Strength for Two
Member Janice Chan credits both clubhouses with helping her stay fit while expecting.
I started going to the Fitness Center at the Club just after we moved to Tokyo from Baltimore, Maryland.
Exercise has always been part of staying grounded and helping me fall asleep at night. You know, making me feel good in my body.
Last December, I gave birth to my first child. Continuing to exercise during the pregnancy was important to me. Exercise is a form of agency to move your body, and I wanted to keep that movement as part of my life. A lot of friends, even if they were active before, told me they had morning sickness and such, and it was hard to do things. I was super lucky and didn’t have any complications that can get in the way of exercising, and I was able to continue up until the week before delivery.
Of course I had to make adjustments. The rowing machine went out pretty early, because it was just bumping into my belly. But I mainly go to the Fitness Center for strength training, and I wanted to continue that, so I met with a Club trainer who was familiar with pre- and postnatal exercise to be sure I was doing things safely. I also wanted to learn proper movements and how to modify my stance while maintaining proper form. When you’re lifting, proper form is really important or else you’re going to hurt yourself. I don’t normally work with a trainer—I just like to go and do the things I like to do—but I was really glad to have that guidance.
As my pregnancy went on, my approach to exercise kept evolving. The amount of weight I could lift, for example, changed toward the end and things got kind of uncomfortable. The last month, I spent more time walking and in the Sky Pool. I was glad to be able to swim—it was lovely at the end.
Staying active helped me feel strong during pregnancy, and I believe even more so that it has helped me afterward. Friends who’ve given birth told me it would be difficult to do this or that afterwards, but it still surprised me. I did really struggle with how hard it was for me to do things, even walking. I would get tired after 15 minutes versus before, when I could walk for miles. My core muscles were so taxed, but I do feel the exercise helped a lot with slowly recovering strength, especially when I eased back into the Fitness Center after two months.
I enjoy working out, but it’s also functional for me. Thinking ahead about the baby and becoming a parent, I wanted to make sure that I can play and be there for my kid in the way I want to. I also like traveling and hiking. I want to keep doing all the fun things as I grow older, so that is also a big motivator for me to stay active and get stronger.
As told to INTOUCH’s C Bryan Jones.
Top Image of Janice Chan: Clara Garcia
August 2025
