The Strongman organization, where women now make up one-third of the members, changes rules to help new moms get back into competition after childbirth.
(Reuters)
Jessica Hopkins shows off her new baby to friends.
And then she gets right to work - lifting 50-pound beer kegs, over and over, preparing for her next Strongman competition.
She says the exercise helps her both physically and mentally. She added, "you have to work through it to get through it even though it's hard, you know that at the end your body can do it and you're pushing yourself to get through the events and at the end you feel like, proud of yourself that you really were able to do that, which is awesome."
The Strongman Corporation is a national organization that brings together people from all walks of life.
Its competitions involve lifting, dragging or throwing tremendously-heavy weights.
Women now make up 35-per-cent of the 20-thousand Strongman members in the U.S.
A new rule change could help keep women in the organization. It will allow women who have competed at higher levels to drop back to the novice level after giving birth. That will make the both the organization stronger, and the moms, says the Punch Kettlebell Gym owner Stephanie Tropea. She added "with the new 'Strongmom' rule, I think it's going to alleviate some of that postpartum depression and anxiety. It will sort of take the pressure off women who were so used to competing at a certain level."
The new rule is a gift for new moms-just in time for Mother's Day.