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
Loving Your Body: The Key to Success
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between.
Did you know that less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight?” And 9% of the U.S. population (28.8 million Americans) will develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. (1)
When I was a freshman in college I developed an unspecified eating disorder. “Unspecified” meaning not a diagnosis such as anorexia, or bulimia, but a generalized unhealthy relationship with my body, food, and exercise.
It began with my annual physical the summer before school started. I had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to be a first-year student at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI (which I later transferred from). I got on the scale, and my doctor absently told me I was borderline “overweight” based on my BMI.
“Borderline overweight” to a teenage girl practically equates to plain old “overweight.” And while my doctor had no intentions of being the catalyst that set me on the path to disordered eating and exercise, her words caused me to become obsessed with my body. And honestly, my concern was not necessarily surrounding my health, but the way I looked and a fixation on what others thought about me.
I began to exercise excessively and cut calories to the lowest amount possible without starving myself. I obsessed over planning out my meals, food logging and weighing myself multiple times daily. If anything in this process was unexpectedly altered (having to stay late at work and missing my scheduled exercise, mom not cooking the exactly portioned out meal we planned) I lost it. I was debilitated by defeat and unworthiness. I felt like a failure.
I lost 30 lbs that year. Losing 30 lbs in one year is not unhealthy in itself. I was not technically underweight, our malnourished. “I did not actually have an eating disorder,” I told myself constantly. But here’s the thing… I actually did.
I was consumed by my food, my exercise, and my body image. That is literally all that mattered to me. I would cancel plans with friends last minute because I didn’t want to get frozen yogurt. I would yell at my mom if she decided to pick up a pizza after a long day of work instead of cook the bland “safe” dinner I had planned for. I had a very unhealthy perspective on life during those two years. My mental health was diminishing. Eventually, I got help through counseling. I read self-development books, started journaling, and did a lot of work mentally to help dig myself out of an unfortunate situation.
The reason I am writing about this time in my life is to point out that working towards health and fitness goals is not easy. They require time, effort, and dedication. But what they do not require is obsession, stress, and negativity. Working towards such goals requires a certain mindset; a perspective.
Perspective is something you can change; it is not permanent. While I had an incredible support system to get me through a difficult time in my life, the pivotal moment that actually changed me was my mindset shift. I realized that my health, self-worth, and happiness did not equate to a number on the scale, the size of my pants (which varies GREATLY from store to store…) or how many calories I burned in my workout.
My health and happiness lay in my love for my body. I needed to love my body before anything else. Without that, I was chasing an empty goal; an empty dream.
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between. With that being said, I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes.
“If it costs you your peace, it costs too much.” -Jenna Kutcher
This quote speaks volumes to me, not only as a professional in the health and fitness industry but also as a young woman journeying through this crazy life herself. Without happiness, you cannot truly be healthy. While making healthy choices is hard work, it should never cost you your peace of mind. It’s not worth it. There is a way to achieve what you want without forfeiting what you have.
Once you learn to love your body, then you will be able to cherish and embrace the ways to take care of it. Find your balance, find your value, and you will find that happiness is right there in front of you!
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