Fitness · Chandler Sommerfeldt | Strength and Conditioning Coach, Postpartum and Precision Nutrition Certified and Active Life Professional Candidate

The Athlete Mom Project | Pregnancy Workouts, Postpartum Exercises, Meal Plans, Diastasis Recti, Back Pain, and Mindset Tips

by Chandler Sommerfeldt | Strength and Conditioning Coach, Postpartum and Precision Nutrition Certified and Active Life Professional Candidate

#160 Fitness
new today

Are you an active mom who wants to keep exercising during pregnancy, recover fully postpartum, and move your body without pain — but feels overwhelmed by conflicting advice, limited time, and a body that doesn’t feel the same anymore? The Athlete Mom Project is a podcast for moms who want to stay strong, pain-free, and confident in their bodies through pregnancy, postpartum, and real life — without burnout or compromise. Hosted by Chandler Sommerfeldt, a movement and nutrition coach, endurance athlete, and mom, this podcast breaks down how to exercise during pregnancy, return to movement postpartum, and train sustainably as a busy mom using evidence-based principles, pain science, and real-life experience. You’ll learn about pregnancy workouts, postpartum exercises, and strength training that supports motherhood instead of competing with it. Episodes cover core exercises during pregnancy, first trimester exercises, heart rate zones, losing strength during pregnancy, and how to safely continue running while pregnant. Postpartum topics include running after baby, exercise after a C-section, pelvic floor exercises postpartum, diastasis recti, and how to heal your core after pregnancy without fear or confusion. The Athlete Mom Project also addresses common pain points like back pain, knee pain, and hip pain, explains why pain does not always equal damage, and explores the difference between mobility versus stretching so you can move with confidence instead of avoidance. You’ll find guidance on quick workouts for busy moms, sustainable strength training, and realistic routines that fit into real life. Nutrition and mindset are central to the conversation. We talk about what to eat before workouts, how to eat for long runs, meal plans for moms, hormone health, recovery, and the mindset shifts needed to rebuild trust in your body, understand capacity and bandwidth, and create long-term, pain-free movement. If you believe movement is medicine, that your body is adaptable, and that motherhood shouldn’t mean giving up your athletic identity, you’re in the right place. Welcome to The Athlete Mom Project — where strong, capable, pain-free moms are built for life.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

#69 - Why Pregnancy Shouldn’t Hurt | Athletic Pregnancy, Pain Science & Postpartum Recovery

At 38 weeks pregnant, I can honestly say this pregnancy has been a completely different experience than my first. In this episode of the The Athlete Mom Project, I open

May 19
47 min

#68 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Your Identity and Mindset are Directly Linked To Your Performance and Results)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. In this episode we shift the conversation from biomechanics and training princi

Apr 2
13 min

#67 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (RPE, Fatigue & Auto-Regulation — How Hard Should Your Workouts Feel?)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. In this episode we’re talking about one of the most important skills for long-t

Mar 31
18 min

#66 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Breath & VO₂ Max — The Endurance and Longevity Metric You Should Know To Live A Longer Life)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. In this episode, we explore one of the most important and misunderstood aspects

Mar 26
20 min

#65 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Joy Is Fuel: The Secret To Staying Consistent With Exercise)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. In this episode, we talk about something that is often completely overlooked in

Mar 24
18 min

#64 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Why Mobility, Stability, and Strength Need To Work Together to Fix Tight Muscles and Weak Joints)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. If you’ve ever experienced things like: • tight hips that never seem to loosen

Mar 19
15 min

#63 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Why Your Body Keeps Breaking Down: The Movement Hierarchy of Needs)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. If you’ve ever felt like: • you’re working out consistently but still dealing

Mar 16
23 min

#62 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Pain Rules — Should You Train Through Pain or Stop Exercising?)

Welcome back to the Built Through Movement series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. If you’ve ever asked yourself: • Should I workout with pain? • Is it safe to r

Mar 12
21 min

#61 - Built Through Movement Mini Series (Load vs Capacity - Why Injuries and Pain Actually Happen)

Welcome to the Built Through Movement mini-series inside The Athlete Mom Project podcast. In this episode, we break down one of the most important concepts for understan

Mar 10
21 min

#60 - Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging Your Goals (Even When You Want Them)

Why can’t I lose weight — even when I’m doing everything “right”? Why do I keep starting over with fitness as a mom? Why does motivation disappear after a few weeks? I

Mar 5
35 min

#59 - Jaw Clenching & Pelvic Floor Problems: The Connection You’re Missing And It's Not What You Think

Are your jaw tension and pelvic floor symptoms connected? If you struggle with pelvic floor tightness, leaking when lifting, urinary urgency, heaviness, or postpartum co

Mar 3
37 min

#58 - The “4-Hour Week” Reframe for Moms: Stop Consuming, Start Implementing

If you feel like you’re doing everything—saving workouts, following 30 different “hormone” accounts, bouncing between programs, Googling symptoms, trying to be a great mo

Feb 26
34 min

#57 - SPD Pain During Pregnancy: Why “Just Rest” Makes It Worse and What To Do Instead

Pubic symphysis pain during pregnancy (SPD) can feel like your pelvis is splitting in half — rolling over in bed hurts, walking hurts, getting dressed hurts… and the most

Feb 24
42 min

#56 - Lindsey Vonn, Injury, and Identity: Why Your Mind Shapes What Your Body Can Do

Watching the 2026 Olympics hit different—especially if you’re an athlete mom navigating injury, postpartum changes, or that “my body feels unfamiliar” season. In this

Feb 18
38 min

#55 - Wood Snake → Fire Horse: Why February Feels So Heavy (and What to Do About It)

Have you felt emotionally heavy, disconnected, unmotivated, or like your life is destabilizing lately — and you can’t even explain why? In this episode of The Athlete Mom

Feb 16
39 min

#54 - Why Lifting Weights Through Motherhood Changes How You Live, Not Just How You Look

The episode's theme - capacity over burnout: Strength training, nervous system health, and motherhood If you’re an athlete mom trying to juggle strength training, endura

Feb 10
1 h 17 min

#53 - You want to be a present mom, a great partner, and have a successful career - is that possible?

🫁 Join the Capacity Project A 6-week program designed to improve stress tolerance, recovery, sleep, and performance through breath and nervous system training. This is wh

Feb 9
43 min

#52 - Why You’re Still Anxious and Stressed Even If You Exercise and Eat Well

🫁 Join the Capacity Project A 6-week program designed to improve stress tolerance, recovery, sleep, and performance through breath and nervous system training. This is wh

Feb 5
32 min

#51 - How to Train Through Pregnancy, Postpartum, Injury, and Pain (Without Stopping Your Life)

Training during pregnancy, postpartum, injury, or chronic pain doesn’t mean stopping — it means understanding how your body actually adapts. In this episode, movement an

Jan 16
53 min

#50 - Kids Strength Training: When to Start, What’s Safe, and How to Lift With Your Kids

Your kid is already strength training. They climb. They jump. They carry heavy things. They explore their body in space every single day. So the real question isn’t shou

Jan 7
44 min

Chart positions

Where The Athlete Mom Project | Pregnancy Workouts, Postpartum Exercises, Meal Plans, Diastasis Recti, Back Pain, and Mindset Tips ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 18, 2026).

#160 NEW Fitness US