Heavily Pregnant Woman Don’t Want To Stop Weightlifting

Meet a 39-year-old woman who cannot stop weight lifting – despite being eight months pregnant, Brighton, England, UK.

Katja Harjanne is not ready to give up passion of her life – lifting heavy weights. The woman believes the practice has helped her stay healthy throughout her pregnancy. Katja had been practicing CrossFit for three years before falling pregnant and after finding out she was expecting, she began researching the effects of exercise.

 
During he initial visit to hospital the midwife  told her to listen to her own body as strength training is fine during pregnancy. However, it seems the future mother did not quite understand the caring words of the nursing staff. Katja continued her regime of weightlifting, cardio and gymnastics, altering her exercise as the pregnancy progressed.

She kept training up to five times a week, but scaled down her exertions to a level that felt safe for herself and her baby. Katja's fiancée Jason who is also a sports enthusiast, has been supportive of Kat's continued exercise. And although Katja is aware that some women have received criticism for exercising during pregnancy, she is confident that she is doing the best for herself and her baby.

She said, “A hundred years back women didn't stop working in the fields because they were pregnant, they still had manual stuff to do. I train four or five times a week and I feel absolutely fantastic. My energy levels have kept up and it's helped me throughout the whole pregnancy.  I think sometimes we forget that life goes on and doesn't stop because you're pregnant – it's not an illness.”