This gymnastic mum-to-be hasn’t let pregnancy stop her -- from pole dancing.

Kristen Leigh, 33, is five months pregnant, but that doesn’t stop her from strapping on her seven-inch heels to get a gyrating pole workout.

Physical therapist Kristen, from the Bay Area, California, said: “I just absolutely love it. I love the community and how supportive everybody is.

“For me personally, who did dance for so long, I love the constant exploration of ways I can move my body.

"It really challenges me to think of how I move my body in a different way and learning skills and tricks is really rewarding."

Kristen began pole dancing in 2014 after visiting a strip club in Portland.

She added: “One of the dancers was doing really amazing contortionist style tricks with lots of strength and that made me really want to try it.

“I was too shy to go alone but once some of my friends suggested it, we went and I fell in love.”

Kristen began performing in 2016 with Bay Area Company Flux Vertical Theatre and began competing in 2017.

When COVID-19 shut down studios, she began training on a pole in her home, but didn’t have the same space or safety precautions to train the way she could in a studio.

Missing out on the same level of training made her more cautious about how she chooses to train and what tricks she attempts now that she’s pregnant and studios are back open.

This video was filmed within June 2021.