Prenatal Pilates Classes

Q: What Other Exercises Are Recommended During and After Pregnancy?

Aerobic Activities: Walking, swimming, aqua aerobics, stationary cycling, and dance are excellent low-impact options to stay active and maintain cardiovascular fitness. Strength Training: Building muscle strength through appropriate strength training supports your body as it adapts to the physical changes of pregnancy, helping to reduce discomfort and improve posture.

Pilates during pregnancy provides numerous benefits, making it a popular and effective choice for expectant mothers. The moderate intensity of the exercises, combined with their adaptability, ensures they can be tailored to your needs throughout every stage of pregnancy.

Prenatal Pilates focuses on building strength, enhancing flexibility, and incorporating breathing techniques that support physical wellbeing and prepare you for labour and delivery.

Whether you’re new to Pilates or an experienced practitioner, our classes offer a safe and supportive way to stay active and connected to your body during this special time.

What is Prenatal Pilates

Prenatal Pilates is a form of exercise specifically designed for pregnant women to support their physical and emotional well-being throughout pregnancy. It is based on the principles of traditional Pilates, which focuses on core strength, flexibility, posture, and controlled breathing, but it is carefully adapted to meet the unique needs of pregnancy.

Pilates during pregnancy helps with general strength as well as learning about how to keep pelvic floor function optimal. Good pelvic floor function and breathing patterns help with overall core strength as well as recovery postpartum.

Is Pilates A Safe Exercise For Pregnancy?

Yes, Pilates can be a safe and effective exercise during pregnancy when modified to accommodate the body’s changing needs. It helps strengthen the core, improve posture, and reduce discomfort, such as back pain.

It is essential to consult with your GP before starting a new exercise during or following pregnancy to ensure safety for both mother and baby.

The worldwide public health guidelines advise that pregnant women participate in 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity activity a week. This should be accumulated over a minimum of 3 days including complete muscle strengthening activities twice a week.

Benefits of Prenatal Pilates

Exercising during pregnancy has a multitude of benefits for both mother and baby such as:

Establishing healthy routines

Prenatal Pilates encourages consistency by integrating regular, gentle exercise into your daily or weekly schedule. It helps expectant mothers prioritise self-care, essential for physical and emotional well-being during pregnancy.

By promoting mindful movement, controlled breathing, and posture awareness, Pilates supports a balanced and sustainable routine that can be carried forward into postpartum recovery. Establishing these healthy habits during pregnancy not only enhances strength and relaxation but also fosters a sense of stability and preparedness for the demands of motherhood.

Improving mood

Prenatal Pilates improves mood by promoting the release of endorphins, the body’s natural "feel-good" hormones, through gentle physical activity. The controlled breathing and mindful movements practiced in Pilates also help reduce stress and anxiety, fostering a sense of calm and relaxation.

By alleviating common pregnancy discomforts like back pain or tension, Pilates enhances overall well-being, contributing to a more positive mindset. Regular practice can also boost confidence, helping expectant mothers feel more connected to their changing bodies and better prepared for the journey ahead.

Reducing muscular tension & improving posture

Reducing muscular tension during pregnancy is highly beneficial as the body undergoes significant physical changes that can lead to discomfort and strain, especially in the back, hips, and pelvis.

As your baby grows, your body's center of gravity shifts, placing additional stress on muscles and joints. Reducing muscular tension helps alleviate common pregnancy-related issues such as back pain, leg cramps, and muscle stiffness, promoting overall comfort.

Additionally, relieving muscular tension can improve posture, prevent injury, and support better movement and flexibility, which is crucial for maintaining mobility as pregnancy progresses.

Helping reduce backache

Pilates helps reduce backache during pregnancy by strengthening the core, improving posture, and increasing flexibility, which are essential for supporting the growing baby and your body's changing structure.

As pregnancy progresses, the added weight and shifting center of gravity put strain on the back, leading to discomfort. Pilates exercises target the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles of the back and pelvis, helping to alleviate this pressure and reduce the risk of back pain.

Improved sleep

Pilates improves sleep during pregnancy by reducing physical tension, promoting relaxation, and easing discomfort in areas like the back and hips. The controlled movements and breathing techniques help the body unwind, making it easier to fall and stay asleep. This is important during pregnancy as adequate rest supports overall health, boosts energy levels, reduces stress, and promotes emotional well-being, all of which are essential for both the mother and the baby.

Why Choose Physio Led Prenatal Pilates?

Physio-led prenatal Pilates offers expert guidance, ensuring exercises are tailored to address common pregnancy-related issues like back pain, pelvic discomfort, and postural changes.

With a focus on safety, physiotherapists adapt sessions for each stage of pregnancy to minimise risks and maximise benefits. These personalised programs can be further tailored to meet specific needs, including pelvic floor health, where physiotherapists provide crucial exercises and advice for optimal support during and after pregnancy.

At APC Physio, a comprehensive one-on-one assessment ensures you feel confident and prepared, allowing you to fully benefit from your physio led prenatal pilates classes.

Prenatal Pilates FAQs

When Should You Avoid Exercise During Pregnancy?

For anyone experiencing or at risk of the following pregnancy complications, exercise is not recommended:

high order multiple pregnancy (twins/triplets)
intrauterine growth restrictions
preeclampsia
premature labour
incompetent cervix
ruptured membranes
placenta praevia after 28 weeks
uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension or thyroid disease and other serious cardiovascular respiratory or systemic disorder

Always consult with your GP regarding physical activity in pregnancy to ensure it is suitable for you.

What Are The Risks of Inactivity During Pregnancy?

Being inactive during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications such as

excessive gestational weight gain
gestational diabetes
Preeclampsia
varicose veins
prenatal depression
urinary incontinence

Regular exercise helps mitigate these risks while supporting overall health. Importantly, research shows that exercising during pregnancy is not associated with adverse outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, induction of labor, low birth weight, or birth defects, making it a safe and beneficial choice for most expectant mothers when done with appropriate guidance.

What Other Exercises Are Recommended During and After Pregnancy?

Aerobic Activities: Walking, swimming, aqua aerobics, stationary cycling, and dance are excellent low-impact options to stay active and maintain cardiovascular fitness.

Strength Training: Building muscle strength through appropriate strength training supports your body as it adapts to the physical changes of pregnancy, helping to reduce discomfort and improve posture.

When Should I Use A Pelvic Belt?

Pelvic belts can help alleviate lower back, hip, and pubic pain during pregnancy, but they may sometimes aggravate the pain.

It is recommended to wear pelvic belts while being active, such as when standing, walking, or moving around, however not while sitting or relaxing. You can try using a pelvic belt to see if it provides relief when active, but if it worsens your pain, discontinue use. Consult your physiotherapist to determine if a pelvic belt is suitable for you and which type would be most appropriate.

Is Sciatica Common During Pregnancy?

Low back pain is common during pregnancy, often due to increased load on the back from weight gain, postural changes from the growing bump, and hormonal changes which can create ligament laxity and make muscles work harder to stabilize the pelvis.

These changes can sometimes compress the sciatic nerve, which travels from the lower back down to the legs, leading to sciatica. Sciatica causes pain that radiates from the back into the buttocks, thighs, or lower legs. While lower back pain and sciatica typically resolve after childbirth, they can persist for sometime.