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Pregnant Women Pump Iron

Strength With Upper Body Work

By Kelly Burgess

Everyone wants to come out of their pregnancy with a flat stomach and toned muscles. While the first might take a while, the toned muscles are something that can be maintained through much of a pregnancy. Keeping up with upper body work will give results that will last well beyond delivery.

There are many benefits to maintaining upper body fitness in pregnancy besides just the cosmetic. "Studies have shown that strength and conditioning done throughout pregnancy may help prevent the typical aches and pains of late pregnancy," says Christie Hadley, a certified personal trainer for Babyfit.com. "It also helps to keep from losing muscle tone and getting back into shape more quickly after pregnancy."

Beyond that, adds Lisa Stone, a mother of three and founder of Fit For 2 Inc., after the baby is born, a new mom needs a lot of upper body strength to carry the baby, the diaper bag, the stroller and often a toddler, too. Still, as with anything involving pregnancy, a few cautions are in order.

"While pregnancy is an excellent time to maintain strength and fitness, it is not the time to attempt to increase strength or muscle tone," says Stone. "In fact, if your strength training was very vigorous before you became pregnant, pregnancy may be a time to back off a little as the joints loosen and balance shifts. But don't give it up altogether."

In addition to that advice, the usual safety tips apply:

• Always get a doctor's approval before beginning or continuing an exercise program.
• Avoid any back-lying exercises after the first trimester.
• If you feel any discomfort, stop and consult your physician.

Once your doctor gives you the go-ahead, these are some great exercises to maintain tone and strength in the upper body:

Want to see more?

• Exercise Your Way through Pregnancy
• In the Swim of Things
• Pregnant? It's Not Too Late to Start Exercising
• Talk about it!