Why Prenatal Pilates is so Important to your Health Now & After The Baby Is Born !

Every aspect and stage of your pregnancy is important to pay attention to.  Your diet, monthly (then bi-monthly) prenatal check ups, understanding your baby’s is development week by week, and being aware of your own emotional condition are crucial aspects of your pregnancy experience.  Even more important, however is the way in which your body changes to prepare for the labor and birth of your baby.  Being aware of the physical changes in your body will help you prepare for each potential ache and pain that comes your way.

You might experience pains in your joints, muscle cramps in your calves, heavy/tender breasts, widening ribs and hips…and along with all of that might even come back aches.  You might already expect these types of discomforts…but did you know that you don’t have to just suffer through them?  Pregnant women are usually advised to do some form of prenatal exercise in order to prepare their bodies for the stress on the body before and during labor … and to ease the pain during the “pushing” stage.

Prenatal Pilates is one of the best activities for a pregnant woman. Some even claim that is the best exercise to prepare the body for labor.  Why is Prenatal Pilates so great for women before, during and after pregnancy?

• We all know that pilates focuses on the core..  During pregnancy, the entire pelvic area is  weakened by the pressure of the growing baby. Pilates helps to strengthen the pelvic floor and lower back which in turn helps prepare the area for the head down position of the baby. 
• Pilates also strengthens the transversus abdominus and promotes relaxation because it focuses on lateral breathing. Lateral breathing opens up the ribcage and helps lessen the discomfort of a baby sitting in an extremely high position.  What this means? Less heartburn and pain between the ribs!
• Just like most other pilates programs, prenatal pilates helps to increase over-all body strength through stretching, breathing to increase relaxation, and a combination of breathing/movement which helps improve circulation of blood and oxygen.  All of this equals a more focused, calm, less cranky pregnancy.
• The movements in all Pilates Programs helps prevent inflammation and swelling around your joints.  The combination of intentional breathing, controlled and expansive exercises all help to make the body comfortable in the crucial areas like the shoulders and neck, the lower back, and the hips/pelvis.  Even leg cramps are dimished by taking pilates on a regular basis.
• Habits that you establish during your pregnancy will carry over to your postnatal life. Taking pilates before and during pregnancy means your body is going to bounce back faster.  If you continue your practice you might even notice your new baby pains are decreased and that hot mommy body comes back faster!

Prenatal Pilates is an amazing exercise method which many women take advantage of. If you have physical therapy centers in your area, check to see if they have a prenatal program.  Often they will include pilates based exercises and also help you deal with specific body issues that need extra attention….and it’s covered by insurance.  If you don’t have someone offering the service, look for pilates instructors in your area who specialize in prenatal pilates like I’ve started doing.  

Check out this post for a quick prenatal pilates workout you can do right now: http://www.prenatalpilates.org/uncategorized/prenatal-exercise.