I was talking to someone the other day and mentioned that I'm still working out and lifting weights while pregnant. Their immediate reaction was "you shouldn't be doing that!".
Enter me then giving them a lecture on exactly WHY I absolutely SHOULD still be working out!! I've banged on and on about why exercise in pregnancy is so good, so I won't go there again right now but what this did make me think about is: "I wonder how many women actually don't work out during pregnancy because they fear judgement?"
I've mentioned before on my social channels that there's a particular celebrity I follow who is well known for her fitness but who is also pregnant. She posted some videos of her working out in pregnancy and I was shocked and saddened to see just how many people disapproved!!
I wanted to message each and everyone to put them straight! I suspect there's a lot of misunderstanding and fear around exercise in pregnancy which leads people to believe it's a bad thing and therefore judge those who keep active.
I wonder how much of a problem this is and just how many women it affects. My mission is to spread the word that exercise in pregnancy is not only safe but strongly recommended by the RCOG! It's hard enough being pregnant, accepting all of the changes which are happening in your body and the lifestyle changes it can bring about without adding the negative, misguided thoughts of some people. Actually, I'm going to pause a moment there because fear of judgement isn't exclusive to women in pregnancy. It applies to absolutely everyone. If you're going into something you're not totally sure about then you naturally fear the negative thoughts of others. Many of us tailor our behaviour due to the perception we think other people will have of us.
I had a client once who was terrified of going to the gym because growing up she "wasn't any good at P.E." to use her words. This made her feel useless at any type of exercise and so really scared of looking a fool in front of others; when actually, she just needed to find what suited her. She was a natural born weight lifter! She was so incredibly strong, seemingly without much effort, it was amazing!! Once she realised there was something she was good at and felt comfortable, she joined a gym and no longer needed me. She no longer feared the judgement of others.
If you're pregnant and concerned about other people judging you for exercising, I strongly recommend doing some research of your own, so that you have evidence to confirm to yourself and to present to others that not only is it really good for you, it's also strongly recommended. If you want to keep exercising, start exercising or get back after giving birth and no idea where to start, drop me a DM and I'll give you some free advice and guidance. My mission is to spread the word and empower as many mums as possible to be active, not just for them but for their children too!! C xx