It’s especially beneficial to your body if you keep up with a healthy second trimester especially through fitness.
And if you’ve been doing so since or before your first trimester, you’re most likely to obtain a clearance from your doctor to proceed as usual.
But of course, when it comes to working out either through cardio or strength training, it’s not the case of one size fits all.
Fitness levels between people, in general, tend to vary. Not everyone is a pro-athlete with the physique to sustain heavy workouts and training.
So, here are some precautions and tips to ensure a safe fitness journey throughout your pregnancy:
Get Clearance from Your Doctor
It’s important for you to understand your fitness level and what sort of physical activities may disrupt your pregnancy. In which case, it will require some modifications to your routines in terms of the type of exercise, weights, repetitions, and sets.
So, be sure to consult with your doctor before you try out any physical activity at all.
Inform your trainer of your pregnancy as well no matter how early in you are to ensure necessary modifications to your regular routines.
Lighter Weights During Workouts
Using lighter weights doesn’t mean you can’t reap the same results from heavier ones.
It’s important for you to be sure of the optimum weights safe for your pregnancy. So, if your physician advises you for some modifications, consider:
- Increasing the number of repetitions for each workout.
- Performing each repetition at a slower pace for your muscles to experience more time under tension.
Wear the Right Attire
Joint pains are common symptoms during pregnancy often causing one’s hip joints to loosen. This may throw you off balance during cardio workouts or any form of exercise requiring more movements.
Wearing the right attire is not just for comfort and to ease your movements, but it’s also for your safety. Sometimes, all that’s needed for a less taxing workout is a change of shoes!
So be sure you’re wearing clothes with materials appropriate with your pregnancy stage and not to forget, the right running shoes.
8 Great Exercises for Your Second Trimester
The second trimester of your pregnancy brings about some drastic changes to your body but it offers little to no physical restrictions.
So, you’re safe to carry on with activities from your first trimester.
There are plenty of exercises and activities that remain safe and especially helpful throughout your pregnancy. The Kegel exercise, for example, is one that you should always do daily, even when you’re not pregnant.
During pregnancy, it helps with strengthening your vaginal muscles which helps with a less painful and smoother delivery.
Here is a list of exercises for you to incorporate into your routine this second trimester:
Yoga
You may experience hormonal (and resultantly, emotional) fluctuations by the time you reach your second trimester.
Yoga helps improve your flexibility and in return, helps you combat stiffness to your body. It incorporates breathing techniques along with specific body movements that help your body destress and your inner thoughts to wind down.
This will serve you well throughout and during labour and even well after delivery! It helps you maintain a controlled breathing and composure.
Running, Jogging, or Brisk Walking
If you have been running before getting pregnant, there’s a high probability you may continue with it throughout your pregnancy.
But for those who are getting started in this trimester, you must remember to not only keep your fitness level in mind. You also need to consider the changes already happening to your body.
More specifically, since your centre of gravity is shifting, you are more prone to imbalance and falling.
Therefore, stick to jogging, running, or walking on flat surfaces, and don’t risk exploring uneven grounds!
According to obstetrician-gynaecologist Carla DiGirolamo, another risk is pain in the pelvis as your bones begin to separate. The cartilage between the pelvic bones then becomes more stressed.
So, you need to proceed with discretion and awareness for the pregnancy symptoms you experience to better accommodate your routines.
Inclined or Wall Push-Up
It’s especially risky to start push-ups during your second trimester with your belly developing. So, here’s a modified push-up for those just starting out.
If you’re new to this, then begin first with a wall push-up. As your strength grows, you may find ledges or rails instead. To position yourself for this exercise, follow these steps:
- Stand facing a ledge, railing, or wall and place your hands shoulder-wide on the surface.
- Step your body back into a standing plank position with your back in a straight line.
- Bend your arms and slowly lower your chest toward the railing or ledge.
- Straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
Hip Flexor and Quadriceps Stretch
The second trimester is the ideal time to develop a stretching routine. More specifically, it should focus on the hip flexors, quadriceps, low back, gluteal, and calves.
Most women tend to develop hip pains beginning the second all through the third trimester.
Due to the change in your centre of gravity, your belly would fall forward. This creates shortened hip flexor muscles.
This stretch helps you stretch safely during your pregnancy:
- Place your right knee on the floor and your left foot in front of you, flat on the floor.
- Keep your posture straight, then lunge toward your left foot until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip and thigh.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then ease off with your back straight.
- Repeat the same on the other side.
Side-Lying Leg Lift
Side-lying leg lifts help to strengthen muscles important for your balance and pelvic stabilisation. As your belly continues to go, asserting changes to your hips and joints, this exercise will help reduce its symptoms and strengthen you all the more.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie on your right side with both knees stacked on top of one another, like above.
- You may also place a resistance band between your legs.
- Lift one leg for about 3 seconds and another three as you bring it back down.
- Repeat the same on the other side.
Shoulder Press or Alternating Shoulder Press
As your belly continues to grow, it’s best to transition to a single-arm shoulder press.
Follow the steps below for a proper shoulder press:
- Bring dumbbells up to your shoulders with either your palms facing forward or inward (neutral grip).
- Keep a shoulder-width stance and brace your core. You may also perform this seated with your back straight on a bench.
- Next, press both dumbbells or only one dumbbell up overhead (to alternate), until your elbow is locked out.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell back down to your shoulder over 3-seconds.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Upright Row
This exercise focuses on your arms and shoulders. It builds the strength you need especially for holding your newborn and pushing them about in their strollers!
To do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-wide.
- With dumbbells or a resistance band in each hand, have your palms facing back.
- Pull your elbows up at shoulder height.
- Lower down to starting position.
Bicep Curl
Similar to the upright rows, bicep curls prep your arms for repeatedly lifting and holding your baby and here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart
- Hold the dumbbells in each hand at your sides.
- Keep your back straight and core engaged.
- Curl the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
- You can also incorporate a press, by pressing the dumbbells overhead.
Routines Just for Mummy
As mentioned, changes to your body at this stage may not be as disruptive to your mobility.
Hence, in most cases, it’s safe for you to carry on with your first trimester routines.
But here are two routines just in case you need some inspiration for variation this trimester.
Each set contains three different exercises and you may proceed with a total of two to three sets in accordance with your fitness level.
Before all else though, be sure to do your warm-ups and cool down to preserve your musculoskeletal function. This is especially important and beneficial during your childbearing years.
Routine #1
One set of this routine includes:
- 10-15 reps of moderate-intensity weighted bicep curls and press overhead
- 10-15 reps of upright rows
- 5-10 reps of hip flexors
Routine #2
One set of this routine includes:
- 10-15 reps of shoulder press or alternating shoulder press
- 10-15 reps of wall or inclined push-ups.
- 10-15 reps of side lying leg lifts
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