Part 2 book “Pregnancy fitness” has contents: Strength and endurance for the lower body, functional movement for motherhood, choosing your program and level of fitness, first trimester workouts, second trimester workouts, third trimester workouts, fourth trimester workouts. | Strength and Endurance for the Lower Body 8 Many of the physical changes in pregnancy occur in the lower body, namely the feet and the pelvis. The ever-increasing load that the body must adapt to can create compensations that contribute to many of the aches and pains women think are normal in pregnancy and motherhood. The postural changes, the hormonal changes, the increased weight, and the shifting center of gravity all place additional challenges on the lower body, such as sacroiliac joint pain, hip pain, lower- back pain, and symphysis pubis dysfunction (pain in the pubic joint). Your feet carry you from point A to point B each and every day, so they deserve some TLC beyond the occasional pedicure. Your feet have most likely been cooped up in shoes for most of your life and as a result, the muscles in your feet that should be working to support you are most likely deconditioned due to the “casting” (like a cast for a broken bone) effect that shoes create. Ideally, shoes should have a thin, flexible sole and a wide toe box that allow for movement and use of the foot. Standard footwear is often rigid and supportive, with a narrow toe box that essentially holds your foot in a given position, not allowing the muscles to do their job. There are 19 muscles and 26 bones in each foot. Ideally, the feet have freedom to respond to the ever-changing ground beneath us and ensure we don’t fall. When our feet are held in a fixed position in a shoe, the muscles do not move using their full range of motion; therefore, compensations can develop and the foot essentially becomes deconditioned. When the shifting center of gravity is added to the deconditioned foot, your feet will probably start to protest with aches and pains! Transitioning to minimal shoes and spending more time “barefoot and pregnant” can help build the muscles in the feet. Using small balls to roll under the feet can help relieve the tension that develops in pregnancy and it feels fantastic! Happy healthy feet
