14 DAY TRIAL // Despite being eight months pregnant, a Chinese woman decided to take part in a marathon at Beijing Olympic Park.
28-year-old Xu Yunyun is an amateur runner, but has become a local celebrity after participating in the competition four weeks before her baby is due.
The woman says she has been inspired by British athlete Paula Radcliffe, who holds a marathon world record and continued training through two pregnancies. In 2010, during her second pregnancy, Radcliffe ran up to 14 miles a day in order to stay in shape for London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Xu Yunyun is convinced her regime will make her baby healthier and she expects the training to also make the delivery easier. She has the approval of her doctor to keep on exercising, as long as she does it at an easy pace.
“I have always been an enthusiastic runner and I don't see any reason why I need to stop just because I'm pregnant,” the woman said, according to Mirror.
The US Department of Health and Human Services says active runners can keep taking part in the sport during pregnancy. Specialists say most pregnant women should be able to play some sports at some level throughout most of their pregnancy, unless they have complications.
If they have a pregnancy-related medical condition, pregnant women should try practicing low-impact exercises, such as walking or swimming, as alternatives.