The fittest woman in the world has slowed down since she got pregnant. It will make her a better athlete, she says.

• CrossFit champion Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr is weeks away from giving birth to her first child.
• The six times fittest woman in the world told Insider how she stayed active and healthy during her pregnancy.
• Toomey-Orr has been focusing on mobility, saying his sumo squats are deeper than ever.

Six times the fittest woman in the world Aunt Clair Toomey Orr She says that exercising during her pregnancy has improved her mobility and technique, and she hopes to continue to do so when she becomes a mom.

The Australian athlete has won the CrossFit Games for six consecutive years, but this year she is not competing because she is weeks away from giving birth to her first child with her husband and trainer, Shane Orr.

“We’re literally at the end and just waiting for the little baby to give us some cues as to when he’s ready to come out,” Toomey-Orr told Insider in an exclusive interview.

Toomey-Orr, due in MayShe’s been active throughout her pregnancy but has tailored her training a lot—reducing intensity, time, and weights—and making sure to listen to her body. She hopes that slowing down and concentrating on technique rather than aiming for top speed or weight will really benefit her long-term performance.

Toomey-Orr is taking the opportunity to slow down

Early in her pregnancy, Toomey-Orr found it difficult to know what her body and baby needed to stay happy and healthy. But she learned as she went, and now, past 36 weeks, she feels much more confident, she said.

Your priority is to feel happy and relaxed, and not get overcommitted, which is a game changer. their competition days.

“I was always very busy, trying to capitalize on where I was in my life with my athleticism and trying to push the limits every minute of every day,” Toomey-Orr said. “Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I’ve tried to do a complete 180 and just take a hot minute to relax, take a break, and not worry about the small stuff.”

But nutrition has remained a top priority for the elite athlete. Since she got pregnant she has tried even harder to eat well and stay hydrated.

Your pregnancy craving? Scrambled eggs.

“For the entire first half of my pregnancy, I just craved scrambled eggs,” she said. “It was all I could bear or feel satisfied eating.”

In general, he has maintained his regular diet with lots of vegetables and healthy foods, he said.

Toomey-Orr does not have a training schedule

Toomey-Orr was surprised to discover that he still felt the desire to exercise during pregnancyas she did not expect.

She has significantly slowed down her training and taken the pressure off, but says that exercise has helped her mentally, physically and emotionally throughout her pregnancy.

Toomey-Orr He doesn’t have a training schedule, so he just sees how he feels on any given day; sometimes she just wants to walk, other times she wants to go to the gym.

Experts previously told Insider that moderate exercise is not only safe during pregnancy but it is beneficial for mother and baby, provided certain adjustments are made.

When Toomey-Orr works out, she does much shorter sessions than before, at a lower intensity and with lighter weights, she said.

There are some moves that you’ve had to stop doing entirely as your belly has grown, like snatches (moving a barbell in a straight line from the ground up, keeping it close to your body) and running.

Others have been modified; for example, he can no longer bend over to lift a barbell, so he could start in a “suspended position”, rotating at the hips with the weight in his hands.

If you feel any discomfort in a movement, stop doing it.

Toomey-Orr has also had to navigate by shifting her center of gravity and increasing her weight, but she can still do it. pull ups.

Toomey-Orr has prioritized mobility and recovery

Although he trains less, Toomey-Orr has devoted much of his time to recovery and mobility exercises. She is an ambassador for the new pregnancy route of the mobility app Pliability, which consists of three mobility routines per week, designed specifically for the needs of each trimester, with the aim of reducing pain and discomfort, and improving the ability to woman to move and exercise safely.

Toomey-Orr has been working on exercises for her pelvic floor and centerstabilization and posture: “It’s all about good movement mechanics and maintaining a base of strength without lifting a lot of weight.”

Toomey-Orr feels that maintaining good posture and mobility has helped her avoid aches, lower back pain, and joint inflammation. “I believe she will set me up for success after delivery and throughout the postpartum process,” she said.

Her mobility is even better than before the pregnancy “because everything is loosening up and opening up,” Toomey-Orr said.

For example, she can now do a really deep sumo squat, and it feels so comfortable she could hold it “all day with no discomfort,” she said.

“I just hope to keep this mobility when my pregnancy ends because it would be a really good technique,” Toomey-Orr said.