Your ideal workout regime for second trimester of pregnancy

Exercising during pregnancy is quintessential for both you and your baby. It helps you keep fit and also improves circulation in your entire body, keeping the little human inside you healthy too.

However, you must know that each trimester and each stage of your pregnancy requires a different set of workout. So, in this stage of your second trimester, here’s the kind of workout you should be ideally doing:

Bridge

1. You should lie on the floor, supporting your head with a pillow. Then start with your knees bent and legs comfortably apart, raise your hips and slide a rolled bath towel or blanket under the small of the back. Then carefully lower your body down, making sure that your hips are firmly and squarely on the floor. 

2. Exhale, then inhale for a count of five as you take your arms gracefully over your head and rest the backs of your hands either on the pillow or the floor. 

3. Inhale and then exhale for a count of five as you open your knees to form a diamond shape and bring the soles of your feet together. Relax once again as you breathe naturally, feeling the increased level of stretch. 

4. Inhale, then exhale for a count of five as you slowly extend your legs and allow them to fall open from the hips. Breathe naturally as you accommodate this new stretch. 

Grandma’s Tip: Just like asanas in yoga, breathing is extremely important between these exercises too. Remember, you can’t be aggressive with your workouts now with a little human growing inside your belly. So, progress Dheere Dheere and not too fast!

Spiral Twist

1. You should lie on the floor and support your head and shoulders with two pillows, one along the spine and the other under the head, and have your knees bent and legs together. Spread your arms out of the sides at a 45-degree angle from your body to provide a stabilizing framework. 

2. Inhale and then exhale for a count of five as you roll your legs up and over to the right, still keeping them bent. Cradle under the knees with your right arm, elbow on the floor, to form a strong supporting framework. As your knees move to the right, twist your head gently to the left to form a spiral shape along your spine. Remain in the twist and breathe naturally for two or three breaths. Inhale for a count of five as you come back to the central position. 

3. Exhale as you repeat the twist to the opposite side. Repeat slowly a further two times to either side. 

4. Wind down with your hands cradling the baby and your ankles crossed, feet flat on the floor. Breathe naturally as you feel your spinal muscles relax. 

The Crossover Twist 

1. Lie on the floor, your head and shoulders still supported by two pillows. Extend your legs shoulder-width apart. Angle your arms away from your body at a 45-degree angle and use them as levers during the practice. Press your shoulder towards the floor throughout the sequence. 

2. Exhale, and then inhale for a count of five, drawing the right foot along the extended left leg to rest the instep just over the left knee. 

3. Exhale for a count of five as you ease the right knee over to the left side, either coming to rest on a cushion or making contact with the floor. At the same time turn your head slowly in the opposite direction to create the twist. Hold for two or three natural breaths, feeling the lengthening of the spine and the toning effect on the back and leg muscles. You are endeavoring to maintain a straight line from the heel of the foot to the crown of the head. Inhale for a count of five as you come back to the central position. 

4. Exhale as you repeat the twist to the opposite side. 

5. Wind down by resting with the outside of your feet touching on a rolled towel or pillow. You should keep your knees bent outwards and hands cradling your baby. You should breathe naturally as you feel your spine settling into the floor. 

The Bow

1. You should kneel on all fours, with arms fully extended and the crown of your head in line with your hips. Make sure that the lumbar portion of your spine is flat, your shoulders are vertically above your wrists and your hips are above the knees to create a box effect. Extend your inner elbows and lock your arms. 

2. Raise and extend your left leg at hip level and hold for two to three natural breaths. 

3. Bend your left knee, extending the lower leg upwards, and hold for the further two to three breaths. 

4. Provided that you feel balanced and secure, grasp your left foot with your right hand and with an expensive inhalation, arch your body and push the left foot up and away from your back to extend your arm. Ensure that your shoulders remain square to the front and that your elbow is fully extended. Hold the static position for as long as is comfortable, then exhales, lowering the leg to the starting position. 

5. Inhale and stretch once more, holding onto the bent leg for as long as you can. Exhale as you lower the leg, inhale, and then repeat the stretch once more before exhaling down to relax on all fours. You should pause for some natural breaths as your body relaxes. 

Rocking the Cradle

1. You should sit on a cushion or firm folded blanket, with your head, neck, and spine in a straight line as possible without straining. Then place the soles of the feet together and pull them towards your body so that, when you lean slightly forwards, your forearms lie along the insides of the calves.

2. Following your natural breath, rock over to the right, pressing your outer thigh into the floor and leaning your arms into your knees to keep your hips open. 

3. You should use the impetus of the movement to rock over to the left. Then repeat at least ten times to alternate sides. 

4. Now you should cradle your arms, tucking the foot into the crease of your opposite arm. Then flex the leg in the hip socket with a semi-circular rocking motion around your baby bump. Repeat at least ten times, feeling an increasing stretch. Then change legs and repeat the action with your other leg. 

Take it easy and do these helpful workouts. They will surely do you and the little one good!

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.