During the second trimester, a growing belly may mean you feel a bit topsy; your center of gravity is changing, and balance may be more challenging. Most mommies report increased energy during these three months—morning sickness is typically over, there is a fun energy around people exclaiming over your cute bump, and you are excited about the coming changes and blessings in your life.

In tandom with all the first trimester guidelines (keeping the heart rate below 140bpm, staying cool and hydrated, and keeping workouts succinct), now is the time to stop working out on your back— this position potentially cuts the blood flow to you and baby.   Pay more attention to limiting your range of motion in stretching and in workouts (to about 80% of your possible range of motion). A pregnant body has the hormone relaxin—the same hormone that loosens the joints and makes delivery easier. Because this hormone loosens the joints, it is easier to sustain injury during pregnancy. One common complaint is that the pubic symphysis (the midline cartilaginous joint where the hips connect) has split; this happens because the pelvic joint is loosened by relaxin, and then is torqued by a split-leg stretch or extreme wide-stance workout position. When the pubic symphysis separates, walking and moving become painful. One will see ladies in the third trimester waddle more, as this splitting apart of the pubic symphysis is more commonly seen in the 3rd trimester, but now is the time to establish good habits to avoid it.