Strong as a Mother

The definitive guide to prenatal and postpartum fitness! Olympian expertise meets pelvic health expertise to empower women of all fitness levels to embrace their strongest, healthiest pregnancy and recovery. This fitness guide is specifically developed to address pelvic floor health and issues such as diastasis recti—the separation of the abdomen muscles—that are commonly experienced during pregnancy. Doctors frequently warn women to slow down and rest during pregnancy. But years of scientific research—and the personal experiences of Olympic runner Shannon Rowbury and pelvic floor health expert Jessica Dorrington— show that pregnant women's bodies are capable of so much more. Strong as a Mother provides evidence-based, empowering information that challenges outdated notions of pregnancy as a time of limitation. Anyone who has been pregnant has experienced the anxiety of not knowing for sure whether their favorite exercise activity is safe. Now, by combining Olympic-level athletic experience with specialized medical knowledge to manage diastasis recti, pelvic floor health, and overall wellness, this book offers a unique, authoritative perspective that will revolutionize how women approach fitness during pregnancy and postpartum.