Gemma Atkinson has just shut down mum-shamers who criticised her for working out while pregnant.
The Hollyoaks star announced that she was expecting her second child with her partner Gorka Marquez in January. As an avid fitness fanatic, Gemma has been sharing videos of her workouts with her 1.8 million fans on Instagram ever since she announced the news.
However, these videos have been met with mixed responses, and a number of mums have bashed the star for exercising while pregnant. Gemma took to Instagram with her most recent workout video to set the record straight.
‘Today. Slow and steady as usual for now. I’ve trained for years pre-pregnancy & been given the all clear to keep training under the supervision of a woman’s health physio & my PT,’ Gemma explained.
Despite her online criticism, working out during pregnancy has been shown to actually benefit mums with adapting to changes in their body and can help in later pregnancy and labour.
She continued by saying that ‘It’s been a while since I’ve moved like this as aside from walking and my pre-bed stretches I did nothing on holiday. Felt good to do something and get my heart rate up a little. One thing I’m constantly monitoring now in my sessions is coning or doming on my bump as some call it.’
Having launched her own activewear range with In The Style at the start of this year, Gemma has always been keen to share her love for working out with her fans.
‘I don’t want to put too much stress on my abs as it could contribute to issues for my pelvic floor and diastasis recti post baby. So, I keep an eye on it, control my breathing and with a much more light and restricted program I crack on.’
‘Obv there’s some days when training just doesn’t happen, either because I don’t feel like it or I’m knackered,’ Gemma admitted. ‘Pre-pregnancy it’s on those days that my discipline would kick in and I’d get it done and feel great after. But for now, it’s not just about me, I’m 2nd to little man so my priority is housing him as best I can whilst mentally keeping myself in a good place.’
Throughout her pregnancy, Gemma has been reminding her followers and any fellow soon-to-be mums that her workout program has been designed specifically for her pregnancy and safety. ‘Always listen to your body,’ she captioned a post back in February.
The response from fans to this message has been overwhelmingly positive. ‘Love this attitude and love that you are advocating healthy and safe exercises during pregnancy,’ one fan commented.
The lesson here? If you’re not a registered medical expert, maybe don’t comment on someone else’s pregnancy routine…
