Pakistani Expat: “I ran my first marathon while pregnant”
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00:00I wanted to showcase how you can stay active during pregnancy.
00:08It was kind of difficult but working out is a way for me to just release stress
00:15and it really helped me stay active, it gave me enough energy to run around
00:20and it kept me on track health-wise during this pregnancy as well.
00:30I wasn't ever this fit and active in my previous pregnancies.
00:34This time because I had professional certifications and fitness training experience and everything
00:39so I could actually apply those learnings on myself and I could keep myself fit.
00:43I had been working out and eating healthy from the very first month to now.
00:49I was able to maintain a good weight while being in quarantine.
00:54In my second pregnancy I gained about 20-22 kgs
00:59and it was the hardest time for me after delivering to come back to my normal weight.
01:07It took me almost two years to get back in my pre-pregnancy weight.
01:13This time around I had a completely different approach.
01:17I knew how hard it is so I wanted to make sure that this time around I'm fit,
01:22I'm healthy from the beginning so that I don't even reach to that level
01:26where I'm stressing about it and I'm worrying about it.
01:33Last year, almost half of the year, I spent training for my first ever marathon.
01:39I decided that 2020 is going to be my year of running
01:42and I'm going to start with the Dubai Standard Chartered Marathon.
01:45Three weeks before the Dubai Standard Chartered Marathon, I found out I'm pregnant.
01:50I just did not want to let go of this goal.
01:52I had spent so many hours training and working hard.
01:56I talked to my gynecologist.
01:58She had looked at my previous pregnancies.
02:01I had no complications, I had no health issues, I had been training.
02:04So she said that as long as I maintain a comfortable pace
02:08and I don't go to win the medal or try to get a new race target,
02:14I can go ahead.
02:16But I have to listen to my body.
02:18I have to make sure that I remember that I'm still pregnant.
02:21Luckily, my husband was running the marathon with me.
02:23We were training together.
02:25For the full marathon, he ran at my pace.
02:30He took pee breaks whenever I had to take the breaks.
02:33I refueled myself at intervals to make sure I'm eating and I have full energy.
02:38It took us long, but yes, I ran the full marathon.
02:42I was pregnant for about 8-9 weeks.
02:52I wanted to showcase how you can stay active during pregnancy.
02:57And I'm talking about from where I come in the Southeast Asian culture.
03:01It's very unheard of for a pregnant woman to be running around,
03:06to be going to the gym and working out and lifting weights.
03:09I wanted to change that perception.
03:11That Eastern women can work out.
03:14It's actually good.
03:15There's no physiological difference between us and the Western women.
03:20So while we say it's okay for them, it's not okay for us.
03:24So for our culture, I wanted to showcase through my pregnancy journey
03:29that it's okay to work out and go out and run.
03:37Life gives you unexpected situations.
03:39You try to find some solution.
03:41And when I got into the situation where all the outdoor plans were canceled
03:48and I could not go to gyms anymore and everything was closed,
03:51I realized I'm not the only one pregnant during this pandemic.
03:55There might be so many other women who are pregnant.
03:57And just like me with small children at home,
04:01if I can show them that they can still stay active and healthy
04:05while being locked out at home and quarantined at home,
04:09then they can have safe and healthy pregnancies at home as well.
04:13That's when I started making online workout videos right here.
04:17And I would just set a tripod and I would do my daily workout right here.
04:22And I would put them on Instagram and YouTube.
04:25And I started getting so many pregnant women reaching out to me,
04:29telling me that this has been a blessing
04:31because now they have something to watch and get inspired and motivated.
04:35They watch a video and they're like, okay, this is doable.
04:37I can do it. If she can do it in her living room, I can do it.
04:40So I think that became a very bright shining light for me.
04:45And I decided I'm going to do this whole motivational and inspirational thing
04:50of helping women stay fit during pregnancy from home.
04:53And that has been the best thing that I've done during this COVID.
04:58Hi, I jump to here.
05:00Yeah. Okay. I can do this too. There you go.
05:03This one. On the sides.