These rules are essential for your specific situation and take priority over the general recommendations in the plan below.
If you are not sure how to adapt the exercises to your restrictions, book an intro session or message me on Telegram.
The full plan for the "Second trimester" phase is already below on this page. Save it as a PDF, or message Anastasia if you would like to discuss your situation.
The second trimester is the most comfortable period of pregnancy and the best time for regular physical preparation. Nausea recedes, the belly does not get in the way of movement yet, energy is there. This is exactly when the base is laid that the body will live on until birth: a steady posture, core strength, a mobile pelvis, the ability to breathe. By the end of the second trimester many women develop symphysitis, lower-back pain, swelling – and how the body meets these changes depends on what was done between weeks 14 and 27. The program for this phase is built around the growing belly and increased joint mobility (the hormone relaxin is at work – the ligaments become softer, the joints less stable). Some of the first-trimester exercises drop out, and pelvic work, gentle strength load and back exercises are added. All of it – with no straining and no positions on the belly after week 16. If symptoms of symphysitis appear (pubic pain or pain when the legs spread), symmetrical exercises are a must, and asymmetrical ones drop out. With any worrying symptoms, a doctor first, then workouts.
Prepare for birth
The full set of exercises for this phase. Each one comes with an illustration, sets, and steps. Do them under a trainer’s supervision or after agreeing it with your doctor.
The basic skill of squatting with a straight back and on the exhale – this way intra-abdominal pressure does not harm the pelvic floor. This pattern will save your back during pregnancy.
The pelvis no higher than the shoulders. The glutes lead the movement, not the lower back.
Builds the skill of a neutral spine and teaches you to move the back without engaging the lower back. Safe before and during pregnancy.
Teaches stability of the shoulder girdle and the pelvis without axial load on the spine. Safe before and during pregnancy.
A healthy, strong back now = less lower-back pain during pregnancy. We work on the exhale, with no jerking.
Trains the connection between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. This skill lowers intra-abdominal pressure – the foundation of safety for any load during pregnancy and after.
Strengthens the chest muscles and triceps – it will help you hold your posture as the belly grows and carry your baby in your arms. Keep the back straight, do not sag in the lower back.
The pelvis does not rotate. The movement is only in the thoracic spine.
Teaches core stability without pressure on the spine. Trains the deep abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor to work together. Safe before and during pregnancy.
Being able to engage the pelvic floor quickly helps with coughing and sneezing. But the main thing is not to overtrain it: strength without elasticity is useless. Alternate with the reverse Kegel.
Being able to relax the pelvic floor is more critical than being able to squeeze it hard. This lowers the risk of tearing in birth and helps you recover more easily after.
A rough plan you can adjust to how you feel.
Yes, this is a normal reaction. After 20 weeks the growing uterus presses on the inferior vena cava, making venous return harder.
Symptoms:
The fix: exercises on the back are swapped for the left side or semi-seated. In the program below, most exercises are done in safe positions.
Yes, if it is adapted. Light weights, working on technique, not on records.
Allowed:
Not allowed:
The principle: anything that does not create straining and does not overload the lower back.
It might be.
Symptoms:
If symphysitis is confirmed, asymmetrical exercises (lunges, single-leg raises) drop out.
What stays is symmetrical:
See a doctorSymphysitis needs a specialist’s supervision.
After the session you should feel a pleasant sense of the muscles, but not exhaustion.
Signs that the load is too high:
If there are such signs – the load was excessive. We adjust it.
The plan above is a general program for the "Second trimester" phase. Working one-on-one with a trainer takes into account your specific features, your schedule and your goals. An intro session – from 1,600 ₽.
Other phases: Before pregnancy · First trimester · Second trimester · Third trimester · Early postpartum · Recovery · After the first year