Abstract
Resistance training can be a safe form of both prenatal and postnatal exercise with appropriate exercise selection and modification, safety considerations, and understanding of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Clinicians, coaches, trainers, and pregnant and postpartum women themselves, should be made aware of common conditions that can impact exercise such as diastasis recti, prolapse, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and pelvic floor dysfunction such as urinary incontinence. Prenatal modifications will be introduced broken down into trimesters and postpartum conditions and recovery will be discussed. This chapter will also discuss the positive impact resistance training can have on pregnant and postpartum women when it is performed utilizing general safety guidelines and contraindications are observed and respected.