Exercise Program for First Trimester Pregnancy

Goal:

•Thirty Minutes of Moderate Exercise

•Want to work within a rating of 12 (just under somewhat hard) to 16 (just under very hard) on Borg’s Scale of perceived exertion.

•Recommended not to exceed 60-70% age predicted resting heart rate.

•Want to be able to speak comfortably

Warm Up: 5 minutes

Movement / Time / Description
March on spot / 1 min / Walk on spot lifting knees high and controllably swinging arms
Walk / 4 minutes / Walk on stable surface at quick pace with forced arm swing

Low Impact Aerobics: 15-30 minutes

Each Movement performed 10-15 times

Movement / Description
TAKE PULSE
  1. Deep Breaths
/ / - Begin with feet just past shoulder width, knees bent slightly and arms at side
- While straightening knees, take in deep breath and extend arms over head
- Exhale while returning to start position
  1. Step Touch
/ / - Begin with feet together
- With one foot step to side
-Bring other foot over and touch to ground beside first foot and return to start position
  1. Step Clap
/ Step touch with added arm motions – clap when feet together
  1. Step Touch with Back Arm swing
/ / Step Touch with arms swinging back when feet together and forwards in between steps
  1. Butt Kicks
/ / Step touch but instead of bringing feet together, kick heel to butt
  1. Step Touch with Arms to Ears
/ / Step touch but swing arms out to sides and up so they are beside the ears
  1. Butt Kicks with Muscle arms
/ / (Muscle Arms – shoulders laterally extended with elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. Movement is horizontal adduction from shoulders)
  1. Butt Kicks with Arms to ears
/ Butt kicks with arms to ears when both feet on floor (transition) arms down at sides during butt kick.
  1. Step Clap

  1. Heel Touch
/ / One foot supports while the heel of the other foot is placed on the ground in front of body. Bend knee of support leg. Alternate support leg
  1. Toe tap back with cross body punch
/ / One foot supports while the toe of the other foot taps floor behind body.
Opposite arm to support leg punches across body
  1. Butt Kicks

  1. Heel Touch

  1. Toe tap back with cross body punch

  1. Step Touch

TAKE PULSE
  1. March on Spot with ceiling and floor punches
/ / Punches done with both arms, 2 punches towards ceiling, 2 punches towards floor while marching
  1. Modified Grape Vine with lateral arm raise
/ Step-together-step-touch and return
Arms start at sides and rise during steps.
  1. March on Spot with ceiling and floor punches

  1. Modified Grape Vine with lateral arm raise

  1. Step Touch

  1. Step touch with Muscle Arms

  1. In and outs
/ / Two normal steps followed by two steps just wider than shoulder width
  1. Side Lunges
/ / Feet just wider than shoulder width apart, bend one knee and lean body weight to that side, slowly transition to other side.
  1. Forward Lunges
(One side) / / From side lung turn so that torso is over one leg. Hold. Just on one side
  1. Bent knee lunge and bicep curl
/ / While in forward lunge pose, drop back knee slightly while bending elbows in a bicep curl
  1. Calf and hamstring stretch
/ / From forward lunge position, straighten front leg while bending back leg. Raise heel of front leg and pull toe towards the ceiling while flexing at the trunk
  1. Forward Lunges
(Other side)
  1. Bent knee lunge and bicep curl

  1. Calf and hamstring stretch

  1. Deep Breaths

Warm Down: 10 minutes

Movement / Description / Picture
Leg Lift (hip abductors) / 15 reps/ 2 sets / - Lie on side with bottom leg bent for support.
- lift top leg to max
- return to start /
Leg lift (hip adductors) / 15 reps/ 2 sets / - Lie on side with top leg bent and crossed over bottom leg onto floor
- lift bottom leg to max
- return to start /
Butterfly stretch / Hold 20 seconds / -Lie on back with knees bent at 90 degree angle.
- keeping feet together, slowly drop knees outwards towards the floor. /
Crunches / 15-20 reps/ 1 set / - lie on back with knees at 90 degree angle
-place hands at temple
- lift head and shoulder blades off ground, return /
Kegels / 10-12 / - lie on back with knees at 90 degree angle
- tilt pelvis into floor while contacting pelvic floor muscles (same contraction as trying to stop flow of urine) /
Hamstring stretch / Hold 20 seconds / - lie on back
- bring one leg up to chest, grasp hands behind thigh
- gradually straighten leg at knee /
In Modified Taylor sit Stretch Arms and Trunk / Hold 20 seconds / - Reach for ceiling
- Reach out in front and round back
- Reach with one arm over head and lean to side
-do not twist /
Deep Breathing / 2-5 / In modified Taylor sit, rise arms overhead when inhale, down when exhale. /

Artral R. and Subak-Sharpe G. (1992). Pregnancy and exercise. New York: Raul Atral and G.S. Subak-Sharpe Communications Inc.

Earle RW, and Baechle TR (Eds.). (2004). NSCA's essentials of personal training (1st ed., pp. 461-467). Windsor: Human Kinetics.

Houglum P. (2005). Therapeutic Exercise for the Musculoskeletal Injuries (2nd ed.).Windsor: Human Kinetics. p 539-530.

Schwarts M. (Producer & Director). (1993). Pregnancy Workout. Ontario: Redbook Series.