10 good reasons to do Pilates in pregnancy
Changes to your body in pregnancy
Pregnancy is truly an amazing moment for most women in life but sometimes the changes in your body can be stressful, unexpected, uncomfortable and even at times painful.
Pilates is a safe, recommended and excellent form of exercise to take care of your body during your pregnancy. The method is the perfect way to prepare not just your body but also your mind for the challenges of birth.
So what are the benefits of doing Pilates during your pregnancy?
Here we share with you 10 good reasons to try our pregnancy Pilates method during your pregnancy.
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1. Strengthening the pelvic floor
Pregnancy can cause pelvic floor dysfunction by reducing its strength due to the weight and changes in the layers of abdominal muscles as the baby grows.
An important start to gaining the strength of your pelvic floor is learning consciously how to use your core abdominal muscles when doing Pilates exercises.
This is the first lesson in your introductory session at Studio Australia Barcelona
Once you have this knowledge and understanding your Pilates program will incorporate exercises that require the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles in a coordinated manner with the breathing and recruitment of the core muscles from a varied repertoire.
As you practice Pilates during your pregnancy program we train you to always focus on the pelvic floor muscles with each movement and each breath.
2. Maintaining muscle strength
Pilates exercise methods increase the level of awareness, strength and endurance in pregnant women. This way your body stays strong as the weight increases.
When doing Pilates you will notice:
- An increase in your overall strength
- Control of core abdominal muscles
- Improved flexibility
- Increased thoracic mobility
- Improvement of circulation
- Increase in stamina
- Better stability of the joints
- Release of tensions stored in the muscles
Improvement of fitness, balance and endurance is essential for your body during childbirth and your recovery in the postnatal stage.
3. Promotes good posture
Maintaining a good posture with Pilates during your pregnancy can help to correct the negative issues that can affect your body.
As your abdominal circumference increases, it causes an increase in the curvature of the lumber spine, affecting your back muscles as they compensate and the pelvis rotates forward in compensation. This all affects your posture.
The weight of your breasts also makes you lean forward so the muscles of your chest relax and those in your back stretch, tighten and can lose strength to support the pectoral muscles.
This poor posture over time causes pain, changes in the fascia and also sagging in some muscles, while others compensate by contracting.
Pilates will prevent injuries and pain in your back and help you cope with the possibility of bad postural habits that can be created during pregnancy.
4. Reduce pain during pregnancy
Many changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy increase the incidence of localized pain especially in the back.
Women can also complain of pain in the pubic symphysis, the sacroiliac joint, in the lower extremities, muscle cramps, swelling in the ankles, carpal tunnel syndrome and imbalance.
Pilates, with its expansive range of exercises is an effective, healthy and functional method to reduce pain in pregnancy especially if the pain increases intensity in the third trimester of pregnancy.
5. Controlled breathing
Sometimes pain during labor can create fear and insecurities. Learning how to breathe well is an incredibly useful strategy to help in the situation. Breathing deeply, holding and exhaling relaxes you, calms you down as well as helps you to think clearly.
When doing Pilates breathing efficiently and effectively, the control of your core abdominals and muscular system is essential. You can also use this method and knowledge during labor to moderate the pain of contractions, all be it by allowing the body to relax and release the control.
6. Regulates weight gain during pregnancy
One of the most obvious changes that happen in pregnancy is an increase in body weight, which, although is due to the increase in fluids and the development of the baby, is also because the body stores more calories.
These reserves in calories have an end: to nourish the baby after birth. Even so, maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy is important especially as being over weight can bring risks such as diabetes, preeclampsia or difficulties at the birth of the baby.
It is safe to exercise with Pilates to control your weight gain throughout your entire pregnancy but we recommend that you do these workouts under the supervision of a recognised trained pregnancy Pilates studio or instructor who can advise and adapt your sessions according to your needs and with each trimester.
7. Improves sleep and energy levels
Pregnant women often find it difficult to find a position where they can feel comfortable to fall into a deep and restful sleep as the pregnancy progresses and as your abdominals grow.
With regular weekly Pilates sessions and exercises, you improve the flexibility, strength and posture of your body and this helps you feel lighter despite the extra weight. You also achieve depths of relaxation as you learn to control your breath and enjoy muscle massage and release.
This way it is easier to get a sleeping posture that allows you to rest and recharge your energy.
8. Maintain your body’s athleticism
If you have always maintained a very active lifestyle and are athletic Pilates can give you the necessary resistance, tools and exercise practices to care for your body’s athleticism during your pregnancy, safely.
The intensity level of your daily activities will decrease especially in the final weeks, however, that does not mean that you cannot keep up your fitness levels.
Having a tailored program to suit your body from a knowledgeable team of professionals working with your mind and body while protecting your baby is essential.
9. Balancing your hormones with Pilates exercises
With pregnancy comes a series of unexpected hormonal changes to not only your body but also your state of mind.
The result? You are all over the place with emotions. One minute you can be euphoric and full of enthusiasm in anticipation and then suddenly your mood can turn to despair, fear or sadness.
Practicing Pilates in your pregnancy can give you:
- Relaxation
- The ability to focus on yourself
- Endorphin release
- Stress relief
- Increased awareness and mental clarity
- Improvement in concentration levels
Exercise is a great antidote to calming and balancing your hormones!
10. Reduce the risk of falls in your pregnancy
The most common causes of injury during pregnancy are falls as some women become rather clumsy in pregnancy.
You might have heard of expectant Mum’s speaking about “pregnancy brain”!
Falls during pregnancy can be due to not being focused, the Mum’s growing belly taking her off balance and the release of the hormone relaxin especially in the third trimester as the body prepares for birth.
Women who are hospitalized after a falling in their pregnancy can have major complications during childbirth including:
- Preterm labor
- Detachment of the placenta
- Labor induction
- Cesarean delivery
- Increased fetal suffering from hypoxia
Practicing Pilates can reduce the risk of falling because of the balancing, strengthening and stabilizing exercises that improves the control that an expectant Mum has as her body changes during her pregnancy.
If you are interested in learning more about the tailored pre-natal programs and post pregnancy packages we offer at Studio Australia Barcelona do not hesitate to contact us for a complementary 30 minutes consultation.
We would be very pleased to care for you.
