It takes one look at her social media page to conclude that Paige Hathaway’s body is her paycheck, namely her rock-solid abs.
But when the flawless fitness model’s sculpted six-pack, which has graced countless fitness magazine covers and has earned her over 4 million Instagram followers, began giving way to an expanding baby bump, well, even Hathaway became a bit overwhelmed by her body transformation.
“I’m not gonna lie, gaining 30 pounds so far has been difficult because I’m so used to having abs,” Hathaway, 32, admits. “Even my muscle definition has gone down because of gaining a lot of water weight.”
Starting a family has been a goal for the 32-year-old for a while, and after the initial body-change shock, Hathaway quickly learned that it’s now all about baby.
“This pregnancy has taught me so much already,” she says. “It’s taught me how to not be selfish and put my baby first. As long as she’s healthy and growing on the right track, that’s all that matters.
Hathaway’s child-first mentality, however, doesn’t mean putting a pause on her vigorous workout routine — and it doesn’t have to for most expecting mothers.
While studies have shown that many women may reduce their exercise during pregnancy, especially toward the third trimester, it’s been proven that maintaining a consistent exercise regimen greatly benefits women during this time.
Some of the benefits include an increase of energy levels, reduction of lower-back pain, leg swelling, even “morning sickness.” According to some studies, maintaining a strong core may possibly help improve stamina when it comes time for delivery.
For Hathaway (@PaigeHathaway), after getting used to her body changes, especially her baby kicking (“It really is kind of like being possessed by an alien,” Hathaway says; “Wow, what a feeling!), it took a few easy tweaks to continue performing most of her normal (and well-documented) routine. She’s eliminated exercises involving abdominal crunching — squats, leg presses — from her workout. “Bringing my stomach to my knees is uncomfortable to me and I don’t want to put too much pressure on my midsection,” she says.
Hathaway, a Liv Body pregnancy-safe supplement spokeswoman (“Use code PAIGE20 at checkout,” she says) also opts now for upper-body exercises from an incline to reduce lower-back stress.
Based on her experience as an expecting mother, Hathaway says there’s no reason women can’t continue doing their normal routine.
The biggest misconception among exercise during pregnancy, she says, is that you need to scale back your workout, or modify your routine with such watered-down (read: boring) exercises that it’s no longer fun to work out. Quite the opposite, she says, as long as you’re able to find balance between listening to your body and pushing too hard. And also, listen to your doctor.
From there, continue pumping iron, training for your next marathon, or just taking long, relaxing walks — there’s no need to skip your workouts. Hathaway, who says she maintains her four- to five-day-a-week workout schedule, still says go all-in with your workout — safely, of course.
“Go on, mama, lift those weights while you’re pregnant,” Hathaway says. “Whether you ran marathons, did CrossFit or Pilates, or played sports, go on with your bad self and continue to be awesome.”
To learn which supplements are safe during pregnancy, follow Paige on social media @PaigeHathaway or visit her website paigehathaway.com. You can also take 20% off all #LIVBODY products with code PAIGE20 at checkout!
Paige’s pregnancy workout
Hathaway admits that there are days during her pregnancy when fatigue affects her workouts. So don’t feel like you’re alone. The fitness superstar put together this effective and easy-to-perform full-body workout that can be done virtually anywhere. “You’re working extra-hard to create this little tiny human inside you,” Hathaway says. “Here’s the perfect workout you can perform at home or at the gym that’ll help you save time.”
Instructions: Perform 2 to 3 sets, 10 reps each
-Squat to Dumbbell Arnold Press
-Seated Pistol Squats
-Lunge to DB Biceps Curls
-Glute Bridge to Incline Alternating DB Chest Press
-Side Lunge to Single-Arm Row
-Kneeling Lunge to Overhead Press
-DB Row to DB Deadlift
-Modified Burpee (placing a bench in front of you, place your hands to bench, then step legs back, sort of resembling a plank position. Then bring legs back to front, and reach up on your toes (don’t jump)
For more post-baby programs, go to fitin5.com.
