Pilates for Pregnancy.
PILATES FOR PRE-NATAL AND POSTPARTUM
The experience of pregnancy is a beautiful metamorphosis that happens in a very short period of time. This extreme beauty, however, does come with some pretty unpleasant sensations. The rapid series changes in a woman’s external environment in preparation for the arrival of new life is far from the greatest consideration. The internal change can be daunting for even the strongest bodies. Pregnant women foster new life from the size of an olive to the size of a pumpkin, which obviously calls for a great deal of accommodation within the body. Weight must be redistributed and shared with the new baby which brings tension and discomfort to new parts of the body as it adjusts to these changes. These tensions happen primarily in the low back as the body bares more and more weight causing swelling and discomfort in the joints.
Pilates presents an incredible solution to these aches and pains by guiding the body through these changes. I start by bringing awareness to these imbalances that my clients may be unaware of or not know how to improve. Prenatal Pilates is meant to create better circulation, prevent stagnation, and mitigate movement limitation to help the mother-to-be feel her best despite her ever-changing body. The Pilates movement will encourage the pregnant person to move with ease and efficiency while also preparing their body for birth.
Keeping a Pilates practice during pregnancy helps the body stay strong and relieves stress from the sudden changes. Working on the apparatus equipment helps the body accommodate to the ever-changing 9 months of pregnancy. Prenatal pilates focuses on emphasis of breath and balance in the body. Pilates breathing is an incredible asset in the delivery room. Learning how to breathe properly allows full deep breathing to calm the mind and prepare the body to bring the new baby into the world.
Postpartum Pilates is very helpful for women reconstructing their bodies after the baby has arrived. Pilates can help rebuild and strengthen pelvic floor muscles, help resolve rectus diastasis, and repair abdominal separation that occurs during pregnancy. The body needs time to heal after the delivery of the child. Movement and exercise can usually be reintroduced about 6-8 weeks post-delivery. Having a Pilates practice in the meantime helps the mind and body to reconnect, fostering a faster healing process. Carrying, feeding, and holding the baby also create new changes to the mother’s body, even after the already-taxing delivery process. Through pilates, efficient posture is reinforced to keep the body aligned and strong to help the mother overcome all of the new changes in their lives.
Postpartum Pilates work slowly introduces movement after the delivery of a baby. Whether the woman has delivered by C-Section or Vaginally, Pilates can help rebuild the center, strengthen upper body for baby holding, and strengthen pelvic floor muscles that have been stretched and worn for the growing baby and delivery. Pilates helps to stabilize the hips, strengthen the back and teach proper alignment for carrying baby.
As your instructor, it is my goal to help you as a mother throughout the pregnancy process to be fully empowered in your body to support yourself and your growing family.
