Second and Third Trimester Exercise Considerations

Calling all pregnant mamas! Check out this supplement that you can take during pregnancy. It’s approved by OBGYNs everywhere and is widely accessible. This supplement can:

• Ease back pain

• Lessen constipation

• Reduce your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth

• Improve physical fitness for pregnancy and labor

• Enhance postpartum recovery

• Improve mental health

It’s pretty amazing. And the supplement is called….exercise!

Yes, I know the cheesiness with which I introduce exercise during pregnancy may make you roll your eyes, but it couldn’t be more true. There are so many aspects of pregnancy that are out of our control, but regular exercise is one thing that can be controlled. It has proven to be beneficial to both mom and baby. And while regular exercise is not a proven method to prevent complications, it can greatly reduce your risk and decrease severity if something arises.

In my previous blog post, I outline considerations to make when exercising during your first trimester. All of those considerations remain true in the second and third trimesters. You can read more about those here.

Once you enter your second trimester, you might be feeling a lot less nauseous or fatigued, or you might not. While many moms claim that the second trimester is the best part of pregnancy, there are just as many who continue to feel symptoms that prevent them from experiencing that “second-trimester bliss.”

Personally, I was expecting to feel a huge rush of energy by 13 weeks, which was not the case. I was still exhausted and queasy, but it gradually lessened over time (only to return in the third trimester). So if you have been waiting for the magical second trimester to start exercising, try not to wait too much longer. It’s time to start no matter how far along you are! (Unless, of course, your doctor has told you not to exercise).

As you exercise through your second and third trimesters, here are some additional considerations to make note of:

• Laying flat on your back for exercise might not be a good option anymore. It is possible to start experiencing discomfort in a supine (flat back) position as your baby gets bigger. If you can, incline yourself when doing exercises that require you to be on your back. Otherwise, choose a different exercise altogether. If you are not having symptoms when lying flat on your back for exercises, be sure to clear it with your provider to continue. I recommend rolling to your side in between sets to give yourself a break, and rolling to your side before sitting up.

• Drink plenty of water. Your need for hydration increases greatly during pregnancy, and sweating will exacerbate this. Drinking water also helps hydrate your tissues, which is beneficial during labor.

• Wear a supportive bra to help offload the weight of your breasts as they change throughout pregnancy.

• Monitor your balance. As your center of gravity changes, exercises that might have at one time felt easy can challenge your balance. In some cases, you might want to avoid single leg exercises or hold onto something for balance as needed.

• Avoid exercises that strain your abdominal muscles, such as sit-ups, crunches, Russian twists, or planks. You might be able to continue to plank at an inclined position, but be sure to monitor your abs for signs of diastasis recti. Instead, focus on exercises to strengthen your deep core and transverse abdominals. One exercise I love during pregnancy is bird dogs.

• Monitor for pelvic floor symptoms. If you experience urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, or back pain, reach out to a pelvic health physical therapist. Addressing this during pregnancy can decrease symptoms and reduce residual impact postpartum.

• Gradually decrease exercise intensity as your body slows down. Yes, your body will slow down as you get closer to your due date! Regressing exercise and decreasing impact are all a normal part of a prenatal workout program. This will allow your body to maintain a sufficient amount of energy and strength for birth, and reduce the risk of injury.

• Incorporate mobility and breathing exercises to help prepare your body for birth. Focus on hip internal rotation, mid-back mobility, and pelvic floor relaxation.

When in doubt, reach out to a prenatal exercise specialist to learn more about how to support your body during pregnancy! Get started to day with my free pregnancy beginner workout today.

Photos courtesy of Amanda Bizarro

First Trimester Exercise Considerations

What if I told you there was something simple you could do during pregnancy that would:

• Reduce back pain

• Improve constipation

• Lower your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth

• Prepare you for birth

• Improve postpartum recovery

What if I told you this same thing could also:

• Promote healthy weight gain for baby

• Improve blood flow to the placenta

• Strength baby’s heart muscle

• Improve baby’s neuromotor skills

Well, as you may (or may not know), you are currently reading a fitness blog. So you might already have a hunch that the “something simple” offering all these amazing benefits is… EXERCISE! 

Establishing a well-balanced exercise program during your pregnancy is arguably one of the most important components of prenatal care. 

While there could be an entire blog post dedicated to outlining the reasons why you should exercise during pregnancy, this article specifically addresses some considerations you should be taking when exercising in the first trimester. Let’s dive in!

Get clearance to exercise from your medical providers before you start an exercise program. 

• While it would be amazing if every single woman could exercise throughout her entire pregnancy, it is not always possible! There are reasons why it might not be medically safe for someone to exercise during pregnancy, and that would likely be at the discretion of your medical providers. So, before you start any exercise program, be sure to get the “thumbs up” from your healthcare team!

Fatigue

• Many women experience significant fatigue during the first trimester. This is not a time that you should power through your workouts! It is important to acknowledge that your body is doing a lot of work behind the scenes in those first few months, even though you might not see many big changes on the outside. During this time, you will likely want to decrease the number of workouts you do each week, the volume of your workouts (sets & reps), or the intensity of your workouts (i.e. how heavy your weights are). If you miss a training session, it’s okay! There is nothing wrong with taking some extra rest days during the first trimester. Many women gain more energy in their second trimester– hang in there!

Nutrition

• Be sure to fuel your body appropriately! In addition to juggling potential  “morning sickness,” there is also a mindset shift that may need to occur regarding body image. If you are used to your body looking and feeling a certain way, this can often be a difficult obstacle to navigate as your physical appearance changes. Although eating nourishing foods during pregnancy is important, this is a time that you might have to fuel your body with whatever simply stays down! 

Physical Changes

• During pregnancy, your body goes through some pretty drastic changes. From the start, your blood volume will increase significantly, especially in the first trimester. This can cause lower blood pressure and at times lightheadedness or dizziness. Use caution with positional changes during daily activities and workouts (for example: standing up too fast). When structuring your workouts, try to avoid doing exercise combinations where you have to get up from the floor quickly. If you notice significant dizziness or other symptoms such as shortness of breath, contact your doctor immediately. 

• Relaxin is also a change that will impact your exercise program. Relaxin is a hormone released during pregnancy that increases joint laxity. These levels are highest in the first trimester of pregnancy and loosen up muscles, ligaments, and joints to help the body accommodate a growing baby. With exercise, you will want to limit your range of motion for movements to what was normal for you pre-pregnancy. Also, be sure not to lock your joints out! Elbows and knees are the biggest ones to pay attention to.

Some Contraindications to Exercising During Pregnancy

• Preeclampsia, incompetent cervix, placenta abruption, persistent bleeding, and preterm labor

• If you feel any of the following symptoms, call  your doctor: pain, slightly elevated blood pressure, extreme exhaustion, decreased fetal movement, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feeling faint

• Types of exercise to avoid: heated exercise (hot yoga), contact sports, or exercise that causes risk of trauma

In summary, the most important thing to do in your first trimester is to honor what your body is telling you. Think long-term and try to push any sort of expectations out of your mind. There is merit in going slow with fitness throughout your pregnancy to help support your ever-changing body. You should not have to sacrifice potential long-term consequences because you are trying to reach short-term fitness goals. This is a very short period of time in the grand scheme of life, and it is okay to slow things down. 

Click here to download some of my favorite bodyweight and band exercises for pregnancy!

Sources

1. May, Linda & Meacham, Crystal & Gustafson, Kathleen & Glaros, Alan. (2011). Gestational Exercise effects on the Infant Heart. 

2. McMillan AG, May LE, Gaines GG, Isler C, Kuehn D. Effects of Aerobic Exercise during Pregnancy on 1-Month Infant Neuromotor Skills. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Aug;51(8):1671-1676. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001958. PMID: 30817721.

3. Sarah Duvall, PCES Course 2.0. (© 2022 Core Exercise Solutions LLC)

Foam Rolling 101

Tight muscles? Feel like you need to stretch all the time? Foam rolling may be the missing piece of your puzzle! 

What is foam rolling? Foam rolling is a form of myofascial release, a technique used on skeletal muscles to decrease tightness and improve blood flow. It applies pressure to the fascia on your muscles using body weight and a foam cylinder. Foam rolling helps promote muscle recovery and improve mobility. And better mobility means improved posture, core strength, and breathing!

Foam rolling is an awesome way to start your warm-up routine. Decreasing muscle tightness before a workout can help us better access specific muscle groups that might have previously been restricted.

Some general guidelines for foam rolling are:

• Apply as much pressure as you feel you can tolerate WITHOUT tensing up. 

• Roll on an area for approximately 10-30 seconds.

• Avoid rolling directly on joints and bones.

• Avoid foam rolling if you are taking medications that could cause excessive bruising, such as blood thinners. (If you are taking any medications and are unsure, just ask your medical providers!)

• If something is injured and you are unsure if there could be a tear or inflammation, do not roll the area.

• This can be demanding on your core. If you notice any doming in your abs, avoid that position until you can manage it without seeing the doming. (What is "doming?" Check out my blog post on diastasis recti!)

• Don’t hold your breath!

You can foam roll so many muscles! Below I outline some of my favorite areas to work on... but keep in mind, the possibilities are endless! 

Piriformis

Sit in a figure-4 position on the foam roller. Turn your hips slightly towards the side of the crossed leg. Roll on your back pocket area (not right on your tailbone).

Hamstrings

Place the foam roller just below your glute. Roll from the top all the way to the back of your knee.

Calves

Roll on the back of your calf muscles. I like to turn my ankles in and out to get the different parts of my calf.

TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae)

This pesky hip flexor muscle is often very tight! Lower yourself face down onto your foam roller and come slightly on the outside of your thigh. We can do this one leg at a time. You’ll want to roll on the front pocket area of your thigh. (This is not directly in the middle of your quads, but also not on the IT band. It is somewhere in the middle. This takes some maneuvering of your body!

Mid-Back (Thoracic Spine)

I LOVE this for improving mid-back mobility. Start by placing the foam roller on your back, just below the bra line area. Keep your knees bent and feet flat. Support your head and neck by lacing your fingers together and placing them behind your head. Inhale and slowly arch back over the foam roller and stop before your ribs start to flare outward. Exhale as you come back up. Perform this moving in small increments up your spine toward the top of your shoulder blades. Don’t forget to breathe!

Interested in learning more about improving posture, breathing, and core strength? Check out my Core Essentials at-home program and try the first week for FREE! Click the button below to learn more.

Resources:

“Foam Roller Exercises.” Core Exercise Solutions, 26 July 2019, https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/how-to-use-a-foam-roller/.