It’s videos like this that remind us women are incredible.
Just try not to feel the same as you watch former Muay Thai world champion Caley Reece kick butt in the gym with only one week left to go in her pregnancy.
“Thirty-nine weeks and potentially the last time I hit pads with [my] belly,” Reece wrote in a post accompanying the video on Facebook. She explained she’s made changes to her workout due to pregnancy, including eliminating twists, speed, quick footwork and left kicks. “Don’t stop what you love,” she wrote. “Theres always ways around everything.”
As someone who trains at a high level, Reece opened up about how challenging it can be to adjust your mindset once pregnancy sets new limitations. Reece has been fighting for 30 years and needed to learn how to pull back in her training, but still stay active for her own wellbeing.
“The mother’s health and happiness is important during this time, just as much as the [baby’s],” Reece said in an interview with her pregnancy photographer. “If you continue to live a happy and healthy life, keep a modified and safe exercise routine going, to help with your ‘feel good’ endorphins, then this positivity will make things a lot more bearable and enjoyable, as well as promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.”
Research shows Reece is onto something. Exercise during pregnancy can be good for expectant mothers, boosting the heart health and brain activity of the unborn child. It’s a win-win: scientists also think that working out during pregnancy may even lead to a more exercise-enthusiastic child down the line.
If you’re not a pro athlete or used to training like Reece, just start smaller: Take a yoga class or go for a walk, under the supervision of your doctor.
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