Second trimester exercise: Safe ways to stay active

Your energy is back, morning sickness has eased, and you’re not yet navigating a large belly—welcome to the second trimester. It’s often called the “golden period” of pregnancy, and it’s the ideal window to establish an exercise routine that benefits both you and your baby.

Regular physical activity during pregnancy isn’t just safe—it’s actively encouraged. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women with uncomplicated pregnancies engage in both aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises throughout pregnancy. The goal: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, which breaks down to just 30 minutes, five days a week, according to CDC guidelines. But what counts as “moderate intensity,” and which activities are actually safe during the second trimester?

Why exercise matters now

The benefits of staying active extend far beyond maintaining fitness. Regular moderate exercise during pregnancy provides measurable advantages that make the effort worthwhile.

Physical health improvements top the list. Exercise reduces your risk of excessive weight gain and gestational diabetes—two common pregnancy complications that can affect both you and your baby. Activity keeps your cardiovascular system functioning optimally, supporting the increased blood volume your body is producing to nourish your growing baby.

Mental wellness receives a powerful boost from physical activity. Exercise during pregnancy that continues postpartum decreases symptoms of postpartum depression. The mood-boosting effects you may have experienced before pregnancy don’t disappear—they may become even more valuable as your body undergoes dramatic changes.

Energy and circulation improve with movement, even though it seems counterintuitive when you’re tired. Exercise combats pregnancy fatigue and improves circulation, which helps reduce swelling in your feet and ankles—a common second trimester complaint as your blood volume increases by nearly 50%.

The second trimester offers unique advantages for exercise. You’ve regained energy after the exhausting first trimester, but haven’t yet reached the physical limitations that come with a larger belly in the third trimester. Your balance remains relatively stable, and you’re not yet dealing with the hip and pelvic discomfort many women experience later in pregnancy.

Understanding moderate intensity

Before choosing specific activities, you need to understand what “moderate intensity” actually means for your pregnant body. Moderate-intensity exercise should raise your heart rate and cause light sweating, but you should still be able to hold a conversation—though you won’t be able to sing.

Keep your heart rate below 140 beats per minute during exercise. Medical professionals recommend exercise intensity remain less than 60-80% of your age-predicted maximum heart rate. This ensures adequate oxygen flow to your baby while still providing cardiovascular benefits to you.

The talk test offers a simpler gauge: If you can’t speak in full sentences while exercising, you’re working too hard. Scale back the intensity until you can comfortably talk. This subjective measure often proves more practical than constantly checking your heart rate, especially during activities like swimming where monitoring devices don’t work well.

Safe exercise options for the second trimester

Walking

Walking requires no special equipment beyond supportive shoes and provides genuine cardiovascular benefits. Brisk walking qualifies as moderate-intensity aerobic activity and remains safe throughout pregnancy.

Start with 15-20 minute walks if you’re new to exercise, gradually building to 30 minutes. As your belly grows, focus on posture—shoulders back, core gently engaged—to prevent lower back strain. Walk with a friend for accountability, or listen to sound journeys from the Beginning app to make the time pass pleasantly. Choose well-lit, even surfaces to minimize fall risk, and invest in shoes with good arch support as your ligaments loosen due to pregnancy hormones.

Swimming and water aerobics

Water-based exercise offers unique advantages during pregnancy that make it especially appealing in the second trimester. The buoyancy of water supports your growing belly, takes pressure off your joints, and helps prevent overheating—a concern when exercising while pregnant, as your body temperature naturally runs higher.

Swimming provides resistance that gently strengthens muscles while delivering cardiovascular benefits. Water aerobics classes designed for pregnancy offer social connection with other expectant mothers while keeping you safely active under instructor guidance.

Aim for 30-minute swim sessions or water aerobics classes. Focus on freestyle and backstroke rather than breaststroke, which can strain your pelvic joints as pregnancy progresses and relaxin loosens your ligaments. Many community pools offer prenatal water aerobics classes where you’ll find modifications appropriate for each trimester.

The water’s resistance provides strength training benefits without requiring you to lift weights, and the cooling effect helps prevent the dangerous overheating that can occur with land-based exercise during pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga

Yoga specifically designed for pregnancy combines flexibility training, gentle strength building, and stress relief. Prenatal yoga classes understand the modifications necessary during pregnancy, avoiding deep twists, poses that compress the abdomen, and lying flat on your back for extended periods—all important safety considerations in the second trimester.

Look for certified prenatal yoga instructors who understand pregnancy-specific anatomy and modifications. If attending a regular class, inform the instructor you’re pregnant so they can offer alternatives. Focus on poses that strengthen your legs, open your hips, and practice breathing techniques that will serve you during labor. Cat-cow stretches relieve back tension, warrior poses build leg strength needed for labor positions, and child’s pose offers rest between more active sequences.

The breathing practices you learn in prenatal yoga prove invaluable during labor and delivery. Pranayama techniques help you stay calm and oxygenate your body during contractions. For additional relaxation after your yoga practice, explore the pregnancy-specific sound journeys and mindfulness content in our Beginning Pregnancy Course, which complements physical exercise with mental preparation for birth and motherhood.

Light strength training

Maintaining muscle strength during pregnancy helps you carry the extra weight you’re gaining, supports good posture, and prepares your body for the physical demands of labor and newborn care. Strength training with weights or resistance training remains safe during pregnancy when done with appropriate modifications.

Use lighter weights with higher repetitions rather than heavy weights with few reps. This approach builds muscular endurance—exactly what you need for pregnancy, labor, and caring for a newborn—without straining your loosening joints. Focus on exercises that strengthen your back, shoulders, and legs, areas that will work increasingly hard as pregnancy progresses.

Effective second trimester strength exercises include squats and modified lunges for leg strength, bicep curls and shoulder presses with light dumbbells (5-10 pounds), resistance band exercises for arms and upper back, wall push-ups instead of traditional push-ups, and pelvic tilts for core stability. Avoid exercises that require lying flat on your back after the first trimester, as this position can compress the vena cava and reduce blood flow to your baby.

Consider working with a personal trainer experienced with prenatal fitness for your first few sessions to learn proper form and appropriate modifications. They can teach you to engage your core safely (your transverse abdominis rather than your rectus abdominis) and avoid movements that increase your risk of diastasis recti, the separation of abdominal muscles that commonly occurs during pregnancy.

Stationary cycling

Cycling provides excellent cardiovascular exercise without the fall risk that comes with outdoor biking as your center of gravity shifts. Both stationary cycling and bike riding are recommended pregnancy activities, though many women find stationary bikes more comfortable and safer in the second trimester.

Adjust the handlebars higher to prevent hunching over your belly as it grows. Keep resistance moderate and focus on a steady, sustainable pace rather than high-intensity intervals or standing climbs. If you experience any pelvic discomfort, cushioned bike shorts or a gel seat cover can help.

Stationary cycling offers the advantage of climate control—you can exercise in air conditioning rather than outdoor heat—and entertainment options that make 30 minutes pass quickly. Many women find cycling gentler on their joints than running while still providing the cardiovascular benefits their changing bodies need.

Essential safety guidelines

Before starting any exercise program during pregnancy, consult your healthcare provider. A thorough clinical evaluation ensures you don’t have medical or obstetric complications that would make exercise inadvisable. Women with certain conditions—including placenta previa, incompetent cervix, preterm labor risk, or severe anemia—may need to avoid exercise entirely or follow significant restrictions.

Pre and post-exercise protocols

Proper warm-up and cool-down become especially important during pregnancy. Warm up for 5 minutes before exercise with gentle movement and stretching to gradually increase your heart rate and prepare your muscles. Your ligaments are already looser due to pregnancy hormones, making injury from cold muscles more likely.

Follow aerobic activity with 5-10 minutes of slower exercise and gentle stretching to cool down. This gradual decrease in intensity prevents blood pooling in your legs and reduces dizziness—a particular concern during pregnancy when your blood pressure naturally runs lower.

Eat at least 1 hour before exercising to ensure adequate fuel for both you and your baby. Pregnancy increases your caloric needs, and exercise requires additional energy. A small snack combining protein and complex carbohydrates—such as apple slices with peanut butter or whole grain crackers with cheese—provides sustained energy without causing digestive discomfort during your workout.

Drink water before, during, and after your workout to prevent dehydration, which can trigger contractions. Your increased blood volume and the fluid needs of your growing baby make hydration even more critical during pregnancy. Aim for 8 ounces of water before exercise, 8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during activity, and 8 ounces after you finish.

Get up slowly after floor exercises to prevent dizziness from blood pressure changes. The enlarged uterus pressing on blood vessels can cause orthostatic hypotension—a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand quickly. Take your time transitioning from lying to sitting to standing, especially in the second and third trimesters.

Warning signs to stop immediately

Your body communicates clearly when something isn’t right. Stop exercising and contact your healthcare provider if you experience dizziness or feeling faint, shortness of breath before or during exertion, vaginal bleeding, abdominal or back pain, amniotic fluid leakage, chest pain, muscle weakness, or calf pain or swelling.

These symptoms could indicate pregnancy complications that require immediate medical attention. Vaginal bleeding might signal placental issues, while excessive shortness of breath could indicate cardiovascular problems. Amniotic fluid leakage before 37 weeks constitutes a medical emergency requiring immediate evaluation.

Don’t dismiss warning signs as “normal pregnancy symptoms” or try to push through them. When it comes to prenatal exercise, erring on the side of caution protects both you and your baby.

Activities to avoid

While many exercises remain safe, some pose unnecessary risks during pregnancy. Avoid sports with high fall risk such as skiing, horseback riding, surfing, or gymnastics. Your shifting center of gravity makes falls more likely, and impact to your abdomen could harm your baby or trigger placental abruption.

Contact sports including basketball, soccer, hockey, or any sport where you could be hit create obvious risks. Even a minor blow to your abdomen could cause serious complications.

Activities with trauma risk—kickboxing, martial arts, or high-intensity interval training involving jumping—should be eliminated or significantly modified. The jarring impact stresses your loosening joints and pelvic floor while offering no benefits that gentler activities don’t provide.

Avoid exercises lying flat on your back after the first trimester. This position allows your enlarged uterus to compress the vena cava, the major vein returning blood to your heart from your lower body. Reduced blood flow can decrease oxygen delivery to your baby and cause dizziness or nausea.

Skip hot yoga or hot Pilates entirely during pregnancy. Overheating poses risks to your developing baby, particularly in the first trimester when neural tube development occurs, but remains inadvisable throughout pregnancy. Your body temperature naturally runs higher during pregnancy, and activities in heated rooms can quickly push you into dangerous territory.

If you participated in extreme fitness programs before pregnancy, consult your doctor about necessary modifications rather than continuing your pre-pregnancy routine unchanged. Pregnancy requires adjusting intensity, duration, and exercise selection to protect your changing body and growing baby.

Creating your second trimester exercise routine

Start where you are, not where you think you should be. If you exercised regularly before pregnancy, you can generally continue with modifications. If you’re new to exercise, start gradually—even 10-15 minutes of walking daily provides benefits. Pregnancy isn’t the time to suddenly train for a marathon, but it’s also not the time to become completely sedentary unless medical complications require it.

Mix different types of exercise throughout the week to work different muscle groups and prevent boredom. A sample week might include a 30-minute walk on Monday, prenatal yoga for 45 minutes on Tuesday, swimming for 30 minutes on Wednesday, light strength training for 20-30 minutes on Thursday, another 30-minute walk on Friday, and gentle activity like prenatal yoga or a leisurely walk on the weekend. This variety ensures you’re building cardiovascular endurance, maintaining flexibility, and strengthening muscles that will support you through late pregnancy and labor.

Listen to your body with new attentiveness. Pregnancy isn’t the time to push through pain or set personal records. Some days you’ll have more energy than others—that’s normal and expected as your body dedicates enormous resources to growing your baby. The fatigue you feel on certain days isn’t laziness; it’s your body signaling its priorities. Adjust your intensity based on how you feel rather than adhering rigidly to a predetermined plan.

Track your exercise sessions alongside other symptoms and energy levels. You may notice patterns in when you feel most energetic or which activities help with specific pregnancy discomforts. Many women find morning exercise provides energy for the entire day, while others feel strongest in the afternoon. Some find swimming relieves back pain, while others notice walking helps with swelling. Pay attention to these patterns and structure your routine accordingly.

Beyond physical exercise

Physical activity represents just one component of wellness during pregnancy. The second trimester offers an ideal time to prepare mentally and emotionally for birth and parenthood while your energy levels remain relatively high.

Explore the Beginning Pregnancy Course for masterclasses covering everything from labor preparation to relationship changes during pregnancy. Our 3D sound journeys help manage stress, improve sleep quality, and maintain mental balance as you navigate the physical changes of pregnancy. Combine your exercise routine with these mental wellness practices for comprehensive pregnancy care addressing both your physical and emotional needs.

The mind-body connection grows especially important during pregnancy and labor. The physical strength and stamina you build through exercise matter, but so does your mental preparation. Women who practice both physical fitness and mental wellness techniques often report feeling more confident and in control during labor, better able to cope with contractions and the intensity of childbirth.

Your second trimester exercise plan

The second trimester offers a window of opportunity to build strength, stamina, and healthy habits that will serve you through late pregnancy, labor, and into the postpartum period. Physical activity during pregnancy is associated with minimal risks and significant benefits for most women. The evidence overwhelmingly supports staying active, with regular exercise reducing your risk of pregnancy complications while improving your physical and mental wellbeing.

Start with activities you enjoy, follow the safety guidelines, and remember that any movement surpasses none. Whether you’re walking around your neighborhood, swimming laps at the local pool, or flowing through prenatal yoga poses, you’re investing in your health and your baby’s wellbeing. The 30 minutes you spend exercising today pays dividends in easier pregnancy, shorter labor, and faster postpartum recovery.

Ready to support your physical fitness with mental and emotional preparation? Download the Beginning app and explore our comprehensive Pregnancy Course designed specifically for expectant mothers. Your journey to motherhood deserves holistic support—mind, body, and spirit.