woman getting exercise in her second trimester on beachYou may have heard stories of women who continued with intense exercise until the day of delivery without any issues. There are even stories of Olympic athletes who were pregnant at the time they won medals in Olympic Games. This level of training and physical stress isn’t a good idea for most women.

In your second trimester, you might feel that your sense of balance is “off.” This is because your uterus is growing, causing your abdomen to get larger. Since you might feel clumsy, this isn’t the time for contact sports like basketball, or sports where you might fall easily and injure yourself.

You can take part in many sports and other activities throughout your pregnancy. Exercise and activity can benefit you and your growing baby. The next time you have a doctor’s visit, discuss the particular physical activities you plan to take part in. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or if you’ve had several miscarriages, it’s even more important to talk to your doctor about exercise before beginning any activity. Now’s not the time to train for a sport or increase activity. It may be a good time to decrease the amount or level of exercise you’re doing. Stay in tune with your body; it’ll tell you when to slow down.