Can I do Pilates when pregnant?

Pilates is a whole-body exercise system that’s great for the ever-changing pregnant body. With a deep emphasis on your breath, Pilates balances strength, mobility, and flexibility to support your body’s structure.

With its large repertoire of exercises, there are plenty of options and modifications for every stage of pregnancy — regardless of whether you’re new to the method. As many of the exercise you would do in a regular Pilates class are not appropriate during pregnancy, it’s important to find an instructor specialized in pre-natal Pilates training.

Pre-natal Pilates has numerous benefits including: preparing you for labor and delivery, promoting pelvic floor health, helping to prevent or manage diastasis recti (abdominal separation). Pilates is a low impact method of exercise with an emphasis on stabilizing the joints and strengthening the muscles which will aid in reducing any back pain and any associated pregnancy aches and pains throughout each semester. You should always consult your Doctor before embarking on or continuing any exercise program when pregnant.

Benefits of Pilates during pregnancy.

There are many changes happening to your body when you are pregnant including; increased blood volume, heart rate, and cardiac output which may cause you to feel short of breath. Pilates breathing can help to calm the nervous system, thereby lowering blood pressure, but Pilates breathing also helps build the stamina required for the mental and emotional stress of labor and delivery. Pre- natal Pilates exercises will also help to strengthen your pelvic floor, the transversus abdominis (the deepest layer muscle of your abdominals) and back and postural muscles while also releasing tight muscles and tension with gentle mobility and stretching exercises.

Precautions for Pilates during pregnancy

Due to the amount of blood flow and respiratory changes experienced during pregnancy, it’s important to stay hydrated and refrain from overheating. Your body prepares itself to accommodate a growing baby and eventual birth by producing hormones that relax connective tissues around the joints. This increased mobility and flexibility, along with a changing center of gravity as the baby grows, can exacerbate misalignments and previous injuries. Fortunately, Pilates helps address, manage, and alleviate these concerns, all while giving you a challenging workout.

First trimester

The first trimester is the beginning of a journey during which your body starts internally working hard in preparation for the baby. As your uterus begins expanding and hormonal changes begin, fatigue, nausea, or both usually set in. Most Pilates exercises can still be performed during this stage; however, it’s important to listen to your body to refrain from overexertion. This isn’t the time to advance your practice.

The Pilates repertoire for strengthening the back side of the body (glutes and hamstrings) counteracts any anterior pelvic tilt and excessive arching of the lower back. It’s important in this first trimester to pay attention to your range of motion and aim not to move through joints’ end range with your increased levels of flexibility due to the relaxin hormone which you are producing due to pregnancy.

Second trimester

This is typically the feel good stage of pregnancy during which any fatigue and nausea have subsided and a growing bump is more visible. Your center of gravity shifts which challenges your balance, endurance, and coordination. Lying on your back should be kept to a minimum. This is because in this position, the uterus can compress the vena cava – a major vein located in your lower right back side of your body – which restricts blood flow to the baby.

To modify exercises, supportive props can be added to elevate the upper body, the reformer can be elevated on an incline and there are plenty of side-lying exercises to strengthen and stabilize your body. Core exercises such as full planks and forward-flexing abdominal exercises (ab crunches) increase intra abdominal pressure which contributing to diastasis recti (separation of the abdominals) and creating an additional downward pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. For these reasons, it’s best to avoid these exercises during this time and for the rest of the pregnancy. Prone exercises (lying face down on your stomach) are also contra-indicated from the second trimester onwards – modifications will be used to replicate prone exercises so you will still be able to get the benefits of these exercises.

It’s critical at this stage in your pregnancy to be working with a fully trained pre-natal Pilates instructor as some of the modifications mentioned above require expert knowledge, and their expertise will ensure you are practicing the most beneficial and correct exercises for your changing body.

Third trimester

During your final trimester, your energy levels may have diminished and your Pilates routine will be more focused on birth preparation and mitigating any aches and pains in your body due an ever-increasing bump. Increased weight from your baby bump can exaggerate spinal curves, round your shoulders forward, and pull your lower back into extension. Pilates exercises will focus on opening up the front of the body and strengthening the back. We also like to program more gentle mobility and stretching exercises at this stage.

Tips for doing Pilates during pregnancy

Always work with an instructor with Pilates pre-natal training
Consult with your Doctor before commencing Pilates training
Wear light, comfy clothing
Transition slowly through exercises and take your time
Always have snacks on hand and stay hydrated
If possible, allow time after your session so you have time to recover after your workout
Your joints have more laxity, so be conscious of not overstretching

To summarise

Pilates can support every stage of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Whether you are new to Pilates or an avid exerciser, a qualified instructor Pilates instructor will be able to program a workout to meet the needs of your changing body and still challenge you safely.