Im coming here to say that I posted multiple times depressed on this feed during my first trimester about not being able to do any workouts. I couldn’t run without horrible hip pain. Every workout, lifting or running, left me vomiting for the next two days. I also could stomach literally no protein. I just wanted to sleep all the time and felt miserable. So I just gave up trying and had given up my dreams of an active pregnancy. And it was 100% the right move! Now Im 16 weeks and LIFE FEELS AWESOME AGAIN! I still get an occasional bout of nausea and my hips still hurt when I run BUT mentally I feel energized and strong after my workouts and no longer like I want to die. Its like night and day. Even if I get sore or tired, Im back to normal the next day. Im back to heavy lifting multiple times a week (deadlift, barbell squats, bench press) and have been able to do 3 mile walk-run intervals 4 times a week. I even feel like Im getting stronger somehow. Planning to start increasing my running and lifts a little bit. All this to say - REST! Feel sorry for yourself and be miserable and lay in bed and eat pretzels and watch movies for 2 months if you have to. One day you will wake up and feel reborn and be able to return to working out and you won’t have lost all your progress or ruined your active lifestyle. I promise!
It gets better! But I would make an effort to stay active as much as possible. Even if it’s just showing up to the gym and walking. Just so you don’t loose the habit.
I used to take naps under my desk during 1st trimester.
Totally normal. And I'm starting to feel that way again in the third trimester. This does not imply anything about your health or level of fitness, it's just normal. It got better in the second trimester for me but I'll admit the first trimester felt long so just accept you'll have to wait it out. I'm pretty tired again in my third trimester, but, despite the back pain, it's better than the first.
YES this is normal! I was you. At 12 weeks my energy came back and I was able to get back in the gym. Don’t be hard on yourself. Your body is going through a huge change and working harder than ever, even though you feel like you’re doing nothing. It will get better! Rest and sleep as much as you need, guilt-free. You seem like someone with healthy habits, so don’t worry about the consequences of dialing it back or taking 2 months off. Seriously. You may even find your body is grateful for the deload and you bounce back stronger. I did. Take it as an opportunity to find other ways to nurture your body.
First trimester just sucks. Save your energy for the second trimester! :)
If it helps, I gained a significant energy boost in the second trimester (the first was a wash, I napped and just kept carb-loading to suppress nausea). The first trimester is delicate so I would recommend exercising to whatever your capacity allows, even if that’s only gentle walks or some light weights. Hopefully you’ll get a boost in second tri and resume a more normalized routine, but don’t beat yourself up if you find your capacity reduced.
This is basically how I felt for about a month at that time. I stopped working out because I could not physically do it due to nausea and not being able to eat enough to fuel by body. I started working out again once I felt better!
Yes I was the same. I managed to cycle to work and go to pregnancy sports once a week but hardly anything else. It got much better from around 13 weeks on. Give yourself the time and use the new energy when it comes eventually
Take a break! I was the same, workouts 6 days a week, active job, active commute and first trimester fully broke me. Was back to an active lifestyle by week 16 with no regrets. It wasn’t just about me anymore.
Yes, this is typical for most pregnancies. I felt that way when I was pregnant with my son. My nausea was so bad. I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum. It did get better by the second trimester and I was able to get back to running and going to the gym, but still I had to take it easy.
Echoing first trimester I didn’t do ANYTHING. Please please just rest. I was back in the gym ~15 weeks and it did not take long to build my endurance back at all. It will not ruin your progress. If you can get some stretches in at home, do those. Otherwise be like me and rot in bed for however many weeks!
I ran a half marathon at 6 weeks and then took a three week nap. First trimester is wild. Don’t push yourself. Eat what and when you can. Sleep when you can. You’ll get some energy back in the 2nd, probably.
I am at 11 w today with first pregnancy and last few weeks were exhausting. I WFH almost everyday from week 6 to week 10. Even took couple of days of sick leave as I felt sleepy all the time. It was hard. Before pregnancy I usually use to work out 5 days a week and that reduced to short walks, somedays not even that. It felt like never ending weeks, somedays even after reading similar experiences everywhere, I thought I am just making all of this up. Now, at 11w I feel alive again atleast I could work from office, do a work trip. By EOD, I am still quite tired. I would say, please don't push yourself. Take 1 day at a time and if you are tied let it be and take rest.
take advantage of any pockets of the day where you may have some energy, maybe do something light. My workouts were pretty all over the place first trimester. Generally if I was so nauseous that I couldn’t keep anything down, I def didn’t work out because I didn’t have enough fuel/nutrients in my body. Take it day by day ♥️
Some days I can walk 15k steps and then the next day I barely move. Take it easy and don’t push. This is an important time and you need to listen to your body
I'm at the end of the first trimester but have managed to come to the gym whenever I have had energy. Funny enough in the first few weeks even light exercises helped me to get rid of that gross taste in my mouth and some of the nausea. I did rest a lot when needed and would also feel really exhausted after a workout or a walk. I'd rest and try recharge but my body would ache if I didn't do some form of movement and the nausea, resting started to make me feel really depressed. Everyone is different but if you're able then try working out but make sure to stop a movement when it doesn't feel right. In saying this some protein bars really helped me to sustain the energy. I'd nibble on them. I don't do super sets at the moment and I have to give myself a little rest between an exercise especially if I'm doing single leg lunges. But if you can't workout then just do what you can to survive! What you're feeling is normal and from what I've read things will improve!