Second Trimester Exercise

Featuring Dr. Karen Buhler, MD, CCFP
Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds

So when you're in your second trimester, you are after the 12th week of pregnancy. There are a couple of things that you have to remember.

The first is that the baby leaves the protection of the pelvis after 15 weeks, so any type of activity that causes abdominal trauma needs to be avoided, such as soccer, squash, racquetball.

A common question is whether or not the woman can ski. What is told to them is that it's okay to ski providing they can minimize the risk of impact, in essence the risk of somebody running into them.

In your second trimester, you have to remember not to do exercises that have you laying flat on your back, and that's because the big blood vessel that drains the blood from your legs to your heart actually can get compressed by the growing uterus, and cause you to feel a little bit lightheaded.

So if you are doing exercises on your back, it's important to make a modification and do them on an incline. And this includes everythign, yoga, Pilates, everything. If you do it on an incline, you're fine.

The key points to remember in the second trimester is the baby leaves the pelvis after 15 weeks, so avoid anything that has a potential risk for abdomainal trauma. If you have any questions about your exercise program or your pregnancy, please contact your healthcare provider.

Video produced in conjunction with HealthChoicesFirst and Dr. Karen Nordahl, family physician,

Presenter: Dr. Karen Nordahl, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor