Don't stop exercising just because you're pregnant

Many people pause physical activity during pregnancy -- but research shows that exercising while pregnant is good for your health and your baby's health. If you're unsure which kinds of exercise are on the table, fear not. Life Kit reporter Andee Tagle takes you through the workout guidance for each trimester and how you can physically prepare for your due date. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekit https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit/?hl=en Sign up for our newsletter here. https://www.npr.org/newsletter/life-kit Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at [email protected] mailto:[email protected] Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening and convenient playlists of popular help topics like personal finance, getting healthy, and more. Learn more at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy

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• 0:01Speaker 00

  This week on Up First, the midterms, less than 15 days away. President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and former President Obama, all crisscrossing the country, rallying voters in key races from Michigan to Georgia to North Carolina. Join us every morning as we guide you through the home stretch of this election season, Up First, on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 0:26Marielle Segarra?

  Hey, it's Marielle Segarra. You're listening to Life Kit. I have often wondered what pregnant women can actually do in terms of exercise. I got the idea that you're not supposed to lift heavy things or jump around too much. But then there are also women online doing CrossFit at nine months pregnant. Life Kit reporter Andy Tagle was confused about this during her pregnancy.

• 0:49Speaker 02

  I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I had joined this boot camp gym. And I'd been going pretty regularly, and it was really fun and really hard. But almost immediately after seeing that positive pregnancy test, I stopped going.

• 1:06Marielle Segarra?

  Wow.

• 1:07Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, not because my doctor told me I couldn't, not because I had read any research. It just seemed like, maybe this isn't a good idea.

• 1:15Marielle Segarra?

  What was your fear?

• 1:19Speaker 02

  That I might do something to hurt the baby, that like something might happen if I worked out too hard, you know, like if I lifted too heavy, or if like I exerted myself too much.

• 1:32Marielle Segarra?

  Her family was protective, too. And the idea wasn't just, we have to protect the baby, but also, we have to protect you.

• 1:39Speaker 02

  As soon as we started telling my family, I just felt like there was an immediate cushioning.

• 1:44Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah.

• 1:44Speaker 02

  Cushioning, bordering on coddling, like, oh, sit down. I got the dishes, you know? Don't worry about that. Like, put your feet up. I was, it was so early on that I couldn't even see the doctor. Like, the doctors wouldn't see me yet. But it was already like, take a load off,

• 1:57Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah.

• 1:58Speaker 02

  was the messaging right away.

• 1:59Marielle Segarra?

  Which is nice, on the one hand, right? Because you probably get a little tired when you're pregnant.

• 2:03Speaker 02

  But it was like, you are delicate now.

• 2:06Marielle Segarra?

  Mm-hmm. But what Andy found in reporting this episode is that pregnant women are not delicate. They can do a lot. And movement, exercise, is great for them.

• 2:17Speaker 02

  It's probably not a big surprise now to hear that, just like when you're not pregnant, a pregnant person's body, brain, heart benefits from movement. You know, and actually, the recommendation is exactly the same for pregnant people as it is for everyone else. So 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week.

• 2:38Marielle Segarra?

  Mm-hmm.

• 2:39Speaker 02

  But the most current research says only 10 to 15% of pregnant women actually follow that guidance.

• 2:45Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah, this is most of what I hear from friends who are pregnant. They're like, I'll get to that after I give birth.

• 2:54Speaker 02

  Yeah. But research shows that exercising regularly throughout pregnancy does not increase your risk of having a miscarriage, of having a small baby, or of having an early baby.

• 3:05Marielle Segarra?

  So anyone out there who's like on the fence about keeping up that Pilates class or their strength training?

• 3:12Speaker 02

  Keep going. It's not just safe, it's highly recommended for your health and for babies. For starters, it can reduce pregnancy pain and make birth easier. But I should note, for the record, that we are not offering medical advice here. You definitely want to check in with your doctor about what's best for your pregnancy. But we did talk to a lot of medical experts who have a lot of great tools to help keep you moving safely.

• 3:37Marielle Segarra?

  After the break, how exercising can make pregnancy less painful and make birth easier. Also, specific advice and exercises for each trimester.

• 4:00Speaker 03

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• 5:23Speaker 02

  Congratulations, parent-to-be, and welcome to your guide to what you expect from your workout when you're expecting. We're going to move through this one trimester at a time. To start, let's warm up your mindset. Maybe you're here because you're having trouble getting motivated. That makes sense.

• 5:41Speaker 06

  In the first trimester, many women experience fatigue, and that's a very normal part of the first trimester. People want to maybe sleep all the time.

• 5:51Speaker 02

  This is Dr. Anna Sapien, an OB-GYN and Director of Community Women's Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

• 5:58Speaker 06

  The advice I always say is to listen to your body, right? Like, if something feels like it's too strenuous, it's really impossible to do, then that's, that's your body telling you to do that. And so you should listen to your cues.

• 6:08Speaker 02

  Take away one. New to this? Not feeling right? Start low, go slow, but keep at it. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or you've never stepped foot inside a gym, the beginning of being pregnant can pack a punch, to say the least. So if you're not already active, but you want to try for that 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise five times a week...

• 6:35Speaker 06

  Maybe work up to that. So doing maybe like 10 minutes at a time and working your way up.

• 6:40Speaker 02

  Now, if you are a gym regular and you're rearing to go, but you've just been feeling wiped...

• 6:46Speaker 07

  Listen, this is your first lesson in the first trimester of mom life, and it's like, you got to change your mindset and your expectation.

• 6:56Speaker 02

  Crystal Howard is a women's health physical therapist, as well as the co-owner of Expecting and Empowered, a platform designed specifically for pregnancy and postpartum workouts.

• 7:06Speaker 07

  I just got my workout in myself, so that's why I have this wet hair. But you always got to prioritize that fitness, you know?

• 7:13Speaker 02

  As a mom of three herself, she fully understands just how hard it can be when the first trimester puts you on your heels. So...

• 7:21Speaker 07

  If you go for a walk because you're feeling sick, that's a win. Chalk it up. If you only feel like doing some flexibility and gentle movement because you feel like you're going to barf, chalk it up.

• 7:33Speaker 02

  Because even small, regular efforts to stay active can make a difference during pregnancy and postpartum especially.

• 7:39Speaker 04

  We saw a 40% reduction in the odds of developing preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes.

• 7:48Speaker 02

  I'm guessing you're familiar with these three because they're major pregnancy complications that your doctor likely already has or will be screening you for. Each can pose a serious or even life-threatening risk to both mom and baby. So I talked to Margie Davenport about this. She's a researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada who focuses on the effects of exercise before, during, and after pregnancy. She says the benefits of exercising during pregnancy don't just stop with you. Babies with active moms have a lower risk of obesity and diabetes down the road, for instance.

• 8:23Speaker 04

  Their babies have slightly stronger cardiovascular systems. Baby brain activity in the month postpartum is a little bit higher.

• 8:30Speaker 02

  So in this early stage of pregnancy, resolve to fit in movement how and where and when you can.

• 8:38Speaker 06

  Maybe get off one stop earlier and walk, you know, get in some more steps. Try to find a way to incorporate exercise into your, your daily routine.

• 8:48Speaker 02

  I know what you want to know next. What's the perfect pregnancy exercise routine, right? Well, there's a short answer and a long answer. Short version?

• 9:00Speaker 04

  There is no one best way to exercise. I would say that the best form of activity is the one that you're going to enjoy and do and...

• 9:09Speaker 07

  And, you know, maintained during pregnancy.

• 9:12Speaker 02

  So if you're 12 weeks in and waking up every day, still feeling jazzed about that morning jog, don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel.

• 9:19Speaker 06

  There's very little that you shouldn't do in pregnancy. Barring a complication in pregnancy where we are asking or recommending that you restrict exercise, then it's probably fine to continue what you were doing.

• 9:35Speaker 02

  The longer answer is, your body is going to do a lot of changing over the next several months, and the best workout will adapt accordingly. Takeaway two, you don't have to feel this way. Add in workouts early on that can help prevent pain down the line. Heartburn, acne, constipation, nosebleeds, leg cramps, itchiness all over. As your first trimester progresses, so too does the unique parade of new body pains and surprising bodily functions that can often spur the phrase, is that supposed to be doing that?

• 10:11Speaker 07

  I wish that people knew that a lot of things are preventable during pregnancy.

• 10:16Speaker 02

  As your body grows and shifts, Crystal says, your body's different internal pressure systems can get thrown off, causing pain or problems in areas where pressure is unevenly distributed. sciatica, for instance, can happen when the uterus puts too much pressure on the sciatic nerve. Or maybe you're dealing with hemorrhoids.

• 10:37Speaker 07

  Too much pressure in the pelvic floor region.

• 10:40Speaker 02

  But by building balance and strength in a few key areas of the body, you can alleviate or maybe even prevent some common pregnancy aches and pains. So let's walk through a few ways to do that. We'll start with what Crystal calls a triple B breath. You know, breathe in through your nose, then down your back and into your bra line.

• 11:03Speaker 07

  All the way down into your butt, that's the third B. So almost think about yourself being like a tiger. Instead of the tail being tucked, think about lifting the tail out from behind you with your breath.

• 11:15Speaker 02

  In addition to being a useful tool for calming down your nervous system, the triple B is great for a warm up because it hits a lot of the areas that need your attention throughout your pregnancy. Your back, chest, core, hips, and pelvic floor. These areas, you're going to want to work out regularly. Now, what will that look like exactly? There's no official guidance on this, and check in with your doctor, of course. But Crystal very generously gave us some ideas on what an exercise plan throughout your pregnancy might look like. Let's start with a big picture overview first. She suggests incorporating some sort of flexibility or stretching daily, plus one to two days

• 11:59Speaker 02

  of focused work, like Pilates or yoga. That can help prep your body for delivery. Aim for one cardio workout per week and three strength workouts per week because of that aforementioned instability and imbalance. During those strength workouts, you might focus on one or two areas of the body on a rotating basis. Say 15 to 30 minutes at a time to start. So maybe you do back and chest on Mondays, hips, core, pelvic floor on Wednesdays.

• 12:31Speaker 02

  If you don't already have a routine, you can just pick a few favorites from the exercises in this episode and plan to do a few rounds of between 10 to 20 reps of each exercise at a time. Ease up on the weights as your pregnancy progresses or as your body needs. Now, in the first trimester specifically, Crystal says-

• 12:51Speaker 07

  I'm starting to think about adding that lateral hip movement. I'm starting to think about really reconnecting to my core.

• 12:59Speaker 02

  For your hips, you could try side lying leg lifts, banded walks, side to side, lateral lunges, or glute bridges. Trust me, your third trimester self will thank you for all of those. You know that very distinctive waddle walk of the deeply pregnant?

• 13:16Speaker 07

  When we start to waddle, it means that our feet are slowly like drifting outwards. When our feet drift outwards, our hips are actually rotating outwards too. What that means is they've lost some of their lateral hip control. That's why I'm also obsessed with it in the beginning of the first and second trimester, trying to get side to side movements.

• 13:39Speaker 02

  For your core, go for bear crawls, side planks, or bird dogs. That's the one where you start in a tabletop position and then reach out opposite arms and legs. Or dead bugs, which is essentially the same exercise, just on your back. These are all going to target your deep core muscles.

• 13:57Speaker 07

  The transverse abdominis, it's called. It's like your own personal parashpang. So we want to learn how to use the spanks if we can. If I have great abdominal control, one of the things I might not have is what's called pubic synthesis pain.

• 14:12Speaker 02

  Better known as SPD or lightning crotch. The name is unfortunate, I know, but also appropriate.

• 14:20Speaker 07

  When that belly expands, there's going to be a lot more pressure on the front of the bone, but all of that pressure that's moving forward, preventable. You know, like working on my hamstring strength is also going to help tilt my pelvis back, get it into a nice neutral position, preventable. So it's going to reduce aches and pains like that. It's also going to reduce complications during labor and delivery.

• 14:47Speaker 02

  If you're looking for more structure, more cardio, or both, bar, zumba, or other dance based workouts might be a good place to start. Any standard Pilates or yoga class is also sure to cover everything on Crystal's list. Just make sure you don't end up in any heated or aerial silk type classes to best protect that tiny growing bump. Speaking of safety, general guidelines are pretty straightforward. You follow the same basic best practices as you would when not pregnant. Stay well hydrated, make sure you're not going to overheat, wear supportive clothing, and the same goes for when you should worry.

• 15:25Speaker 06

  I think that warning signs that are true for everyone who is exercising, you know, if you are feeling very short of breath, if you're having chest pain, if you're feeling dizzy, those are cues to stop what you're doing.

• 15:39Speaker 02

  When it comes to pregnancy specific symptoms?

• 15:41Speaker 06

  If you start to feel like you're having contractions, if you develop spotting, call your doctor.

• 15:48Speaker 02

  Okay, those recommendations are helpful, but surprisingly broad. Are you sure there's nothing else we should be staying away from, doc?

• 15:55Speaker 06

  Make sure that you're not doing things where there is a risk for direct abdominal trauma, right? So things like boxing is probably not a good idea if there's that opportunity for direct abdominal trauma.

• 16:11Speaker 02

  Boxing, of course. That's a no brainer.

• 16:14Speaker 07

  Well, actually, we are changing again the way that we think about most of these things. So you probably shouldn't go and be in a full out match, but that doesn't mean that you can't be hitting a bag, right? So you can do modified activity that's going to be lower risk.

• 16:34Speaker 02

  And that rule goes for a lot of other physical activities too. Be discerning, of course. Avoid extreme pressure and temperatures, anything with extreme in the name, really. Contact sports or any activity where falling is likely. Plus, lying flat on your back for long periods of time, especially in the third trimester. But you have more room to move than a lot of people think.

• 16:57Speaker 07

  What has sort of been traditionally recommended is to avoid heavy weight lifting in pregnancy. So some people are told, don't lift over 10 pounds, don't lift over 20 pounds. Well, you kind of get into a bit of a pickle after you deliver because you walk out of the hospital or wherever and you have this lovely little, say, seven pound baby and I don't know, it feels like 50 pound car seat to go with it. And so there's no reason to stop resistance training during pregnancy.

• 17:29Speaker 02

  Strength training as that belly starts to pop. That's where we're headed after the break.

• 17:49Speaker 03

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• 17:54Speaker 07

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• 18:17Speaker 03

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• 18:38Speaker 02

  You're listening to Life Kit, and it's time for Takeaway Three. Keep building your strength as your belly grows. All right, we're going to cover a lot of ground quickly in this takeaway because-

• 18:48Speaker 07

  The second trimester is honestly golden, golden trimester.

• 18:53Speaker 02

  Once you turn the corner on week 14, or shortly thereafter, you're hopefully feeling better, brighter, and more energized. As you regain your vitality, Crystal says, build on that momentum in your workout, particularly when it comes to resistance training. So-

• 19:09Speaker 07

  This is when I really, though, start to think about my upper back and tension here. Most women will have peck weakness, so their pecs start to get really tense. That's when you start to see that slump position, because I can't hold myself upright. I want collarbones to be like nice and wide.

• 19:29Speaker 02

  Working with your body weight? Go for incline or wall pushups. You could try any or all types of rows with free weights. And at the gym, head to the seated chest press or try some standing cable flies with a wide stance that can safely accommodate that growing bump. From there-

• 19:47Speaker 07

  I want to work on my postural muscles so that my trunk can stay stacked over my pelvis. And again, this is going to help the pelvic floor.

• 19:58Speaker 02

  Postural muscles are constantly working to help keep you balanced and upright. It's a big group, but generally, your neck, back, core, hip, and leg muscles are all included. And the stronger they are, the better aligned you'll be, the more you can protect yourself against things like the all-over back pain that can really start to come calling as that fetus grows. So next up, let's move on to training those hamstrings, which can really support your fast-changing center of gravity. That could look like lateral lunges or sumo squats. That wider stance might just be comfier for you now. For free weights, one of Crystal's favorites is a variation on Romanian deadlifts.

• 20:43Speaker 07

  Where you're bringing the opposite arm across to the opposite leg, but loading it.

• 20:49Speaker 02

  Start in a standing position with weight in one hand. Then hinge at your hip with back straight and knees slightly bent. Bring that weight down to the opposite foot, then hinge back up and switch sides. Now, if just listening to that description felt complicated, you could opt instead for leg presses or the hip abduction adduction machines at the gym. Aim for moderate resistance, meaning you should be able to have a conversation while you exercise.

• 21:20Speaker 02

  A final area of note in your second trimester-

• 21:23Speaker 07

  That diaphragm. I'm thinking about keeping space for the diaphragm, so I'm thinking about flexibility through my spine, loading it. And then I'm also thinking about breathing in that area is really important.

• 21:37Speaker 02

  A mermaid stretch is a fun one to try. Sit on the ground with knees bent and feet folded to the right. As you inhale, raise your left arm to the sky with your right arm on the ground for support. As you exhale, bend your torso to the right. Hold for four breaths. You should feel the stretch on your left side. You also want to keep going with deep core exercises to help combat diastasis recti. That's when your ab muscles separate from stretching during pregnancy. Heel slides are a popular recommendation in this category, as are those bird dogs from earlier.

• 22:13Speaker 07

  Because I'm getting the opposite side, opposite arm, opposite leg, keeping that back, what's called the posterior chain act of, as long as we can.

• 22:22Speaker 02

  The bigger that belly, of course, the more discomfort you're likely to feel, the harder it might be to pick up those weights. So let's move on to how to keep moving in your third trimester.

• 22:34Speaker 02

  When you make it to that home stretch, first of all, just give yourself a pat on the back. Then try to build in movement in your day that might relieve it some.

• 22:44Speaker 07

  Just trying to create space and take the load off the back is really what the job would be.

• 22:49Speaker 02

  For starters, returning to that triple B breath can help massage the muscles along your neck and spine. Keeping up your cardio, at least walking, and strength training, or at least gentle stretching and flexibility, might feel like way more of a chore as the weeks go by, but could also serve as a very necessary mood booster around this time. Another somewhat strengthening practice that can offer a lot of relief-

• 23:18Speaker 07

  During the third trimester, dude, just give that baby a hug all the time. Put your back up against the wall, like that song, "Put your back against the wall", and then lift the baby.

• 23:27Speaker 02

  That'll temporarily take the pressure off of your lower back and your spine, and can help you reconnect with your core while creating some blessed space around your hip joints. One last recommendation. Swimming can offer not only exercise, but pain relief and needed relaxation. Because as you get closer to your due date, your objective changes.

• 23:53Speaker 06

  The overall goal is not how strong can I get in that last trimester? It's stretching the pelvic floor and also, am I clear on how to let go and push through the pelvic floor without tightening it?

• 24:05Speaker 02

  This is Janelle Frederick.

• 24:07Speaker 06

  On the social media streets, I'm known as Vagina Rehab Doctor.

• 24:10Speaker 02

  She's a pelvic floor physical therapist who works primarily with women who are struggling with pelvic pain and painful intimacy.

• 24:17Speaker 06

  Which is really common during and after pregnancy, actually.

• 24:20Speaker 02

  She says, in the third trimester, your focus is less on exercising for pain relief and more on movement to help you have a successful delivery. That's no small thing.

• 24:31Speaker 06

  You know, giving birth is the Olympics for the pelvic floor. We use our pelvic floor all the time, but we don't use it to that extent when we are pregnant and giving birth.

• 24:42Speaker 02

  Last up, Takeaway Four. Pregnancy and birth are the pelvic floor Olympics. Train accordingly.

• 24:51Speaker 02

  All right, we've made it. We're knocking on your delivery date's door. Time to prepare that pelvic floor. Now, I know we've talked about this a few times on the show before, but Janelle, please remind me, what exactly is the pelvic floor again?

• 25:05Speaker 06

  It's a group of muscles that sits at the base of your pelvis. And so these are the muscles that open and relax when you're ready to pee and poop. They're the muscles that need to open and get out of the way when it's time for the baby to come through that birth canal. And so the pelvic floor is crucial to your overall confidence, your daily activity, and especially pregnancy and postpartum, managing that period well.

• 25:28Speaker 02

  So clearly, your pelvic floor is the star of the show. Let's make sure you can treat yours right. Janelle says people often assume these muscles are weak, when in reality-

• 25:41Speaker 06

  They're really just carrying too much in their bodies. Like, if you feel tense during the day, your vagina's probably tense, too.

• 25:48Speaker 02

  Our top recommendation here? Find a pelvic floor PT of your own to get evaluated at any point in your pregnancy, or even preconception. It's a good idea in general for your reproductive health. One in four women will experience a pelvic floor disorder in her lifetime. But if you don't have access to a PT just yet, there are a lot of simple exercises you can start with.

• 26:11Speaker 06

  So pelvic floor stretches are things like happy baby, child's pose, cat cow, diaphragmatic breathing.

• 26:19Speaker 02

  From there, Janelle has an exercise she recommends that isn't, strictly speaking, a workout, but is most definitely a stretch in the most literal sense of the word. It's called-

• 26:31Speaker 06

  Perineal stretching.

• 26:33Speaker 02

  The perineum, for anyone unfamiliar, is a small section of skin and tissue between the vagina and the anus. And-

• 26:40Speaker 06

  When you give birth, the muscle that generally tears is this muscle right here.

• 26:44Speaker 02

  See, if you deliver vaginally, this area can stretch by up to 300% its normal size, which sometimes, like roughly 50 to 80% of the time, according to the most recent research, can cause the skin to tear to varying degrees. I know, that sounds scary. The good news? The perineum contains muscles.

• 27:07Speaker 06

  Just like any other muscle, you can strengthen it, you can stretch it, you can train it.

• 27:11Speaker 02

  So in your last trimester, Janelle suggests a regular practice of perineal stretching in addition to pelvic floor stretches to best prep for the big day.

• 27:20Speaker 06

  That's the perfect time to start training those muscles to stretch and accommodate the size of the baby's head. We don't want to have a prolonged stage of labor where we're pushing for so long, that's a lot of strain on the pelvic floor. And then we want to try and limit our chances of tearing. If we can't limit it completely, maybe we can limit a grade three and grade four tear and have, you know, a low-grade tear, which heals way quicker and there's less pain and all that involved.

• 27:45Speaker 02

  Now, to be clear, this practice isn't a guarantee. And actually, the science is a bit mixed on effectiveness. But it's not likely to do any harm, and it's kind of the only exercise out there that may be able to offer you some relief from this. And it's really simple to do. First, you'll want to be in a seated position or lying down at back support. Legs wide and knees bent.

• 28:10Speaker 06

  You can use your finger, and literally with some lubricant, of course, wash your hands, cut your nails, stretch it out.

• 28:17Speaker 02

  There's no one agreed-upon method for this, but Janelle's recommendation is to gently insert one thumb into your vagina about an inch or an inch and a half deep. That's about to your first knuckle. And then press and hold on the back wall of your vagina towards your anus with moderate pressure.

• 28:36Speaker 06

  Because it needs to stretch downward. They're trying to actually open the tissue more.

• 28:41Speaker 02

  Practice this one to two times a week, working up to five minutes at a time. But again, there are lots of other ways to do this online. Tools you can use, variations in duration and hand placement, even instructions for including a partner. Whichever method you choose, when the time comes, don't forget, a cooldown period is a necessary part of any good exercise regimen.

• 29:05Speaker 06

  Go slow and understanding with your body. You're recovering from- The pelvic floor Olympics and get back to your activity. And even think about like, what type of support do you need? Is it, is it someone to help you with your diet? Is it someone to help you with your mental health? Pelvic floor therapy after giving birth, I think, should be mandatory, actually.

• 29:29Speaker 02

  Now, there's a lot more we could say on this topic, but we've already run down the clock. So I'll leave you with some interesting research from Margie about exercise after giving birth.

• 29:40Speaker 03

  We actually found that contrary to what sort of our general idea has been to, you know, rest, relax, take it easy, especially after a cesarean section, that early movements and mobilization is actually quite beneficial for recovery and healing.

• 29:58Speaker 02

  We should say here, mobilization is a relative term. We're talking about a slow shuffle, maybe 3,000 steps in those earliest days. So start low, go slow, still very much applies postpartum. You want to rebuild those foundations, but don't be scared to continue to embrace movement as medicine, especially if you're having a hard time.

• 30:21Speaker 03

  There's people who they're just like really struggling with the transition from pregnancy to postpartum. And going out for a walk or going out for a run is actually what helps them to maintain their identity and feel a bit more like themselves.

• 30:44Speaker 02

  OK, team, let's recap. Takeaway one, it's worth it to exercise regularly during pregnancy, or at least to try. Start low, go slow, but keep at it. Takeaway two, it's possible to prevent or alleviate some pregnancy pain and discomfort. You just have to be strategic with your workouts. Takeaway three, stick to strength training. You and your little one will thank you for it later. And takeaway four, pay close attention to your pelvic floor for the healthiest delivery and postpartum possible.

• 31:21Marielle Segarra?

  That was reporter Andy Tagle. And that's our show. This episode of Life Kit was produced by Margaret Serino. Our digital editor is Malika Gharib, and our visuals editor is CJ Riekealan. Megan Kane is our senior supervising editor, and Lauren Gonzalez is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Claire Marie Schneider and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Jimmy Keely. Fact checking by Andrea Lopez Cruzado. I'm Ariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.

• 32:05Speaker 03

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