Running in Pregnancy: 2nd Trimester

Can you keep running during the 2nd trimester?

Yes! Unless your provider has discussed specific exercise limitations due to a pregnancy risk factor, it is generally safe to continue running during the 2nd trimester. One of the top reasons pregnant women stop running during pregnancy is fear.

So let’s talk about running during the 2nd trimester. Here are all the details you want to know.

First, energy levels start to improve, yay! This means most people are out of the ickiness of the 1st trimester, foods start to be more appealing again, and the nausea has settled. This is great news for runners. We need food to fuel our runs. This may mean you can start to ramp up your mileage again now. That’s right, you don’t need to start decreasing mileage - running in the 2nd trimester is a great time to maintain running mileage and fitness habits.

If you are not strength training, now would be the time to implement an injury prevention routine. The hormone relaxin, which we need in pregnancy to help prepare our body for birth, also makes our ligaments looser and peaks between weeks 12-14. This extra laxity around our joints can predispose us to pain or injury. By implementing a short strength training routine, you can make sure your muscles are doing what they need to do to stabilize your joints and entire body. If you have never strength trained before, I wouldn’t pick up a barbell and start deadlifting or squatting your bodyweight. But you can start implementing things like banded hip stability exercises and kettlebell or dumbbell strength work. Strength training is an important piece of running during pregnancy - it will keep you in the game long term. Check out my instagram for more exercise ideas like this one that will help with hip stability during pregnancy!

Now what about the heart rate recommendation of 140 beats per minute? You start your warm up walk or jog and you are already at 140 beats per minute…now what? Do you just stop? Nope! A better measure of exertion during pregnancy is using the rate of perceived exertion scale. This is a scale that goes from 6-20. 6 means very very light exertion (think about walking from your couch to your bathroom); 20 is extremely hard (thinking about running the length of a football field as fast as you can). When you are running during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, you can participate in moderate exercise which is rated between 12-14 on this scale. Another way to gauge intensity is using the talk test. If you can get out an entire sentence, your intensity is ok! If you can barely get out a word, you may be working too hard and reducing your intensity would be indicated. But simply looking at your garmin and modifying your activity based on your heart rate is not the best way to measure your running intensity during pregnancy.

As you progress during the 2nd trimester, and your belly gets a little bigger, things may become a little uncomfortable with running. Everyone’s belly grows differently, and some people may require more support. Belly bands may help give you a little extra hug to feel more supported as you run. If you find that you are using support garments to reduce symptoms such as low back pain, pelvic pain, hip pain, or pelvic heaviness, then you need more support than a band! Don’t ignore these symptoms. Work with a professional that can give you exercises to address the root issue.

One final thought on running during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester - if you are pregnant during the summer or live somewhere warm, make sure you are hydrating and ensuring you don’t get overheated. You may need to do more run/walk intervals, early morning runs during cooler temps, or running indoors to prevent overheating. Intensity absolutely needs to be modified when it is hot, and this is often overlooked by pregnant runners.

Want more science backed pregnant and postpartum running information? Check out my instagram! I have tons of content for pregnant and postpartum runners!

As a reminder, this information is for educational purposes only. Please consult your medical provider when beginning an exercise program during pregnancy.