Jasmine Neo shares what motivates her to continue exercising seven months into her pregnancy.
By Tan Li En
Jan 6, 2020
Ms Neo shared that she is “super excited” for the arrival of her baby. “That’s the motivation to wake up every single day knowing that it’s one day closer to us meeting him,” she said. She gave birth safely on January 15, 2020, even though the estimated due date of her baby is on February 16, 2020. Photo by: Tan Li En
Despite being seven months pregnant, Ms Neo Chui Fang Jasmine, 30, can still be found working out thrice a week in EnergyOne, a gym in SAFRA Punggol.
The full-time primary school teacher is challenging the social norm as pregnant women are usually advised against exercising vigorously during their pregnancy. Undeterred by popular belief, she is determined to work out and lift weights.
“I felt that if I work out, I [can] keep myself strong for pregnancy. I can prevent a lot of things. I can prevent complication[s], I can make labour easier for myself,” says Ms Neo.
Senior lecturer for Diploma in Sports and Wellness at Nanyang Polytechnic Ms Tok Lee Ching, 45, commented that what Ms Neo said is accurate. “By exercising right, it is good in a way that it is beneficial to the pregnant lady because it starts to build up her stamina and also her strength which is required during labour,” says Ms Tok.
From running 10km to deadlifting, she persists even though working out is difficult during pregnancy. She often feels tightness on her lower belly and gets exhausted much faster, compared to before pregnancy.
When asked if she ever felt like giving up on exercising during pregnancy, she says,
“Actually I don’t feel like giving up because I like exercising and I felt that now that I’m pregnant right, I’m even more motivated to exercise.”
She starts the week by training her upper body, then expanding to her full body which will be a high-intensity interval training. The third session will be focused on her legs. If she happens to have time and energy to work out for the fourth or fifth time in a week, she will just repeat this cycle.
On the days that she does not visit the gym, she will still make an effort to exercise at home with dumbbells or an elastic band. If not, she will watch and follow workout videos on YouTube.
She is capable of exercising intensively despite being pregnant because she has always been very active since young. She did gymnastics in her teenage years, then moved on to cheerleading in 2009. Her cheerleading team defended their championship position from 2010 to 2013.
In 2014, she stopped cheerleading to pursue bodybuilding. She emerged as the champion for bodybuilding competitions Muscle War and Nova in 2015 and 2016 respectively. She also did CrossFit, pole dancing, and ran marathons twice a year. “I’ve conditioned my body to a point whereby my tolerance level is quite high so that’s why during my pregnancy I could go a bit harder on myself,” says Ms Neo.
Ms Neo lifting weights in EnergyOne, a gym in SAFRA Punggol which she visits thrice a week. Her friend of 5 years, Olivia Lim Cher Cheng, 25, describes her as “strong and resilient”, because if her mind is set on accomplishing something, she will go all out to do it. Photo by: Tan Li En
One of the main motivations that keep her going is the health of her baby. She says,
“I researched, working out is actually good for baby… Baby will be healthier, stronger, less complication[s].”
According to Dr Swarup Mukherjee, associate professor in the Department of Physical Education & Sports Science of National Institute of Education, exercising is beneficial to both the mother and baby.
“Traditionally, pregnancies are seen as a high-risk situation. However, despite popular beliefs, exercising during pregnancy can be of immense benefits and should be encouraged,” says Dr Mukherjee, who was a sports medicine physician for 15 years before becoming an associate professor.
He also shared that it is important for pregnant women to consult their doctors first before exercising. Ms Neo checked with her doctors if it was safe for her to exercise, and she got the green light that she was able to exercise intensively.
Her husband, Mr Tan Ka Hau, also shared what he thinks keeps her motivated to exercise during pregnancy. “It has become a daily routine, it’s her discipline.” The 29-year-old who was the first and only boyfriend of Ms Neo for 10 years added, “So it becomes like a habit…And she likes to keep fit. The moment she doesn’t gym, the moment she doesn’t move, she’ll feel very uneasy.”
Ms Neo advised pregnant women who are inspired to exercise to do it at their own pace, “Listen to your bodies when you exercise… Tired, take a longer break. Too heavy or uncomfortable, take a lighter weight or don’t take weight[s].”
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