The Benefits of Practicing Pilates During Pregnancy
The stability is a great prop for prenatal exercise and stretching.
Pregnancy is no doubt a magical time for women, but it does come with its challenges. Between 50-80% of women will experience back pain during pregnancy, 6-9% of women will develop gestational diabetes, and around 24% of women will experience pelvic floor dysfunction during their lifetime. Whether or not a women experiences these issues can depend on many factors but a big factor which can be controlled is lifestyle.
Until recent years, it was a common belief that women should not participate in much physical activity at all or working out. My mother grew up in a time when even reaching for something on a high shelf was thought to be dangerous for a mother and her unborn baby. Boy have times changed! Medical professionals agree that exercise during pregnancy can help alleviate many issues that arise with a rapidly changing body. While some women continue running and weight lifting throughout their pregnancy, it doesn’t mean its great for all expectant mothers. Every woman is unique and with that come our unique bodies. Activities such as walking, yoga and swimming are great for most expectant mamas and come highly recommended by doctors- but what about Pilates? Is it safe to continue core exercises while pregnant? The answer is yes! And here’s why-
You may have already heard that abdominal exercises are a no-no for pregnant mamas. Exercises such as crunches, chest lifts and planking are warned to be harmful to the pregnant body. While this is true about certain abdominal exercises it is also important to understand why and what core exercises you can do while pregnant. The reason why crunches specifically are not a good idea is because during pregnancy a woman’s body will experience many changes most visibly seen in the abdomen because of the hormone Relaxin. Like the name suggests this hormone helps to relax the joints and surrounding ligaments and muscle tissues to make room for a growing uterus and baby. The “Six Pack” muscles go through a natural separation called Diastasis Recti so crunches would only continue to create more separation and this can be pretty discouraging for a woman postpartum. But there’s good news Mama! You can still workout and exercise your core in a safe way!
Pilates is a method designed to strengthen the core and promote a balanced mind, body and spirit. A traditional Pilates class will lead you through a series of exercises that lengthen and strengthen the muscles that support your core- AKA “Powerhouse” which includes those deep abdominals and pelvic floor muscles that help support your spine and pelvis. So Pilates is amazing for prenatal and postpartum mamas! By strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and utilizing core-activating breath work, Pilates can even help prepare you for the big day!
As with beginning any fitness class or exercising doing pregnancy it is important that you are cleared by your doctor and ALWAYS listen to your body! Pregnancy is a magical time and every woman deserves to feel her best and go through this special experience in her OWN way. Remember Mama- Your body was made for this and you are beautiful, strong and capable! You got this!
With Love,
Sheri