5 Exercises You’ll Love In Your 2nd Trimester
When you get to the 'bulk' of your pregnancy, (weeks 12-28), there's some advice out there about what you should start to avoid (which I'll touch on in my next blog entry). But where's the advice out there about exercises you can really enjoy as you navigate your 2nd Trimester?
Here it is!
Please bear in mind this advice should never be substituted for medical advice and every pregnancy will be different. You may and or may not have preexisting conditions, injuries, or be having round ligament pain or pelvic girdle pain. You'll need to do what is comfortable for YOU.
However, these 5 exercises make the cut as some of the most aggravating movements as you move into pregnancy:
1. Sled or Box Pushes
If you've parked some of the lifting for now, it will feel great to get behind some resistance and feel a burn in your legs and the cardiovascular system. Sled pushes are a great low-impact option for pregnant mamas as it's unlikely to aggravate the midsection and growing abdominals and doesn't overly stress out your hips and pelvis. Watch your heart rate and intensity on this one as it can get really spicy really quick!
2. Assault bike (Err... does anyone actually love the Assault Bike?)
It's true. I love the assualt bike. Madness I know. You can do some really good work on this bad-boy with interval training when you're pregnant and it's pretty much the safest modality out there throughout your pregnancy. Mix it in with some ring rows to involve your upper body for a great couplet workout.
3. Ring Rows
I love these for preggy mamas because you can adjust your angle and intensity based on the individual. In your second trimester, pulling can become tricky for some, with an increased risk of 'coning/doming' at your midline due to your abs making way for bub (more about diastasis in my free factsheet below). This means that, especially if you were very muscular before you got pregnant, that you're likely to need to ditch regular pull ups, bar-hanging movements and for some even rowing. Ring rows give you a much safer 'pulling' movement, which allows you to keep an eye on your middle throughout and allows you to adjust your angle as you grow!
You can download a FREE DIASTASIS FACTSHEET here.
4. Farmers and Front Rack Carries
For some, single leg stuff (farmers/front rack lunges), weighted or non-weighted step ups, etc might become tricky. But the farmers and front rack walking carries can stay with you for as long as you can carry those kettlebells. Set them up so you can lift them from hip height (on a box perhaps), put one in each hand and walk a set distance. They're sure to raise the heart rate and make you sweat, whilst keeping hips happy. Watch if you're in front rack that you're not over-arching your back. If in doubt, choose farmers carries.
5. Swimming
Want to feel what it felt like before you were pregnant? Head into some water and you might even be able to forget you're pregnant for a little while. If you're after something with a little more intensity, try float-work with just arms or legs, or go for quicker intervals with lots of rest in between.
Enjoy trying different options with that little lot.
P.S. If you're not already following Hatch on instagram check out our account @hatch_athletic or give our Facebook Group a like. There's loads more pregnancy and postpartum advice happening on there all the time!