Rethinking Pregnancy Fitness Rules

Most advice about training through pregnancy and postpartum gets boiled down to catchy lines that spark more fear than clarity. We take those mantras head-on and replace them with something better: a body readiness approach that respects training age, context, and real signals your body sends while it adapts.

We start by unpacking “just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” a phrase that often implies harm without data. Instead of blanket restrictions on running, lifting, or core work, we walk through how exposure, technique, and smart progression drive safe adaptation as your body changes. You’ll hear how fitness history matters—the seasoned runner and the veteran weightlifter typically tolerate their sports differently than beginners—and why that matters for volume, range, and intensity choices during each trimester.

From there, we tackle “if you were doing it before pregnancy, you can keep doing it” and add the nuance most advice forgets. We outline what to watch for—bleeding, persistent heaviness, leaking at new thresholds—and how to respond by adjusting load, bracing strategy, tempo, or movement selection rather than quitting what you love. In the postpartum chapter, we contrast contraindications with screening cues, share practical examples of titrating impact and strength, and explain why “listen to your body” works only when you know which signals deserve a deload and which improve with progressive training.

If you’re an active parent, coach, or clinician seeking clear, compassionate guidance that preserves performance and confidence, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts or runs, and leave a review to tell us the biggest myth you want us to debunk next.

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