Exercise During Pregnancy

Cindy Nelson of Birmingham, Ala., was dedicated to her workout routine before she got pregnant with her son Conner, now 2. But it was when she got pregnant that she became a fanatic.

"I had been with my sister when she went through labor and I found it utterly terrifying," says Nelson. "It was so much more difficult than she had been led to believe it would be. I knew I couldn't completely avoid it, but I wanted to try to be as much in control as possible. I really felt like being physically strong would be a big component of that control."

When Nelson did finally go through labor, hers went much more smoothly than her sister's had. Whether or not that had to do with her commitment to keeping her strength up, she doesn't know. What she does know is that afterward both she and the baby seemed to bounce back much more quickly than most women she knows who gave birth around the same time.

"I have two friends who had their babies within a month of mine," says Nelson. "At the six week mark, I was the only one who could actually fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes, and my baby was the only one that was sleeping for good stretches of time. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I'm planning to get pregnant again within the next six months and I'm already stepping up my strength training because I think it made a difference."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.