Did you hear about the woman who ran the Chicago marathon nine months pregnant and gave birth a few hours later? When I first read about her, I was amazed … and judgmental. I thought she was crazy.

Then I read a bit more and discovered she was a seasoned runner who had her doctor’s approval to attempt the marathon. And she did it safely — alternating running with walking. So, she doesn’t really need my blessing.

What does this have to do with Wayland? Nothing … directly. But we’re such a family-friendly and fitness-focused town that I’m a bit surprised it didn’t happen here. Some days, it seems you can’t turn your cart around in Whole Foods without smacking into a pregnant belly.

So, what do I tell my pregnant clients? Pretty much the same things I tell my non-pregnant clients: Let’s design a program that’s consistent with your goals; you should push yourself if you have energy, but ease off if you’re feeling hurt; above all, listen to your body.

I exercised throughout both of my pregnancies, but in both cases I gave up running pretty early on and instead focused on walking, weightlifting and working the cardio machines at the gym. During my first pregnancy I hiked the hills around Dudley Pond, and I credit those peaks with bringing my healthy boy into this world 10 days early (I was really tired of being pregnant!).

I was about 15 weeks into my second pregnancy when I twisted an ankle and fell during a run. I gave up running on the spot and turned to yoga and strength training instead. When my daughter arrived, I had a short, relatively easy delivery and I give credit to my new-found strength and flexibility for that.

Even if there’s no marathon in your future, you should still work out during your pregnancy. If you’ve been exercising for a while, you should be able to keep up with your routine, modifying as needed. And if you haven’t exercised before getting pregnant, there’s no need to put it off for nine months. Pregnant women get the same benefits as everyone else from exercise. It can help you:

• Burn calories
• Build strength
• Boost energy
• Enhance your mood

And if that’s not enough, keeping fit throughout your pregnancy can help you with your delivery and make it easier to get back into shape after pregnancy.

So, with your doctor’s okay — and by paying close attention to how you feel — get going. Maybe you won’t be running a marathon with a baby on board, but even if you just eke out a walk a day, you’ll be doing something good for yourself and for your baby.