Gosh there are so many benefits of Pilates exercise during pregnancy, but equally it’s so important to know exactly which exercises are good for you during pregnancy, but not just that it changes as you move from your second trimester to your third trimester, but also after a certain number of weeks too. It’s a great time to start your Pilates after your 12 week scan. It’s also very important indeed to know the exercises and positions that you should avoid. This is what I teach you during your pregnancy Pilates classes.
Amy-Elle sharing her baby bump during pregnancy
The wonderful thing is doing Pilates exercise during pregnancy makes you feel good, yes it improves your core stability, tones your entire body (always a bonus), improves your posture or helps you maintain good posture, strengthens your back, pelvic floor muscles, strengthens your back, gives you a chance to stretch gently and enjoy some TLC, tender loving care during the relaxations, an essential part of pregnancy. The Pilates breathing is absolutely brilliant not just for your core stability, but also for concentration, switching off and having some me time, but also learning the relaxation breathing is deeply restorative and essential for mums to be.
Core stability is a bit of a buzz word in Pilates and it’s very well known for improving your core stability and this is true during pregnancy too. However it’s important that you don’t overwork, and sit ups and those type of exercises are a no no. They are bad for you during pregnancy, equally just sitting up straight from bed isn’t good for you either, so during class, you learn how to move your body and support your body and baby the best during the movements both inbetween the exercises as well as during the actual Pilates exercise itself. Why is this? It’s important that your focus is on using your deep abdominal muscles during pregnancy, which support both your back and pelvis and help you gain better results in your abdominals. It prevents you from overworking your ‘six pack’ muscle, the rectus abdominus. (you want to do everything you can to prevent diasti recti, which is when the six pack muscle divides, it can become a real problem if it divides too much). So to get the best internal and external results you want to gently be working these muscles.
Most people don’t realise that you can still achieve toned abdominals keeping your head down on exercises.
The nice thing is that there are so many core stability exercises in pilates, and so much variety too, plus you can enjoy working on a physio ball for both sitting exercises, all fours and on your back too which can be very soothing, help with circulation as well as strengthening too. You get to enjoy the exercises without any strain and avoiding the more advanced repertoire of Pilates which won’t do you any good during pregnancy, enjoying nice slow controlled movements that make you feel good.
Tone Something thats wonderful about Pilates is that if you do Pilates during pregnancy and have that knowledge and put that time in for your body, mind and baby, it’s also so much easier to get back into shape after having your baby too. The important thing during pregnancy Pilates is to really listen to your body, it isn’t just about doing to recommended exercises, and of course each woman has a different fitness level, so it’s much better to work with a qualified teacher who can help you individually work at your level, this helps get you the best results.
Amy-Elle found pilates helped her tone up more easily post natally. Cat stretches great in pregnancy and post natal.
Posture Lets talk about posture, so with your growing baby during pregnancy it can be easy to slump at times and slip into bad posture, especially if you have other little ones too. Having a weekly regular lesson can really help you connect daily into your posture in how you sit and stand and also prepare you for feeding and carrying your baby when the time comes. Having good posture too helps you feel happier, more confident too, always a bonus.
There are wonderful lying on your side stretches which are such a relaxing way to improve your posture, but link beautifully with your relaxing too. Sitting on the Pilates ball and standing exercises and adding in the resistance band can all really help too. Having plenty of head pads and cushions for class is important too to make you more comfortable.
Reduce or prevent back pain, Pilates is a wonderful and effective form of exercise to improve your back strength It’s really important to keep your back strong during pregnancy, which Pilates can help you do. Avoiding all the exercises on your tummy is important to know, but there are so many alternatives you can enjoy and benefit from to strengthen you back, exercises standing, on all fours are really brilliant for your back as well as side lying exercises to help stabilise your pelvis and keep your buttocks toned and supporting you all a bonus.
Keeping your deep abdominals strong during pregnancy really supports your back if you’re doing it properly, These muscles love to support you and the bonus is you’re more toned as a result too as well as less back pain or the prevention of back pain which is so important with your growing baby and if you’ve had previous or ongoing back problems.
Balance – your balance can improve with Pilates, giving you more stability from your exercises.
Pelvic floor muscles It’s really important to take time to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy, not just to prevent incontinence, it can have a huge impact on your recovery and is a support for both your bowels, womb and bladder. It helps you prepare for childbirth, during childbirth and post natally you will have the knowledge and practical experience of how to help the muscles heal. It is good to take dedicated time to strengthen these muscles during class, but also to know how to relax them too. This is just as important. It takes practice and helps prevent leaks such as when you cough and sneeze if the muscles have become weak. Helping you strengthen up. Prior to pregnancy there is often too much emphasis on all the other abdominal muscles, and often the pelvic floor muscles get forgotton. You’ll be glad you remembered to look after them too!!
Relaxation & breathing
As a pregnant woman, it’s absolutely wonderful to take time to really and deeply relax both for you and your baby, the first principles of Pilates are relaxation and breathing, and if you’re going to a good class, you’ll be breathing throughout the entire class, which in itself is deeply relaxing. But it’s also nice to indulge in relaxations on their own to feel calm, peaceful and relaxed in body and mind.
Practice, it’s a wonderful thing to learn during your lessons how to both enjoy practicing your Pilates at home as well as taking time out to enjoy relaxations too inbetween classes, I show you how and include pilates workouts and relaxations for you to enjoy at home inbetween lessons which helps you to achieve even more from your Pilates, feeling better on a daily basis with Pilates.
May you love the benefits of Pilates during Pregnancy, and fall in love with this amazing exercise technique forever!! It works
Love Beverley Densham Bsc (Hons), Dip
Pilates expert.
