But ‘taking it easy;’ means different things to different women.  If you’re used to running marathons, ‘taking it easy’ could mean scaling back to a half marathon.  For women who factor in an hour at the gym every day, exercise is part of their identity and ‘taking it easy’ is not an option.
Yes, of course you should listen to your body.  Take heed of the ‘Talk Test’ – if you’re exercising so hard you can’t talk it’s time to ease up, slow down or take a break.  Your runs should be are not so far and not so fast, and yes, it’s perfectly ok to walk up hills. Choosing lighter weights and more repetitions is recommended during pregnancy and as your bump gets bigger you’re going to need to adapt your routine.
But swapping your runs for a walk or ditching your gym sessions in favour of some ‘gentle stretches’ simply isn’t an option for many women.   And there’s nothing more aggravating than someone sharing their opinion that you shouldn’t be exercising …..especially when you KNOW that exercise during pregnancy is good for you and good your baby.