Pilates is one of the only exercises you can start during pregnancy if you have not exercised before. Pilates is perfect for the antenatal body as it focuses on correct body alignment and engaging the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.
Pilates exercises provide an ideal preparation for the body before labour and play an important role in your body’s recovery after giving birth
Many women suffer from back pain and pains during pregnancy and often well after the baby is born. Such physical discomfort is not unusual and can drain your strength as well as interfere with sleep and rest. By paying particular attention to posture, muscular strength and balance throughout pregnancy, and learning how to stand, sit and move correctly, those aches and pains can be significantly reduces or alleviate completely.
By maintaining a ‘neutral alignment’ and posture during the early stages of pregnancy can improve energy levels, and relieve stress and strains on muscles, joints and ligaments that prevent relaxation and good sleep.
Pilates offers both mental and physical training, and differs from other fitness techniques by targeting the deep postural muscles, building strength from the inside out, developing core stability, rebalancing the body and bringing it into correct postural alignment.
Pilates works to develop balance, centering, posture abdominal and back strength, as well as working the diaphragm muscles.
The benefits of regular Pilates exercises are:
- Increases abdominal strength, therefore providing support for the weight of the uterus and baby, and acts as a support for the spine
- Aids in childbirth by making the pelvic floor muscles stronger and gives you greater body awareness so you can focus on this area
- Increases stamina
- Creates stronger, toned abdominal muscles that are less likely to separate, if your muscles do separate it helps them to realign more quickly. Severe separation means there is less support for the spine and is likely to cause back pain
- Promotes good posture and strong core strength, which helps to control the amount your pelvis will tilt. Excessive pelvic tilt can create postural problems and lower back pain
- Aids relaxation and sleep and increases energy levels
- Improves circulation and helps to prevent varicose veins and leg cramps
- Reduces general aches and pains by improving posture
- Aids breathing during labour and reduces shortness of breath during pregnancy
- Quickens postnatal recovery
If there are no specific Antenatal classes running a normal beginners class will be suitable if you have a complication free pregnancy