I was fairly active before pregnancy. I did pole dancing once a week, walked, and occasionally cold-water swam. Unfortunately, around the same time I found out about my pregnancy I stopped dancing because the fees were too costly. It was good timing because it was probably wise to engage in more pregnancy-safe activities that didn’t involve the chance of falling from 2 meters!

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When I found out I was pregnant I was thrilled. I wanted to make health changes to increase the chances of a favourable delivery. I began to avoid processed foods and focus on whole foods, protein, and vitamin intake. I went to the gym for a few months but found it too wearisome. I focused on walking but stopped over winter. Even though I was not attending a gym, sports class, or going on runs, I would consider myself active during pregnancy, even if activities were not intended for physical benefit (for instance, walking to the shops, making dinner or cleaning the home).

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During months 6 and 7 of pregnancy, my husband and I moved house twice during which I was packing, cleaning, DIY-ing, and painting, sometimes from 9am-6pm. The shift from doing light chores at home to doing a full day of physical work with only a 30-minute lunch break felt quite intense and took a toll on my body in the evenings. Still, staying active was very important to me.

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Currently, I am 8 months pregnant. Since going into labour is fast approaching, I am prioritising exercise more than ever. I consistently stretch and use my exercise ball to develop pelvic strength. I try to do 20 deep squats daily, holding each squat for 60 seconds. I occasionally do oblique workouts and Pilates routines created by a personal trainer on YouTube. I go on walks when I can. Unlike early pregnancy, exercise feels necessary to manage the physical changes and extra weight my body is experiencing. Not only am I pursuing a positive delivery but also a swift postpartum recovery.