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8 Best First Trimester Exercises (30-Minute Strength Workout)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | November 3, 2023

Stay active and strong during pregnancy with these eight first trimester exercises. This low impact strength training workout includes full body exercises that are safe to carry into your second and third trimesters as well. A 30-minute prenatal workout at home.

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Maintain total body strength during pregnancy with this first trimester workout.

This low impact HIIT workout and today’s prenatal strength workout were created specifically for the first trimester. We did this because these workouts:

  • Limit up and down motions (movements that can increase nauseousness and morning sickness).
  • Include single dumbbell movements (which feels more achievable especially on the days you’re lacking energy)!
  • Include modifications (follow modifier Rachel on the left in the videos). You can scale the workout to accommodate how you’re feeling each day AND continue doing these prenatal workouts in your second and third trimesters as well.

These first trimester exercises will help you maintain strength safely during pregnancy.

Find a first trimester workout plan here.

two women, one pregnant, performing a lateral lunge with weights in a first trimester strength workout

First Trimester Exercises FAQs

Is It Okay To Workout During The First Trimester Of Pregnancy?

In general, YES. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says it’s safe to continue regular exercise during pregnancy. However, every body (and every pregnancy) is different. Before you begin an exercise program, you should consult your doctor, midwife or health care provider.

What Are The Benefits Of First Trimester Exercise?

Between the nausea and fatigue, you may not feel like working out in the first trimester and that’s okay! That said, movement might help. According to Mayo Clinic, exercise during pregnancy can: reduce common pregnancy aches and pains, improve your energy levels, promote better sleep, and prevent both high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

Which Exercises Are Safe During Early Pregnancy?

Strength training is the name of the game during pregnancy. This keeps you strong and ready for labor. I also like to include pelvic floor exercises and low impact cardio like walking, stationary biking, spinning, swimming or water aerobics. Prenatal yoga and prenatal barre/pilates are also popular during pregnancy.

Which Exercises Should Be Avoided In The First Trimester?

In general, it’s best to avoid: ab exercises that cause “coning” or “doming” of the midsection (like full sit ups and crunches), bearing down (movements that places extreme pressure on your abdominal wall and pelvic floor), high impact contact sports, and lying on your stomach or belly down postures. While it’s generally okay to raise your heart rate, remember the ‘talk test.’ With moderate intensity exercise, you should be able to comfortably hold a conversation with a friend while exercising during pregnancy.

two women, one pregnant, performing a wide squat and back row demonstrating the benefits of exercising during pregnancy

30-Minute First Trimester Strength Workout

From squats and deadlifts to back rows and shoulder presses — these are 8 pregnancy-friendly exercises you can do at home with a set of dumbbells.

You can start these exercises in your first trimester and carry them with you into your second and third trimesters. Build strong legs, glutes, hamstrings, arms, chest, back and shoulders all in just 30 minutes at home!

I suggest adding this full body strength workout to your prenatal workout plan 1-2 times a week.

Workout Equipment:

Medium to heavy dumbbells. We are using 15-20 lb weights in this pregnancy workout.

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pregnant woman holding a dumbbell in a bicep curl as part of the 8 Best First Trimester Exercises

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided First Trimester Strength Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer and prenatal fitness instructor, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 2 Full Body Strength Circuits (4 exercises per circuit)
  • Time Drop Format (Set One: 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest; Set Two: 30 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest; Set Three: 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x3 Sets
5 Low Impact Strength Exercises for Beginners!

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE
1. Squat and Alternating Curl and Overhead Press
2. Wide Squat and Alternating Back Rows
3. Push Up and Dumbbell Pass
4. Hinge Swing and Single Arm Press

CIRCUIT TWO
1. 1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions
2. Deadlift and Curl and Front Rack Alternating Lateral Lunge
3. Sumo Deadlift and Back Row and Sumo Squat
4. Lunge Hold and Dumbbell Press

two women performing a balance overhead press with a dumbbell as part of first trimester exercises

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

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8 Best First Trimester Exercises

Squat and Alternating Curl and Overhead Press

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, arms, biceps, shoulders and core.

Squats are a great exercise during pregnancy to maintain strength and range of motion in the hips, glutes, core, and pelvic floor muscles.

two women, one pregnant, performing a squat, curl and press in a first trimester strength workout

How To Do A Squat and Alternating Bicep Curl and Overhead Press

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, knees bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides (palms facing in).
  2. Sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees.
  3. Then, drive through your heels to stand tall (legs straight).
  4. As you stand, perform a single arm hammer curl to single arm shoulder press. Perform a hammer curl on the right arm by bringing the dumbbell up to shoulder height, palm facing in towards your shoulder. Then, press your right arm overhead performing a single arm shoulder press.
  5. As you perform the single arm shoulder press, you have the option to also perform a knee drive on the opposite leg.
  6. Lower the dumbbell in your right hand back to the starting position and repeat, alternating sides (on the next squat perform a single arm hammer curl and shoulder press on your left arm).

Modification: Option to omit the knee drive.

Wide Squat and Alternating Back Rows

Targets: The legs, glutes, hips, quads, hamstrings, deep transverse abdomen muscles (core), and back (lats).

two women, one pregnant, performing a wide squat and back row as a first trimester exercise

How To Do A Wide Squat and Alternating Back Row

  1. Start in a wide squat stance or sumo squat. Feet wider than hips and shoulders, knees bent, toes slightly pointed out.
  2. Place a set of dumbbells on the ground between your legs. Hinge forward at the hips into a bent over row position, neutral spine, flat back from head to tailbone.
  3. Alternate pulling the weights back toward your hip, right arm first.
  4. Control the dumbbell back down to the mat. Then, perform a single arm back row on the left arm; pulling the weight back toward your left hip.
  5. Continue to alternate the back rows while holding the wide squat the entire time.

Modification: If holding the wide squat stance becomes uncomfortable, you can perform bent over back rows.

Push Up and Dumbbell Pass

Targets: Arms, chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs, obliques and core.

Push ups are a great exercise during pregnancy to strengthen your chest, arms and core. As your pregnancy progresses you can modify with incline push ups.

two women, one pregnant, performing a push up and dumbbell pass in a first trimester strength workout

How To Do A Push Up and Dumbbell Pass

  1. Start in high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers. Place a set of dumbbells just behind your right hand on the mat.
  2. Perform a push up by lowering your chest down towards the ground, elbows fall back towards hips.
  3. Then exhale as you push back up into high plank position.
  4. Hold high plank, keeping your core stable, as you reach across your body with your left hand to pull both dumbbells across your body (one dumbbell at a time). Dumbbells are now just behind your left hand on the mat.
  5. Repeat this sequence, performing one push up, then pulling both dumbbells to the opposite side of the mat.

Modification: Perform push ups from your knees and the dumbbell pass from your toes; or perform modified push ups and modified planks (both from your knees).

Hinge Swing and Single Arm Press

Targets: Legs, hips, hamstrings, glutes, arms, shoulders, abs and core.

two women, one pregnant, performing a hinge swing and single arm press as part of a pregnancy workout at home

How To Do A Hinge Swing and Single Arm Press

  1. Start in a half kneeling position — right knee bent at 90 degrees, right foot on the mat in front of you (right knee in line with hip). And left knee bent at 90 degrees on the mat underneath your left hip.
  2. Hold one dumbbell in the left hand with a neutral grip (palm facing your right thigh).
  3. Perform a half kneeling hinge swing by hinging at the hips with the dumbbell between your legs. Then drive your hips forward, powering the dumbbell up to your left shoulder; elbow in line with your shoulder.
  4. Then drive through your right heel to stand up, bringing feet parallel as you push the dumbbell overhead with your left hand. Press the dumbbell straight overhead, locking out the elbow, left bicep by left ear.
  5. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down towards the left shoulder as you step the left leg back to a lunge, lowering the left knee back to the mat with control; simultaneously lowering the dumbbell in your left hand back between the legs.
  6. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement for the timed interval, then switch sides for the second set.

Modification: Option to remain standing throughout the entire movement. Perform a staggered stance dumbbell swing instead of a kneeling swing.

1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions

Targets: Arms, triceps (back of the arms), shoulders, back, glutes, abs and core.

two women, one pregnant, performing an overhead tricep extensions as part of first trimester exercises at home

How To Do 1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions

  1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees.
  2. Hold one dumbbell vertically between your hands overhead.
  3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell,’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
  4. Raise the dumbbell halfway up, then lower back behind your head.
  5. Then raise the dumbbell all the way up, overhead.
  6. Think: all the way down, half way up, back down and to the top.

Deadlift and Curl and Front Rack Alternating Lateral Lunge

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, glutes, hips, outer glutes, inner thighs, abs and core.

two women, one pregnant, performing a deadlift to lateral lunge as part of a prenatal workout at home

How To Do A Deadlift and Curl and Front Rack Alternating Lateral Lunge

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell horizontally at your hips.
  2. With a soft bend in the knees, hinge at your hips to slide the dumbbell down the front of your legs. Think about pushing your hips back behind you.
  3. Hinge until you feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstring muscles). Then drive through your heels to stand up; returning to the starting position. That is a deadlift.
  4. As you return to a standing position, curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulders.
  5. Hold the dumbbell in this front racked position as you step your left leg out into a side lunge.
  6. Shift your weight into your left heel as you push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your left leg.
  7. Then, drive through your left foot to reverse the movement, pushing you back up to center.
  8. Repeat this sequence, alternating the lateral lunge to the right and left after each deadlift.

Sumo Deadlift and Back Row and Sumo Squat

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, quads, low back, mid-back, abs and core.

The wider, sumo squat and deadlift can provide more space for your belly as your pregnancy progresses.

two women, one pregnant, performing a sumo deadlift and back row and sumo squat as part of first trimester exercises

How To Do A Sumo Deadlift and Back Row and Sumo Squat

  1. Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell in both hands at your hips.
  2. Perform a deadlift. With a soft bend in the knees, hinge at your hips to bring your torso parallel to the ground.
  3. Hold at the bottom of the deadlift and perform a bent over back row with the dumbbell. Pull your elbows back towards your hips, keeping a neutral spine, flat back from head to tailbone.
  4. Lower the dumbbell with control and drive through your heels to stand up; returning to the starting position. As you stand, clean the dumbbell up towards your shoulders.
  5. Hold this front rack position as you bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
  6. Drive through the heels to stand up, returning to the starting position and repeat.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell clean, keeping the dumbbell between your legs throughout the entire movement.

Lunge Hold and Dumbbell Press

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, thighs, hips, arms, shoulders, chest, abs, obliques and core.

two women, one pregnant, performing a lunge hold and dumbbell press as part of a pregnancy workout for the first trimester

How To Do A Lunge Hold and Dumbbell Pass

  1. Start in a kneeling position, both knees on the mat, holding one dumbbell horizontally at your chest.
  2. Step your right foot on the mat in front of you, leg bent at 90 degrees, right knee in line with right hip.
  3. Drive through your right heel to lift your back left knee 1-2 inches off the mat into a low lunge position.
  4. Hold at the bottom of the lunge as you press the dumbbell out in front of you for a 3-second count. Arms straight, dumbbell in line with shoulders.
  5. Then lower the left leg back to the mat as you return the dumbbell to your chest.
  6. Return to the starting position, kneeling on both knees. Repeat this movement, alternating stepping your right and left foot out into a low lunge hold.

Modification: Option to omit the lunge, performing a low squat with a dumbbell press. Note that as your pregnancy progresses, lunges may become uncomfortable so a squat is a great modification.

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Note: Every body and every pregnancy is different. Before you begin an exercise program, especially during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor or midwife. As always listen to your body and avoid exercises that do not feel good for you. 

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