Good for you for considering this in advance!
Unless your level of activity is causing you not to menstruate... or unless your doctor suggests that you not exercise, you can probably keep up your current level of fitness while trying to conceive... but you want to keep a couple of things in mind.
One of the more important things to consider while trying to conceive is to stay hydrated in order to regulate your core body temperature. You want to avoid elevating your core body temp. for extended periods of time during pregnancy -- particularly during the first few weeks when the spinal cord, brain, and other organs are first developing. Often women are several weeks or even months pregnant before they realize it, so now is the time to pay attention to water intake. BTW, this is also a good reason to stay away from hot tubs and saunas.
You also want to avoid getting to an anaerobic state. If you find yourself getting to the point of being breathless, you need to take it down.
Once you are pregnant, you want to listen to your body. In the first weeks of pregnancy, many women are too exhausted or ill with morning sickness to continue at the same level as before. If this is the case, then give yourself a break and don't push it. Sometimes a nap is more beneficial than a workout for a first trimester mom and the baby growing inside of her. If you are able to workout, but then you find yourself utterly exhausted later on, then you might want to take it down a notch as well. You might find that you have more energy after the first trimester -- but then you have new things to consider. Are you having any joint discomfort? Do certain high impact exercises cause you to lose urine? Are your abdominal muscles split (diastasis rectii)? The key is, as you've probably read before, to listen to your body.
One thing is for certain, a trained body can often "get away with" much more than an untrained body. I have a friend who ran 4-6 miles, including stairs through her entire pregnancy. She was 21 at the time, and very, very fit. Not all women -- not even all very fit women could or should train at such a level, but she felt fine, and had no trouble maintaining this high level of fitness. By the same token, though, women shouldn't beat themselves up if they find that they have to take it down a little or a lot. It's good to remember that pregnancy is a temporary state -- and that the most important thing is to maintain a healthy environment for the growing baby.
Drink water before, during, and after your workout throughout yoru pregnancy... avoid thrusting and sudden movements after the first trimester (or any time that they begin to feel uncomfortable)... avoid lying on your back for extended periods of time after the first trimester... pay attention to your pelvic floor (keep your kegels lifted) during cardio work, and be careful not to over-stretch (it is quite easy to hurt yourself by overstretching with all of that relaxin in your system). Whether you are able to do high energy cardio throughout your pregnancy or whether you have to resign yourself to treading water in a pool just to relieve discomfort when you can't do anything else... it is ALL GOOD!
Happy baby making
Susan Hyde
Healthy Moms Certified Perinatal Instructor
