As I settle into the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy, my body is becoming accustomed to all of the changes that is happening inside of me. Even better, my Little Bean is starting to make an appearance pushing out my midsection and as I start to share all of these changes with my family, friends, and loved ones I am frequently asked – “Are you still working out?”. The answer is YES.

Do I advocate exercise during pregnancy? The answer is also YES.

Do I advise everyone to do the same exercises? That answer is NO.

Please consult your doctor before engaging in anything strenuous especially during pregnancy but as a rule of thumb, if you were active before the baby then there isn’t any reason you should continue staying active during pregnancy.

(In contrast, if you were inactive before your pregnancy it isn’t a good idea to all of a sudden get heavily involved in a disciplined training regimen of consistent and strenuous activity if your body wasn’t conditioned prior)

Of course my training volume is less and the weights I’m using are much lower than I’m used to because of all the changes in my body. The hormone Relaxin, which is responsible for mediating all of the hemodynamic changes that occur during pregnancy and also menstruation, is elevated quite high during the 1st Trimester. One of the chief purposes of Relaxin is to relax and prepare the pelvic ligaments for child birth so strenuous exercise also affects our muscles directly.

During Week 10, I documented some of the things that I personally experienced with all of the hormonal changes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46O2pXutSg8

The good news is, we start to feel a little more energetic and all of the changes that happened in the 1st Trimester start to regulate where we can begin to increase training frequency and intensity.

There is so much research that supports a STRONG MOMMY (who exercises and is cognizant of her food choices and portions) has more daily energy and a better sense of well-being, has much faster Post-Partum recovery, feels less discomfort in the pelvic and back area due to better conditioned muscles.

Even better, a STRONG MOMMY is also less likely to have varicose veins due to better blood flow, has less risk of excessive weight gain (which can result in permanent stretch marks), and a quicker return to their pre-pregnancy weight…which is what almost every woman out there wants.

I will cover more of this with much greater detail in my STRONG LIKE MOMMY e-book 🙂