Pilates and Pregnancy

The benefits of Pilates and Pregnancy are different in the early and late stages. Early pregnancy Pilates exercise improves the growth of the baby and decreases maternal symptoms.

Late pregnancy Pilates exercises maintain fitness, limits weight gain, and shortens labor time due to the increase in muscle strength in your pelvic floor and abdomen for pushing.

In many ways Pilates and Pregnancy work hand in hand.

Regular and sustained Pilates exercises can be very beneficial for pregnant women because it clearly complements the adaptations (such as stretched abdominal muscles, pelvis, and back) of your body to being pregnant.

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Because Pilates focuses on building muscle strength and endurance in the abdominal muscles in particular, as well as stabilizing and strengthening the muscles of the pelvis and back it is quite complimentary to the adaptations you are seeing in your body.

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Think of having a baby like training for the Olympics, because essentially you will be working as hard as or harder than most Olympic athletes to push that little boy or girl out of that small opening.

Some other benefits of Pilates and Pregnancy is that it helps to build your posture and realign your spine through the very corrective and dynamic core stabilization exercises.

So when you are in your final trimester and you have all that extra weight to carry around you will be happy you kept exercising during pregnancy to increase your strength and decrease your back pain.

Some important tips for Pregnancy and Exercise:

1. No Supine (on your back) movements during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

Lying on your back can cut off the oxygen supply to the baby.

There are many Pilates exercises you can do sitting up or lying on your side.

2. Always work in a comfortable range of motion. Because the body is preparing for the baby it becomes more flexible and you could be at greater risk for hyperextension in the spine and joints.

3. Watch for dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath.

Keep track of your heart rate, if you cannot talk comfortably while exercising you are working to hard. Stop if you experience any of these.

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