Safe Exercise & Diet During Early Pregnancy (6 Weeks)

Question
I am approximately 6 weeks pregnant.  I am an avid exerciser, especially a runner.  I took chlomid days 5-9 before finding out I was pregnant.  I am afraid to do anything more that walk or swim during the first trimester but I am starting to feel very very guilty for not working out and just sitting around so much.  I have not felt that great and try to tell myself that is ok to rest.  Please help me determine how much and the intensity of exercise I should and can do.  Also, I suffered from an eating disorder in my late teens early twenties.  I am having a difficult time figuring out what and how much to eat.  Please help.

Thanks.

Answer
As to your clomid use, that is outside of my area of expertise. You should discuss any concerns that you have about this with your OBGYN.

As to exercise, women may continue to exercise at what ever level of intensity that they were accustomed to, for about the first half of pregnancy. From 20 weeks onward, women should slowly taper down the intensity of their workouts, and when doing aerobic exercise, always stay in a moderate zone.

Runners and other who engage in high impact activities should be aware that as childbirth approaches, that the hormones of pregnancy relax and lengthen ligaments. Ligaments provide stability and proper alignment to joints. During the last half of pregnancy, weight supporting joints, particularly the ankles and knees, are at increased vulnerability to injury. Runners who start to experience ankle, shin, or knee pain during pregnancy should switch to a low or non-impact exercise for the duration of pregnancy.

Since you have been well acclimated to intense exercise, you can resume running, working out on a treadmill, stair-stepper, or elliptical trainer. If you run outdoors on concrete, work up to running again slowly, as you probably have lost a little bit of strength in the last six weeks.

Monitor your heart rate and perceived exertion levels. Always stay in a zone that you perceive as "somewhat difficult" and never cross your anaerobic threshold, or the point where you start to pant.

As your pregnancy progresses, you'll find that you rate of perceived exertion will rise, and that you'll need to reduce the intensity of your workouts to stay in the proper training zone.

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise during pregnancy, especially in the latter stages. It takes the compression forces off the lower back, and it's great for maintaining core strength and flexibility.

As to diet, you need about 300 calories a day over your daily metabolism for a healthy pregnancy. Eat the highest quality diet that you can, with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein sources, low or nonfat milk or yogurt, and complex carbohydrates. Take a pregnancy vitamin daily.

For more info on pregnancy nutrition, consult a registered dietician, or one of the many books on the topic.