It is important to stay healthy while you are pregnant. Most women find that exercise is a great way to reduce stress, burn some calories, and feel good. If you’re in your second trimester, you might be wondering which workouts are best for you. We’ve compiled a list of options while providing you with an easy-to-follow routine.
Exercise Instructions
Before we jump right in and tell you which moves to do on what days, we need to explain how to do them correctly. This protects your unborn baby and your body from injury while helping you get the most out of each exercise.
Squats
- Stand with your feet on the floor, about hip-width apart. This is considered the starting position.
- Slowly inhale. While looking ahead, bend at the knees and hips at the same time. Make sure the knees stay in line with the toes. Continue bending the knees until the thighs are parallel with the floor. You may need to practice to be able to go that low. The back should always be within 45- to 90-degrees to the hips.
- Now, exhale slowly while pushing through the heels and extending the legs upward. This will put you back at the starting position.
Repeat this 15 times.
Incline Pushups on a Chair or the Knees
- Put a chair in front of you.
- Place your hands on the chair, a little farther than shoulder-width apart. Make sure the feet are together while being on your knees. This is the starting position.
- Inhale slowly and bend the elbows to lower the torso to the chair. Keep a neutral spine and continue until the arms form 90-degree angles.
- Exhale while pushing through the chest to extend the elbows and lift back up to your starting position.
Repeat this 10 times.
Bent-Over Row with Dumbbells
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the palms facing inward. Make sure the feet are shoulder-width apart. Keep a slight bend in the knee and hinge forward from the hips, keeping the torso parallel with the floor. Extend the arms down and below the chest. This is the starting position.
- Inhale. Now, exhale and bend the elbows, bringing the dumbbells toward your body. Make sure the elbows stay in contact with your sides. There should be a gentle squeeze between the shoulder blades.
- Inhale and extend the elbows to lower the weights back down to the starting position.
Repeat this 12 times.
Bicep Curls with Dumbbells and a Neutral Grip
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip with the palms facing inward. Keep the arms extended on each side of the body and make sure the feet are shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position.
- Inhale and then exhale. Bend both elbows so that the dumbbells come in toward the chest. Make sure they stay in contact with your sides.
- Inhale again and then extend the elbows to lower your dumbbells to the starting position.
Repeat this 12 times.
Squat & Press with Dumbbells
- Holding one dumbbell in each hand, keep the feet hip-width apart. This is the starting position.
- Inhale and look straight ahead. Bend at the knees and hips, making sure the knees stay in line with the toes. Let the dumbbells run down the outside of the legs. Continue bending the knees until the upper legs are parallel to the floor. Keep your back in a 45- to 90-degree angle with the hips.
- Exhale and push through your heels, extending the legs to return to your starting position.
- Inhale and bend the elbows so that both dumbbells come into the chest. Make sure that the weights are in line with the floor, and the elbows stay in contact with your sides.
- Exhale and extend the elbows, pressing the dumbbells above the head. Make sure the arms are aligned with the ears.
- Inhale and bend the elbows to lower your weights back toward the chest.
- Exhale and extend the arms, returning to the starting position.
Repeat this 12 times.
Commando on the Knees
- Place the forearms on a yoga mat, rest on your knees, and extend the legs behind you. This is the starting position.
- Inhale and then exhale. Release the right arm and place that hand on the mat below the right shoulder, pushing up onto it. Release the left arm and put it on the mat below the left shoulder, raising up onto it. Keep the core activated so that the hips don’t sway.
- Inhale and release the right hand and put the forearm back on the mat. Then, do the same for the left hand, returning to your starting position.
- When you repeat, start with the left arm.
Continue alternating between the right and left arms 16 times.
Triceps Dips on a Chair
- Sit on a chair and put your hands on the edge of it, under the booty, and below the shoulders so that the fingers face forward.
- Shift the booty off the chair; this is the starting position.
- Inhale and bend the elbows, making sure the wrists, elbows, and shoulders are in line with each other.
- Exhale, create 90-degree angles with the arms and push through your hands to extend back to the starting position.
Repeat this 10 times.
Side Raise with Dumbbells
- Take a dumbbell in each hand and extend the arms by the sides. Feet should be shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position.
- Inhale and then exhale. Keep a slight bend in the elbows and raise the dumbbells outward and upward, stopping at shoulder height. Make sure the shoulder blades are back and down.
- Inhale and lower the weights to your starting position.
Repeat this 12 times.
How to Use the Exercises
You can also incorporate some cardio into your exercises as well.
We’ve included two circuits here. Make sure that you do all four exercises in each circuit, completing all of the reps. Then, take a 90-second break and repeat both circuits.
Circuit One
- 15 Squats
- 10 Incline Pushups
- 12 Bent-Over Rows
- 12 Bicep Curls
Circuit Two
- 12 Squat & Press
- 16 (8 per side) Commando
- 10 Triceps Dips
- 12 Side Raises
We hope that you have found this second trimester workout to be helpful. If so, follow us on Facebook to get more tips, tricks, and exercises that are safe for pregnant women everywhere.