Immediately after Huber won her berth on the 1996 Olympic team, television commentators began remarking about her incredible post-pregnancy comeback. She'd had the baby one year before, and coming back wasn't easy. She went on her first run five weeks after Alyssa was born in May 1995. While some elite athletes may do extraordinary things, it's not clear whether everyone can do them. It's also not clear that exercising through pregnancy leads to outstanding feats.
Most runners do agree that they get many psychological benefits from running during pregnancy.
You have so many emotional ups and downs because of the hormones. But it is pure joy to run while pregnant. It helped me feel normal and gave me a sense of power. Theresa McCourt is a runner and writer living in Sacramento, California. All rights reserved.