Pilates is considered one of the best exercises to do before and after pregnancy. Pilates is excellent for improving core strength, which is one of the main reasons Pilates and pregnancy go so well together. In addition, toning your abdominals, back, and pelvic floor/Kegel muscles will help you have a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery. Pilates is also well-known for assisting new mothers after the birth of their children.
Another excellent reason to do Pilates while pregnant is that it is highly adaptive. Most Pilates workouts are adaptable to your changing body and abilities. The changes allow you to preserve the aim of the workout while adjusting the form to suit your body.
Get Quality Instruction
Consult your doctor or midwife beforehand.
If you’ve never done Pilates before, you’ll need to find a prenatal Pilates class or an instructor who can give you plenty of one-on-one attention. If you haven’t already worked with the foundations, it’s not a good idea to start performing Pilates on your own. Even if you already have a Pilates background, taking a prenatal Pilates class or working directly with an instructor is recommended. However, various DVDs, videos, and books are available to help you with your practice.
Food, Water, and Power
You are already eating for two, but exercise causes you to burn extra calories and lose water through sweat. As a result, you should boost your calorie intake and stay hydrated. Prenatal Pilates is not physically demanding, but you should pay attention to your body (and baby) and pace yourself. Your energy levels will fluctuate, and you do not want to overdo it. Use the talk test—if you’re too out of breath to speak in a conversational tone and speed, it’s time to slow down. Also, dizziness, feeling faint, nausea, racing heart, shortness of breath, uterine contractions, bleeding or leaking fluid, and headache are all symptoms that you should take a break.
Body Changes
Your baby’s center of gravity will vary as they grow. As a result, you may discover that you need to be a little more cautious when doing things like getting up and down for mat work, getting on and off the reformer, or working out on an exercise ball.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy promote joint and muscle flexibility. Women’s muscles and ligaments are more strained during this time because their bodies are wisely making them more “stretchy.” You’ll want to avoid overstretching. Working in a restricted range of motion might help you tune into the nuances of an activity. This is a perfect moment to work on tuning into the pelvic floor muscles, breathing correctly, and gradually working with oppositional stretches.
The Inside Scoop
Sometimes, not too far along, your abdominal scoop will no longer work or look the same. The goal will be to maintain a strong sense of abdominal and pelvic floor engagement and do what you can without working too hard; after all, there’s someone in there! A disorder known as “diastasis” that happens later in pregnancy and causes a separation of the abdominal muscles. If you have a diastasis, you should modify your Pilates routines carefully with your instructor or suspend them until after the baby is born.
Following the First Trimester
When you reach the second trimester, you should stop practicing activities while resting flat on your back. This is suggested due to the risk of restricting the baby’s blood supply. It is also not advised to put your feet over your head. That’s not to say you can’t support them. It means that your hips remain down. Sharp percussive motions should be avoided in your routine. Vigorous sidekicks are an example, and reformer workouts with the jump board will be prohibited.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
Pregnancy can be a highly gratifying time to tune in and connect with the vital Pilates principles: focusing, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. However, working with these principles will improve your workout experience and provide skills to bring to your baby’s delivery and care.
