Yay! The second trimester! It can be blessed relief after the fatigue and nausea of the first trimester. I love feeling pretty much back to normal. That means I can actually enjoy my favorite things again, such as running and working out! Second trimester exercise is usually a lot better than the first trimester, but there are a few things you should keep in mind as the baby continues to grow.
1. Listen to your body
Like I said, you may be feeling like supermom once again, and if you are, then go for it! I have days like that too. But even though the second trimester is great, you still have a tiny human growing inside of you that places different demands on your body. This is not the time to push through pain (if there ever is that time), or to do things you shouldn’t be doing. You don’t want to put too much stress on your body now that will negatively affect you down the road. You only have one body, so take care of it!
2. Cut out or modify a few of your favorite exercises
In the second trimester, I totally cut out some of the exercises I regularly do when not pregnant. But, there are ways to modify most of them! (This would be a great time to watch my video above!)
Three themes from the video: you probably don’t want to do high impact exercises that cause a lot of bouncing such as sprinting or jumping. It just doesn’t feel good as the baby grows, and it can wreak havoc on your pelvic floor. Replace squatting for jumping in high impact exercises and boom, you still get a great cardio workout! Secondly, you might not want to do exercises that require you to be on your back. The weight of the baby can restrict blood flow back to your heart, making you feel lightheaded or nauseous. But never fear! You can always do these exercises propped up! Thirdly, read on.
3. Core work looks way different
Thirdly, as your pregnancy progresses, your abs are going to start to look like an overfilled balloon, like stretched out with spaces where it used to be tight. Sorry, that’s just how it is. Don’t worry, though, it can be fixed postpartum. However, you do not by any means want to make it worse during pregnancy! So from the second trimester on, you only need two core exercises… cat cows, and bird dogs. These are pregnancy safe, and will not add to the stretched balloon effect. They are also very beneficial to train your transverse abdominis muscles which you will need during delivery! By the way, using the transverse abdominis muscle in all your core work is the correct way. When you are ready to rehab your abs, read this article to figure out how to correctly engage your core.
Also keep in mind as you are doing simple things such as getting out of bed in the morning, or getting off the workout bench, to do the awkward whale. That means roll over to your side and then push yourself up. This prevents you from using your rectus abdominis muscles, which during pregnancy is a no-no.
4. You can lift heavy, but…
…you must do it right! Anytime you lift heavy, you must breathe correctly. That means you should breathe out as you lift or push the weight, and breathe in as you lower it. Do not EVER hold your breath when you lift, but especially when you’re pregnant! This adds pressure in your abdomen, also adding to the stretched balloon effect.
5. Your running may still be great
Ok, running. Some people say you should stop running altogether, while others are out there running marathons. Only time will tell the toll it takes on your body, and more specifically, your pelvic floor. I also think running ability during pregnancy varies from person to person based on age, fitness level, and previous pregnancies, and genetics. I personally don’t use this time to push distance and pace, but like (or just have to) take is slower. I pretty much drop speedwork and replace it with running up hills and walking down, which allows me to get my heartrate up but without all the pounding. I also always have a goal of running a race during each pregnancy just for fun! However, the key is making sure you are listening to your body, and not doing anything your body is not used to.
My running also has varied so greatly from pregnancy to pregnancy. With my second, I remember running just as much mileage as usual at almost as fast of a pace during the second trimester. With my first, I had not been able to run as much during the first trimester, so the second trimester was a little more difficult. With this one, I can’t quite figure it out. Sometimes I can bust out a great run, but other times I’m having to take quite a few walk breaks, and my pace is drastically slower.
So, if you are one of those moms than can still light it up on a 5k, or run half marathons or marathons, great! Enjoy it! If your running is not quite the same, just add in a few extra walk breaks, or run less mileage. Remember, second trimester exercise is to keep you healthy and sane, not to wear you out or discourage you. Being able to stay active during pregnancy is a blessing to be enjoyed.
I’m thankful to be feeling better, and I hope you are too! Trying to remain consistent with an exercise plan will not only feel good, but done correctly will make the rest of your pregnancy, delivery, and recovery hopefully go a lot smoother. Don’t give up on yourself! Go get ’em, mama!
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See also First trimester exercise- what can I do?, and pregnancy