Ah, the second trimester. This is like the “honeymoon period” of pregnancy.
Most women have more energy than the first trimester, the nausea has (hopefully) subsided. You’re also not yet the size of an elephant so can still do a lot of things.
A growing belly, hormone and physiological changes mean there are some modifications you need to make, but in general the second trimester is a fantastic time to be active.
So what does a healthy pregnancy workout in the second trimester look like?
If you haven’t read the start of this mini-series, I recommend you start with the “Healthy Pregnancy Workouts” article first.
General recommendations for second trimester activity
CARDIO
- The American College of Gynecologists recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week
- Aerobic activity can be anything which gets your heart rate up, breathing more heavily and sweating
- Moderate intensity is a level at which you can still talk, but you cannot sing
- If you were very active pre-pregnancy, you can work at a higher intensity, just don’t let yourself get exhausted
STRENGTH
- Strength training 2-3 times each week is important to stay strong and stable during pregnancy
- Reduce the weight down to about 75% of what you would lift pre-pregnancy
- If you didn’t do strength training pre-pregnancy, start with bodyweight exercises. You can gradually build up using weights
- Consider working with a personal trainer specializing in pre-natal exercise
FLEXIBILITY
- Stretching is important after every workout
- Focus on stretching to maintain flexibility, now is not the time to increase flexibility
- Be careful not to over-stretch. The hormone relaxin relaxes your ligaments during pregnancy, so you may feel that you are more flexible than before. The problem is over-stretching can lead to injury, so be very careful not to push past the point of comfort in any stretch
- Yoga designed for pregnant women can be a great addition to your weekly routine, as it often includes some meditation that can help to keep you calm and centered
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES
- Now is a great time to start some pelvic floor exercises
- Getting used to isolating these muscles will make it easier to re-train them after the baby is born
- It is also important to learn to relax the pelvic floor muscles as this is important for labour
REST & RECOVERY
- Allow time to recover in between workouts – listen to your body
- Don’t let yourself become exhausted during your training sessions
Real life tip: during pregnancy you will experience many physiological changes, so a heart rate monitor is not the best way to gauge how hard you are working. Instead use the talk test, or rate of perceived exertion (RPE)
And what about the other trimesters? Check out the posts below for more details.
And if you’re wondering about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy, read the first post in the series here:
Activity level before pregnancy
How active you were before pregnancy is an important factor on your exercise regime during pregnancy.
Active before pregnancy
If you are enjoying a complication free pregnancy, then you can generally continue with your pre-pregnancy exercise routine, with some modifications. Below we’ll dig into the changes you’ll need to make.
It should be no problem to continue with running or jumping if you did this regularly before pregnancy, but check with your doctor first.
If you are into running, you may find this article interesting.
Inactive before pregnancy
For those of you who were inactive pre-pregnancy, build up your activity gradually.
The second trimester is usually the time when women are feeling at their best. If you already started some light activity during the first trimester, this is a great opportunity to start to increase the duration and/or the intensity.
Aim to build up to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. (Something where you can still talk, but wouldn’t be able to sing).
Also include some strength training using bodyweight, resistance bands, free weights or weight machines.
Not sure where to start? Check out these options:
- Fitnow – app based workouts specifically for pregnancy (and post-natal) by my good friend and bootcamp partner Amparo.
- Mom In Balance – healthy outdoor group workouts specifically for pregnancy (and post-natal)
- Babyfit by Amy – free YouTube workouts for all trimesters of pregnancy
- Find a qualified pregnancy/prenatal personal trainer near you
Exercise changes for healthy pregnancy workouts in the second trimester
Modifications to common exercises
To ensure a healthy pregnancy workout, below is a list of modifications to some common exercises.
Further down you will also find a list of activities to avoid completely during the second trimester.
If you are joining a group fitness class, ensure you tell the instructor you are pregnant before the class so that they can give you safe alternatives.
| Exercise | Modification during pregnancy |
| Burpees | Walking burpees: put your hands on the floor, step back to plank, walk your feet back in to a wide squat, and stand up |
| High knee run | High knee walk. To add more intensity put your arms above your head and pull them down each time your knee comes up |
| Star jumps and jumping jacks | Half stars or half jacks – no jump, alternate taking one foot out to the side. Arms stay the same |
| Push-ups | (Also see “Exercises to avoid during pregnancy” below) Do push-ups against a table, work surface or wall to reduce the downward pressure on the belly – or do an alternative exercise such as a chest press |
| Squat jumps | Reduce the intensity of the jump or change to a squat to calf raise or a basic squat |
| Mountain climbers | (Also see “Exercises to avoid during pregnancy” below) Do these against a table or work surface or skip them completely and do something like high knee walks or knee repeaters instead |
| Planks | Reduce the pressure on your abdominals by doing these against a work surface or table and reduce the time held in the position. Better yet, do an alternative exercise such as supported V-sits, transverse abdominal engages or pelvic tilts |
Exercises to avoid during the third trimester
There are some exercises and sports that should be completely avoided during pregnancy. Below you will find the activity to avoid, the reason behind it and an alternative or modification.
| Activity to avoid | Reason | Alternative or modification |
| Contact sports | Risk that your belly could be hit or kicked | Choose a non-contact sport |
| Activities with a high risk of falling, such as gymnastics, horse riding, downhill skiing | Risk that the fall could injure you or the baby. Balance during pregnancy is harder due to physiological changes | Choose an activity which doesn’t require balance or a risk of falling |
| Activities involving pressure changes, such as scuba diving or mountain climbing | There is not much scientific research, but the theory is that scuba diving could lead to decompression sickness in the fetus (nitrogen bubbles). High altitudes lead to low oxygen levels – for both you and the baby | Snorkelling Hiking up to around 2,500m (8000 feet) above sea level (but make sure you acclimatize tp the high altitude if you are not used to it) |
| Anything where you get very very hot, such as hot yoga or exercising outside for long periods when it is extremely hot and humid | If your core temperature rises too much it could impact the fetus | Opt for a pregnancy yoga class. Exercise somewhere cool if possible. If it is hot, then reduce the intensity & duration of the exercise and drink plenty of water |
| Exercises laying on the belly | Your baby belly will be in the way! | Lower back: kneel with your butt on your heels. Lean forward with a straight back and take your arms straight up above your head and then pull your elbows down your back. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps |
| Exercises laying flat on the back | Can decrease the blood flow back to your heart | Prop yourself up on your elbows or on pillows Use a weight training bench set to an incline |
| Sit-ups and crunches | Can make abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) worse | Exercises for the deep abdominal muscles – pelvic tilts, supported V-sits, supported leg extensions |
| Anything where your torso twists, such as golf, tennis, Russian twists | Can make abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) worse | Side planks, side bends |
| Anything where your belly is facing the floor for long periods of time – planks, push-ups, anything in plank position such as mountain climbers, plank jacks etc | Can make abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) worse | Limit planks and push ups to short periods and reduce the intensity by doing them against a table or wall (or stop them completely and do alternative exercises such as pelvic tilts, side planks, transverse abdominal engages, supported V-sits) |
| Abductor and adductor machines | Too much pressure on the pelvic girdle, which is already under increasing pressure from your growing baby. Pelvic pain is a very common complaint during pregnancy, so avoid these machines to avoid exacerbating the problem | Squats and lunges will also work these muscles |
| Holding your breath whilst weight training (Valsalva manoeuvre) | It reduces the heart’s output, briefly reducing blood flow, so could temporarily stop the blood flow to the fetus, or you could faint. It also puts a lot of additional pressure on the pelvic floor | Reduce the weight you are lifting to a level that you do not need to hold your breath |
Injuries
Be aware that there is a greater risk of injury when pregnant for 2 main reasons:
- Your balance is impacted as your centre of gravity changes
- The ligaments are more relaxed, due to a hormone released during pregnancy (relaxin)
Balance
Stay very aware of your balance during pregnancy.
If you feel unstable during an exercise (for example lunges), consider holding onto something for stability, or choose a different exercise (for example squats).
For strength training in the gym, you could also consider using machines rather than free weights for some exercises (for example leg press machine instead of barbell squats).
Relaxin
Relaxin is a very useful hormone to prepare for childbirth, as it relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis and softens the cervix.
However, it doesn’t limit its effects to those ligaments necessary for getting the baby out.
Loose ligaments mean there is not as much support for your joints and the risk of injury increases. There are a few things you can do to help stay injury free during your pregnancy:
- Strength training helps to build and maintain strength and stability – just reduce the weight you lift by around 25% if you used to lift pre-pregnancy
- Avoid over-stretching: stretch to a comfortable point and do not push yourself any further
- Don’t over-do it: if you are not an experienced runner, now is not the time to train for a marathon
When you shouldn’t exercise
There are some warning signs during exercise that you shouldn’t ignore. And there are some medical conditions which may warrant no exercise at all during pregnancy.
You can find all the details here:
Head over here for tips on exercising during pregnancy and some of the common complaints pregnant women have:
Finally, if you are still in your first trimester and want more information about activity, or are already in the third, then check out these posts:
Conclusion
Hopefully you will be feeling great during your second trimester and can continue with healthy pregnancy workouts throughout.
With a few tweaks, previously active women can maintain much of their pre-pregnancy exercise routine (hoorah!).
Previously inactive women can step up their activity in the second trimester and enjoy all the benefits that come from regular exercise.
Just remember to always check in with your doctor if you are ever unsure.
How are your second trimester pregnancy workouts going?