Antenatal and Postnatal Pilates
Congratulations on your exciting news, whether you have just found out you are a pregnant or you have just become a mother!
Preparing your body for what lies in store both as an expectant Mum and a new mother is an absolute must. Pilates is a marvellous way of helping to ensure that everything is working as it should, that your body (and growing bump) is supported in the right places and that all your internal organs and respiratory system are working efficiently. However, I must stress that you seek permission from your medical practitioner before commencing any exercise programme, in particular if you have never done anything before. In this case, I do not recommend that you start exercising in your first trimester, thereafter you may begin gentle exercise.
It is also extremely likely that you have been exercising and you didn’t even know you were pregnant. This is great news, as you are pregnant, not ill! You will need to adapt your regime to accommodate the changes in your body, and in particular if you have been doing cardiovascular exercise, it is vital that your core temperature is not raised too high and your heart rate should ideally not go above 140 BPM as the foetal heartrate is already faster than your own. There is a wealth of extremely good advice available through your GP, online and in your pregnancy books, so read up and make yourself aware of what is advisable. I will be able to help you in most circumstances, although I should stress that I am not medically trained. There is no substitute for you telling me how you are feeling and we can work from there - together!
So, how can Pilates help you in your pregnancy?
Your Pregnancy in Stages - How will Pilates work?
0 - 12 weeks
It is vital that you inform me as soon as possible that you are pregnant (if you are already attending one of my general classes). When you first contact me for pregnancy-specific work, I need to know your exercising history and how far along you are. I would recommend that you do not exercise between 8 - 14 weeks as this is a vital stage in your pregnancy. We will start by adapting the more difficult exercises and working within your range but in essence, your programme will remain pretty much the same.
The main changes will be largely hormonal. The hormone relaxin will cause ligamentous laxity, that is, your ligaments will soften to allow the pelvis to expand during birth. This means that your joints - throughout the entire body, but in particular the sacro-iliac joint - will be less stable, so we need to pay special attention to good alignment and aim for good lumbar stability and pelvic alignment. We will continue to work on pelvic floor exercises - to engage them, but also to "let go" at the crucial moments! Breathing will continue to play an important part and we will work on this throughout your pregnancy and incorporate some of the techniques you will learn in your ante-natal classes if you wish.
12 - 20 weeks
We will start to move away from hard abdominal exercises and simply work on engaging your pelvis floor and do some gentle toning. We will also continue to do prone (lying on your front) exercises until this becomes uncomfortable, at which point we will adapt them or move away altogether - your feedback is essential at all time so I know how you are feeling!
20 - 28 weeks
You’re going to be feeling a bit more uncomfortable now, so we will change position frequently and not spend much time lying on your back in the relaxation position as this can make you feel a bit giddy (sorry)! We won’t be doing much "long lever" work, such as side-lying leg raises, as your pelvis will be more unstable and after about 24 weeks we won’t be doing any prone work (you simply won’t be able to)!
28 - 36 weeks
Things will be slowing down now - it will take you longer to change position so be prepared for things to be nice and relaxed with not too many repetitions and not too much standing! We will focus more on shoulder work as your breasts will probably become heavier and your shoulders may become rounded. Exercises on all fours are invaluable as it takes the weight of your baby off your spine and gives you a chance to supprt the bump using your core. We will keep a look out for carpal tunnel syndrome and avoid anything involving wide leg positions.
36 - 40 weeks
Shorter classes might be the order of the day, or more relaxation techniques will come into play - we will look at ways of focussing or putting worries out of your mind using methods employed by athletes and top businesspeople. If there is anything I can help with, just let me know - this is an exciting time for you and you should be relaxing and becoming mentally prepared.
Post-natal Pilates
It is advisable to have passed your 6 week check up before you resume exercise although many experts agree that if you have been exercising right up to the birth you may resume very gentle exercise as soon as you feel ready - less is more and err on the side of caution. I may need to discuss this with your practitioner, with your permission of course. Once you have had a "rec check" (to ensure that your rectus abdominus has closed) we should be able to re-introduce gentle abdominal work. Caesareans will probably need longer and we will certainly steer clear of abdominal exercises for a good few months (around five). Many of the precautions and adaptations we made during pregnancy will also apply in the few months after your baby is born, but again, this will depend largely on how you are feeling and how things went for you prior to and during the birth. You will no doubt be aching to get your pre-pregnancy figure back, so find out about my Yummy Mummies’ Walking Groups (subject to demand and availability). Get out in the fresh air and exercise with friends and other new mums!
One further note
Everyone is different and there is no "one size fits all" programme. This applies to all of my clients but even more so in special circumstances such as pregnancy or rehabilitation from illness or injury. Rest assured that your needs are paramount and we will work to get the best out of your Pialtes - for you!