Client Success Stories

Staying Active During Pregnancy: Priya's Pre & Postpartum Journey

Written by UFIT Singapore | Dec 4, 2025 6:05:05 AM

How Pre-natal Physiotherapy Helped Priya Stay Strong, Confident and Active Throughout Her Second Pregnancy

Staying active during pregnancy can feel confusing, especially with the overwhelming and often conflicting advice available online. Many mums-to-be aren’t sure how much they can do, what’s safe, or how to maintain strength without risking injury.

At UFIT, we see this every day. And Priya’s story is a perfect example of how the right prenatal physiotherapy and Pilates support can completely transform a pregnancy journey.

Choosing a Different Path for Her Second Pregnancy

When Priya was expecting her second child, she knew she wanted this pregnancy to feel different from her first.

During her first pregnancy, she stopped CrossFit, avoided strength training, and focused mainly on yoga and breathwork. While beneficial, the lack of structured strength work made her postpartum recovery slow, tiring, and frustrating. It took her months to regain her core strength and return to the workouts she loved.

This time, she arrived at UFIT with a clear intention: Stay strong, stay moving, and trust her body.

Her doctor gave her full support to continue exercising. She was also in her best shape in years, having completed a Hyrox event and a half marathon shortly before conceiving.

She knew her body was capable. She just needed the right guidance to train safely.

Starting Strong With Prenatal Physiotherapy and Pilates

Priya joined UFIT at nine weeks pregnant, still early, without any symptoms, but determined to build a stronger foundation this time.

Our physiotherapist, Kim, started by focusing on:

Core activation

Helping Priya maintain deep abdominal support as her body changed.

Pelvic floor control

Building awareness, coordination and resilience, essential for labour and postpartum recovery.

Hip and thoracic mobility

To keep her moving comfortably through each trimester.

Strength maintenance

Allowing her to continue safe CrossFit-style training without overloading her body.

This early phase wasn’t about fixing pain, it was about future-proofing her pregnancy.

Adjusting Training as Pregnancy Progressed

As Priya moved further into her second trimester, natural changes in her body brought occasional hip and back discomfort. When these surfaced, Kim adapted her programme:

  • Hands-on manual therapy

  • Gentle releases

  • Modifications to technique and positioning

  • Continued strengthening for long-term resilience

The goal was not just to reduce symptoms but to empower Priya to understand her body and move confidently through every stage.

Overcoming First-Trimester Challenges

The biggest hurdle?
Morning sickness and low motivation.

There were days Priya felt exhausted, nauseous, and emotionally drained. But she kept showing up, because each session left her feeling clearer, lighter, and more grounded.

Movement became her anchor.

She reminded herself:
"Just show up. You’ll feel better after one hour."
And she did, every time.

Building Confidence, Strength and Trust

For us at UFIT, the most powerful transformation wasn’t just physical, it was her mindset.

Compared to her first pregnancy, Priya felt:

  • Less heavy

  • Less breathless

  • More capable for longer

  • More connected to her body

  • More in control of her symptoms

Consistency played a huge role. From 8 weeks to 34 weeks, Priya trained with us week after week, adapting, learning, and gaining confidence.

She shared that the trust she developed with Kim made all the difference. Every session centred around her comfort and capacity. Using a simple rating system (1–10 difficulty), we always pulled back if something felt above a 7.

This balance of support + safety + challenge helped Priya move through her pregnancy feeling empowered, not restricted.

Thriving Through Pregnancy, Not Just Surviving It

By the time she reached the same stage of pregnancy as her first, Priya was noticeably:

  • Stronger

  • More energetic

  • More mobile

  • More comfortable

  • More active

She maintained her routine far longer than before, right up until her body naturally began slowing down. She credits that to a combination of physio, Pilates, and consistent movement, all personalised to her unique needs.

Navigating Pregnancy in an Age of Information Overload

One of Priya’s biggest reflections was the sheer amount of confusing advice online. What to do, what to avoid, what’s safe, what isn’t, it can feel paralysing.

Her takeaway?

Listen to your body. Listen to your doctor. And keep moving in whatever capacity feels right.

At UFIT, we couldn’t agree more. We believe pregnancy should feel strong, supported, and empowering, not limiting. And with the right guidance, it absolutely can.