Last week a weightlifter
and mum of two, Lea-Ann Ellison, sparked a bit of a media storm when pictures
of her weightlifting at 8 1/2 months pregnant went viral. Opinion, as is always
the case when it comes to anything to do with pregnancy, was highly polarized. Some people thought she was great, rushing to
her defense; others were absolutely disgusted and accused her of being
irresponsible. What struck me most about the whole thing though was the fact it
highlighted something that has been bugging me for a long time.
People think they are
open-minded, and now the vast majority “support” the idea that exercise during pregnancy
is beneficial. But all you have to do is barely scratch the surface and the hypocrisy
emerges. It turns out that to the majority of these people think exercise
during pregnancy should be limited to walking, pregnancy yoga or gentle
swimming. Oh, and I did I mention, definitely not weightlifting! The benefits of
moderate (not gentle!) exercise during pregnancy are numerous. It prevents back
pain, reduces risk of gestational diabetes and obesity, reduces complications
during labor and boosts recovery post-partum to name but a few.
The pictures of Lee-Ann
horrified a lot of people attracting comments describing what she was doing as “sickening”
and “a good way to lose your baby”. The reality
is these pictures were only shocking to most people out there as they are
physically incapable of doing what Lea-Ann was doing, pregnant or otherwise, and
have no concept of what is involved. This woman is an experienced weightlifter
and this is her day-to-day stuff. The best comment I read in support of her was
from a guy in a forum and said it all really: “The woman looks as
strong as horse so what's the problem?”
Lea-Ann just exposed a
nerve, and forced people to confront what they really think about exercise and
pregnancy. When I was pregnant last year, one of the things I noticed was many people,
though they supported the concept of exercise during pregnancy, were of the
opinion it was only OK to do something as long as you had been doing it before
you got pregnant. I frequently heard the comment “its OK for you to exercise,
you are used to it”. This is rubbish! There is absolutely nothing in the
scientific literature to suggest that women shouldn't start exercising during
pregnancy, even if they have never lifted a finger before. The benefits far
outweigh any perceived risk. The only rule women need is “listen to your body”.
I myself only started weightlifting when I was pregnant – it was great for
self-esteem, it prevented too much extra fat deposition, it enabled me to recover
very rapidly after the birth and I ended up with a pair of toned arms to die
for!
In Lea-Ann’s own words, "I strongly believe that pregnancy is
not an illness, but
a time to relish in your body's capabilities to kick ass."
I loved the pictures, they
show a beautiful strong woman, comfortably lifting weights, with as much effort
as another pregnant woman would use hanging clothes on the line.
