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The Pregnant Athlete: How to Stay in Your Best Shape Ever -- Before, During, and After Pregnancy
The Go-To Guide to Keep You Active and Healthy During Your Pregnancy and Beyond
Whether you're a professional athlete or a dedicated weekend warrior, you're serious about your sport and your commitment to fitness. But now that you're pregnant, you may be getting conflicting health and exercise advice from your family, friends, and doctors. With all the concerns and misinformation, it's hard to know where to turn for accurate, supportive guidance so you can have a safe, healthy pregnancy and maintain a high level of fitness. Now, in The Pregnant Athlete , triathlete/trainer mom Brandi Dion, fitness professional Steven Dion, and OB/GYN Joel Heller have teamed up to offer:
With expert advice and medical insights from an OB/GYN, useful information for the pregnant athlete's partner, and inspiring stories from other athletic moms-to-be, The Pregnant Athlete will help you stay happy, healthy, and in top form during your pregnancy and beyond.
Whether you're a professional athlete or a dedicated weekend warrior, you're serious about your sport and your commitment to fitness. But now that you're pregnant, you may be getting conflicting health and exercise advice from your family, friends, and doctors. With all the concerns and misinformation, it's hard to know where to turn for accurate, supportive guidance so you can have a safe, healthy pregnancy and maintain a high level of fitness. Now, in The Pregnant Athlete , triathlete/trainer mom Brandi Dion, fitness professional Steven Dion, and OB/GYN Joel Heller have teamed up to offer:
With expert advice and medical insights from an OB/GYN, useful information for the pregnant athlete's partner, and inspiring stories from other athletic moms-to-be, The Pregnant Athlete will help you stay happy, healthy, and in top form during your pregnancy and beyond.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2014
22 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 12, 2017
I am reading this book for a second time, and am feeling a lot more charitable this time around. I left my original review below for reference. I still think this book is best suited for women who *already have* a daily exercise routine focused on a *specific sport*. It's even better for those that intend to compete while pregnant. People who exercise for general fitness probably won't find this book as useful.
Things I like about this book:
-The author has a very "why the heck not?" approach to exercising and competing during pregnancy. I enjoyed the testimonials from moms who continued exercising and competing throughout their (sometimes multiple) pregnancies.
- The advice on diet and nutrition is really helpful and realistic (even if it seems a bit obvious)
- This book has a month-by-month approach, rather than a trimester approach. So much changes between the beginning and end of the second trimester, you'll likely have to change up your routine a couple of times to adjust, so this is really nice.
- The advice on RPE vs heart rate tracking is great. I still track HR while exercising, just because I like to see how it changes day-to-day, but I also record how I felt at a particular HR... which, go figure, ALSO changes from day-to-day.
- There is an implied focus on racing in this book-- the author talks a LOT about her own experiences racing while pregnant. During my first pregnancy I had no desire to race, but this time around I would like to complete a couple of running races and perhaps a triathlon, so the advice in and tone are a nice/ encouraging change from other pregnancy exercise books.
- The dynamic warm-up routine included at the beginning is good, and really can be used by any athlete (preggo or not)
Things I still don't like about this book:
- The strength training exercises still strike me as very Cross Fit- focused, which just isn't my thing. I don't plan to go out and buy new equipment, and definitely don't want to join a Cross Fit gym while pregnant. I would have preferred more body weight exercises. That said, I'm sure established Cross Fitters will find them useful and encouraging.
Original rating: **
A more accurate title might be "The Pregnant Cross-Fit Athlete". I bought this book because the author is a triathlete and I figured it would include some helpful tips for maintaining a level of fitness throughout pregnancy (I was training for an Olympic-distance tri when I became pregnant, and didn't relish the thought of starting over from scratch after 9 months). The book ended up being far too intense for me. Most of the workouts are styled after Cross-Fit routines, and there's very little in the way of alternative strength-building or cardio workouts. Furthermore, her motto throughout the book is basically "I did it while I was pregnant, so why don't you?" Rather than being empowering, it comes across as condescending. I'm not a couch potato by any stretch-- I've kept biking, swimming, and teaching (and practicing) yoga during my pregnancy so far. But I didn't intend to race during pregnancy (which the author did, and talks about quite a lot), and I certainly don't intend to start doing Cross-Fit... now or ever. If you're not already following a competitive fitness routine, first of all, pregnancy is not the time to start. And reading this book-- even if you're a recreational athlete like I am-- can make you feel like you're not doing enough.
That said, it would likely be a great resource for women who already do Cross-Fit, and/ or intend to race in whatever their chosen sport is through their pregnancies (and have talked to their doctors about it). In my experience, doctors don't really breach the topic of exercise beyond "keep doing whatever it is that you did pre-pregnancy" which might not be feasible for someone with an intense training schedule. This book offers some useful ideas for modifying an already-intense athletic training schedule as your pregnancy progresses (but of course you should also show it to your physician!).
If you're not a Cross-Fitter and are looking for practical exercise ideas that go beyond walking slowly and extra-gentle prenatal yoga (both of which are great, don't get me wrong!), I'd suggest Fit & Healthy Pregnancy: How to Stay Strong and in Shape for You and Your Baby instead. It's more accessible to women with a wider range of fitness levels.
Things I like about this book:
-The author has a very "why the heck not?" approach to exercising and competing during pregnancy. I enjoyed the testimonials from moms who continued exercising and competing throughout their (sometimes multiple) pregnancies.
- The advice on diet and nutrition is really helpful and realistic (even if it seems a bit obvious)
- This book has a month-by-month approach, rather than a trimester approach. So much changes between the beginning and end of the second trimester, you'll likely have to change up your routine a couple of times to adjust, so this is really nice.
- The advice on RPE vs heart rate tracking is great. I still track HR while exercising, just because I like to see how it changes day-to-day, but I also record how I felt at a particular HR... which, go figure, ALSO changes from day-to-day.
- There is an implied focus on racing in this book-- the author talks a LOT about her own experiences racing while pregnant. During my first pregnancy I had no desire to race, but this time around I would like to complete a couple of running races and perhaps a triathlon, so the advice in and tone are a nice/ encouraging change from other pregnancy exercise books.
- The dynamic warm-up routine included at the beginning is good, and really can be used by any athlete (preggo or not)
Things I still don't like about this book:
- The strength training exercises still strike me as very Cross Fit- focused, which just isn't my thing. I don't plan to go out and buy new equipment, and definitely don't want to join a Cross Fit gym while pregnant. I would have preferred more body weight exercises. That said, I'm sure established Cross Fitters will find them useful and encouraging.
Original rating: **
A more accurate title might be "The Pregnant Cross-Fit Athlete". I bought this book because the author is a triathlete and I figured it would include some helpful tips for maintaining a level of fitness throughout pregnancy (I was training for an Olympic-distance tri when I became pregnant, and didn't relish the thought of starting over from scratch after 9 months). The book ended up being far too intense for me. Most of the workouts are styled after Cross-Fit routines, and there's very little in the way of alternative strength-building or cardio workouts. Furthermore, her motto throughout the book is basically "I did it while I was pregnant, so why don't you?" Rather than being empowering, it comes across as condescending. I'm not a couch potato by any stretch-- I've kept biking, swimming, and teaching (and practicing) yoga during my pregnancy so far. But I didn't intend to race during pregnancy (which the author did, and talks about quite a lot), and I certainly don't intend to start doing Cross-Fit... now or ever. If you're not already following a competitive fitness routine, first of all, pregnancy is not the time to start. And reading this book-- even if you're a recreational athlete like I am-- can make you feel like you're not doing enough.
That said, it would likely be a great resource for women who already do Cross-Fit, and/ or intend to race in whatever their chosen sport is through their pregnancies (and have talked to their doctors about it). In my experience, doctors don't really breach the topic of exercise beyond "keep doing whatever it is that you did pre-pregnancy" which might not be feasible for someone with an intense training schedule. This book offers some useful ideas for modifying an already-intense athletic training schedule as your pregnancy progresses (but of course you should also show it to your physician!).
If you're not a Cross-Fitter and are looking for practical exercise ideas that go beyond walking slowly and extra-gentle prenatal yoga (both of which are great, don't get me wrong!), I'd suggest Fit & Healthy Pregnancy: How to Stay Strong and in Shape for You and Your Baby instead. It's more accessible to women with a wider range of fitness levels.
June 22, 2017
For the pregnant athlete if their sport is crossfit exercise and they are feeling like a million bucks. Not very helpful for my strong regular human clients. Burpee broad jumps at 7 months? As the standard recommendation? Hiiiiighly unlikely.
May 29, 2015
I picked this up at a conference after I’d had to stop running due to Braxton-Hicks contractions and general largeness and discomfort. I wish I’d read it earlier, as it does a better job than any other book I saw at addressing training during pregnancy – not just taking a walk to stay active.
August 10, 2017
I'm not going to lie, I did a lot of skimming in this book. I think overall it has some good info, but mostly wasn't for me. I'm not the type of athlete this book is aimed at. Most of my cardio/weight lifting workouts are done in a class, so I don't need advice there, I just ask the trainer if I have questions on modifications. I'm also not competitive so some of that info was unneeded. It also didn't really address contact sports, which is where most of my concern as a martial artist comes in. I've also had a lot of friends recently go through preganancy who train similarly to me, and so I had good resources avaialable that were for my style of workout, so again, I needed this less.
I think this book was also a little less useful to me because I have a dr who is very supportive of me continuing to work out as long as I restrict certain types of contact. If I had a stricter dr, a book like this one would probably have been more use for me if I didn't feel like I could just ask my doc when questions did come up. I've also had a lot of friends recently go through preganancy who train similarly to me, and so I had good resources avaialable that were for my style of workout, so again, I needed this less.
Finally, I was actually really put off by the title of the chapter on month 5 of pregnancy. "Does this pregnancy make me look fat?" It may be because I run a bit on the heavier side naturally (regardless of workout) or because I've seen a lot of women online freaking out about getting fat during pregnancy, that I almost put the book down there. This idea that getting larger, even when pregnant, is horrible for a woman is just sad to me. Yes, my body is changing right now, faster than I can really process, but calling that "fat" is such a misnomer and so unhelpful. I know it's a play on old stereotypes, but I was just not in the mood when I read it.
Anyway, if you're someone who does competitive running/triathalons/crossfit, this book probably has some very useful advice for you. If you feel unsupported in your decision to keep working out during pregnancy, this book is likely great. As someone who is neither of those things, this book was just not that useful for me.
I think this book was also a little less useful to me because I have a dr who is very supportive of me continuing to work out as long as I restrict certain types of contact. If I had a stricter dr, a book like this one would probably have been more use for me if I didn't feel like I could just ask my doc when questions did come up. I've also had a lot of friends recently go through preganancy who train similarly to me, and so I had good resources avaialable that were for my style of workout, so again, I needed this less.
Finally, I was actually really put off by the title of the chapter on month 5 of pregnancy. "Does this pregnancy make me look fat?" It may be because I run a bit on the heavier side naturally (regardless of workout) or because I've seen a lot of women online freaking out about getting fat during pregnancy, that I almost put the book down there. This idea that getting larger, even when pregnant, is horrible for a woman is just sad to me. Yes, my body is changing right now, faster than I can really process, but calling that "fat" is such a misnomer and so unhelpful. I know it's a play on old stereotypes, but I was just not in the mood when I read it.
Anyway, if you're someone who does competitive running/triathalons/crossfit, this book probably has some very useful advice for you. If you feel unsupported in your decision to keep working out during pregnancy, this book is likely great. As someone who is neither of those things, this book was just not that useful for me.
October 5, 2024
I bought this book after my first positive test but before it turned into a chemical pregnancy. The book arrived after my period came and I hid it on my book shelf. When I got my second positive pregnancy test (after being last 2 days), I pulled it back out and started reading it slowly.
It was really helpful at first and I loved the empowerment perspective(compared to so much out there). I didn't need to just walk and do yoga! It taught me about vascular underfill!! But as my first trimester proceeded and the nausea set it, I got resentful of the 'just push through it' perspective. Some days I could barely keep it together to sit up. In the end, I listened to my body and I'm doing what is best for me (just started the second).
I am happy for Brandi that she was able to keep going with her workouts, but I've had to scale way back. I remember around week 10 when I went to class and ended up sitting or walking half the time to prevent getting sick or too light headed. Then even after lifting light my recovery took 3-4 days. At times reading this book made me feel not good enough, then I would chat with my bump group and realize I was doing plenty and what I needed to do.
My hope now that the nausea is starting to fade, I can do more, but I will continue to listen to my body and push less not more.
It was really helpful at first and I loved the empowerment perspective(compared to so much out there). I didn't need to just walk and do yoga! It taught me about vascular underfill!! But as my first trimester proceeded and the nausea set it, I got resentful of the 'just push through it' perspective. Some days I could barely keep it together to sit up. In the end, I listened to my body and I'm doing what is best for me (just started the second).
I am happy for Brandi that she was able to keep going with her workouts, but I've had to scale way back. I remember around week 10 when I went to class and ended up sitting or walking half the time to prevent getting sick or too light headed. Then even after lifting light my recovery took 3-4 days. At times reading this book made me feel not good enough, then I would chat with my bump group and realize I was doing plenty and what I needed to do.
My hope now that the nausea is starting to fade, I can do more, but I will continue to listen to my body and push less not more.
February 15, 2021
I am a personal trainer and read this book as part of a prenatal/postnatal certification.
like that this book encourages exercise because I agree that exercising during pregnancy is beneficial for many reasons, but many of the workouts and exercises for each month or trimester are contrary to other pregnancy fitness books I’ve read, especially the core exercise section.
Maybe I’ve just read very conservative books since it seems that these strategies worked well for this author, but I mostly view this book as a justification to continue doing what I’ve been doing as long as it feels right.
I also question the sources of information. The 3 names listed in this book include a personal trainer, a husband with a doctorate in education, and a medical doctor, it some of the things regarding nutrition, the process of birth and breastfeeding, and pelvic floor/core strength training were very different than information I’ve read elsewhere. This is a great case study book, and was an interesting read, but I’ll rely more heavily on the other books I read for my certification when creating exercise programs for pregnant athletes.
like that this book encourages exercise because I agree that exercising during pregnancy is beneficial for many reasons, but many of the workouts and exercises for each month or trimester are contrary to other pregnancy fitness books I’ve read, especially the core exercise section.
Maybe I’ve just read very conservative books since it seems that these strategies worked well for this author, but I mostly view this book as a justification to continue doing what I’ve been doing as long as it feels right.
I also question the sources of information. The 3 names listed in this book include a personal trainer, a husband with a doctorate in education, and a medical doctor, it some of the things regarding nutrition, the process of birth and breastfeeding, and pelvic floor/core strength training were very different than information I’ve read elsewhere. This is a great case study book, and was an interesting read, but I’ll rely more heavily on the other books I read for my certification when creating exercise programs for pregnant athletes.
January 20, 2025
I found this book very inspiring and gave me some great info about what to expect for each phase of pregnancy. I was able to guide my strength training safely with recommendations. Detracting stars because 1. The book is written by month of pregnancy not week so it’s kind of confusing to align to where you are at. 2. From my personal experience I was training at a pretty elite level prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy I was able to consistently train but at only about 10% of the volume I was used to and several minutes slower. The sample workout weeks were like best case scenario but I learned you kinda get the card you are dealt with pregnancy and it can have little to do with your ability to stick to a training plan or how fit you were before.I still would recommend this book for any women with a pretty regimented training schedule that wants similar structure during pregnancy because it is possible and great for you to keep it going (within reason)
May 5, 2019
This book has a lot of useful information. I have yet to use any of the workouts, but they sound like they’d work well, and there was plenty of useful advice. I found it really hard to read after a bit, though, because my body is not cooperating with my workouts - I’ve been unable to run or bike without serious pelvic pain since about 17 weeks. It was frustrating for me to get through the end of the book and read about Brandi blithely racing tris in her eighth month when I can hardly even walk the dog right now. She does show what it is possible to achieve with a healthy pregnant body. Unfortunately, as I’ve learned, every pregnant woman’s body isn’t going to respond the way hers did.
August 13, 2019
I've been working out regularly throughout my pregnancy, It's so reassuring that the author's research matches what my doctor and I have been discussing. This book is organized month-by-month which I understand can be helpful, but I started read this book at 21 weeks and felt compelled to skip over the previous chapters.
I enjoyed the first half of this book (the content) but the second half of the book as all modified exercises with photos and I am just not interested in that at all.
I enjoyed the first half of this book (the content) but the second half of the book as all modified exercises with photos and I am just not interested in that at all.
October 24, 2018
I do not feel that this book is geared for the average pregnant woman. I worked out very regularly prior to becoming pregnant, but the workouts and advice offered in this book are geared more towards avid runners and heavy weight lifters.
April 19, 2022
Fair enough read. Definately aimed more at people already running marathons/triathlete than the regular jog and swim types.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews