I did a punishing pregnancy workout just HOURS before giving birth – I love being an inspiration to women

A FIERCE firefighting mum has showed off the punishing pregnancy workout she completed only hours before giving birth.

Captain Gabriela Andrade, 34, from Brazil, recorded her high-powered routine that put her baby body to the test just a day before she went into labour.

@gabriela.capbm/CENGabriela Andrade’s gruelling workout routine that sparked both support and controversy online[/caption]

@gabriela.capbm/CENThe fire chief said her workouts were approved by doctors and that she was determined to keep training while pregnant[/caption]

Gabriela, from the Espirito Santo Fire Department, posted her fast-speed, high-intensity workout on Instagram while she was heavily pregnant in June.

She captioned it: “In the video I was 40 weeks pregnant and in that absurd anxiety”

The fire chief gave birth to a healthy boy named Matheus the following day.

She shared online that he arrived “exactly as planned: at the time he wanted and without any intervention”.

In her pre-birth workout video, which has garnered over nine million views, Gabriela starts by sweating through a series of rapid squats in a packed gym.

Then she tackles a series of bar pull-ups swinging her hugely pregnant tum through the air as she rises up.

The only exercise she struggles with are press-ups – and that is only because her baby bulge is so huge that it is already touching the floor.

Other woman flocked to the comment section of the video to share their support for Gabriela’s decision to keep her high-intensity training up.

“Ur [an] inspiration to all of us. You were amazing !! don’t listen to so many people…A true warrior,” wrote one.

Another added: “Congratulations girl. In my pregnancy I intend to continue with my training.”

In response to the positivity, Gabriela said: “I felt happy and honoured to see that I could motivate many women to practice physical activity, take care of their bodies, their self-esteem, their health.

Although Gabriela said that her gruelling pregnancy workout routines were all approved by her doctors, some users feared for the safety of the baby.

One wrote: “The abs with all that impact, sorry I thought it was ridiculous, unnecessary…be very careful young lady.”

“Unnecessary, dangerous,” commented another.

A third chimed in: “I exercised with good intensity the whole pregnancy, but that’s crazy, it’s not healthy.”

The mum-of-two said she was determined not to let her pregnancies get in the way of her workouts.

The fire chief and her husband, Heitor – a fire department major – also have a three-year-old son called Theo.

She explained: “There would be no reason to stop during pregnancy since I was accompanied and guided by several health professionals who encouraged me at all times and led me very well on this journey.

“This does not mean that anyone can do it, but that my body was prepared for that intensity.”

For other pregnant woman who do not want such an extreme workout, Gabriela encourages swimming to stay fit.

With more than 130k followers on social media, the 34-year-old regularly posts about her job and the precautions people can take to keep safe in sticky situations.

Instagram/gabriela.capbmThe mum-of-two’s squats she performed at 40 weeks hours before giving birth[/caption]

Instagram/gabriela.capbmHer husband stayed close while she performed the punishing workout[/caption]

Instagram/gabriela.capbmThe 34-year-old even performed pull-ups[/caption]

@gabriela.capbm/CENGabriela pictured heavily pregnant with her toddler son and husband[/caption]