Exercises For The Second Semester
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Today we’re talking about exercises during the second trimester. During your second trimester you may feel better than you did during the first. The second trimester is many times considered the easiest of the trimesters because many morning sickness symptoms tend to subside at this time and your belly has yet to fully develop. There are however some major changes taking place in your body. Your body is more vulnerable now due to the increase in weight in the front of your body, changing your center of gravity. Additionally, the increase of the hormone relaxin can make your body quite unstable and even vulnerable to injury. For this reason you need to modify. It is important to eliminate or change some of the things you do during your pregnancy. If you have an existing weight lifting routine, be sure to sit down. Laying down and standing up while lifting weight is not advised. If you want the extra challenge, try lifting weights while sitting on a fit ball.
Another thing to consider is to exclude flexion of your torso starting with the second trimester. Traditional abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and crunches need to be taken out of your exercise routine as they can create a diastase.
Always ensure that you have a good warm-up and cool-down period. The warm-up period will gently elevate your heart rate while the cool-down period will bring your heart rate back to normal levels.
Now for exercises. Be sure to continue your pregnancy conditioning exercises including deep breathing, pelvic tilts, and hip circles. All of these exercises will help to strengthen your body. Twenty minutes of cardio is recommended to be integrated into your routine to keep your heart and vascular system strong.
Your focus during the second trimester is to work towards having good posture, abdominal strength and proper body mechanics. But most importantly, it is critical to keep moving. Studies show that moms who exercises during pregnancy have an easier delivery and bounce back faster to their pre-pregnancy shape.
