Heidi Montag is pregnant with her second baby and thriving. The reality star posted a photo of herself wearing a purple swimsuit on Instagram, captioning it “Waterfall time.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Montag stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don’t miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!
Montag recently switched to a strict diet of raw meat and organs. “I do try to eat raw organs a few times a month and for me it has drastically changed my brain and my energy. I love it,” she told the Unpopular podcast. “At first the liver was a little intense. I thought I was gonna throw up and I was a little nervous about it.” But is eating raw meat safe? “Beef can be contaminated with Toxoplasmosis gondii, a protozoal parasite from cats that happily survives in cattle and humans,” says Colin Michie, Deputy Lead, School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire. “Toxoplasmosis tends to find its way into the brain, retina, heart muscle or cross the placenta, where it can damage the fetal brain. Some of these effects may take years to become evident; you would probably not notice anything after that raw lunch.”
Montag didn’t let a baby bump get in the way of her workouts—she continued working out well into the eighth month of her pregnancy. “Maintaining core strength throughout your pregnancy can prevent back pain and boost recovery postpartum,” says Sarah Duvall, DPT, a core and pelvic-floor physical therapist. “Handling the increasing ligament laxity that comes with the hormonal changes that spread the pelvis and prepare for delivery can be hard on the pelvic-floor muscles.”
California girl Montag loves a beach workout. “Beach training can be a very nice way to get motivated to exercise, with the chance to be outside in a beautiful, relaxing environment,” says Dr. Kenton Fibel, sports medicine physician at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. “A potential benefit of beach training can be to strengthen the foot and ankle muscles, as well as the stabilizers of other joints. Sand is a surface that does not have the same stability and predictability as other surfaces. For this reason, this uneven—and sometimes unstable—surface can lead to injury. If you do not typically exercise, this could end up being too aggressive of an activity. Wearing shoes may be helpful.”
Montag likes incorporating resistance bands into her workouts. “You can loop them around your legs or arms, and they come in all different shapes and sizes,” says personal trainer Jen Skym. “Like weights, they have different resistances to make your workout easier or harder. Resistance bands recruit the ‘stabilizer’ muscles – this muscle group is significant because it supports our larger muscles and joints when we move, and helps reduce the risk of injury. So they are a safe and low-impact option for older people, and are often used for rehabilitation.”
Montag loves to jump rope as part of her workout routine. “Anyone with healthy joints can give it a try,” says Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City. “Jumping rope creates a challenge for kids and adults alike. Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are always new challenges and ways to get creative.”