Whether your goal is to prepare for the birth of your child, shape-up afterwards, alleviate pain or simply keep your overall wellbeing then “Pilates” is a relaxing and safe exercise choice for you.
During pregnancy the most common areas of the body which may become problematic are the back, abdominals and pelvic floor muscles. All Pregnancy-Pilates programmes are designed, modified and monitored to help alleviate these problems and progress/prepare you towards your due date and getting back into shape afterwards.
Post-Natal also takes into consideration the body’s natural healing times including when to reintroduce specific abdominal exercises as well as deliberation of any conditions which may have arisen during your pregnancy.
This reinforcement helps your body to gear up to handle the strains and weight changes caused by your growing baby.
The abdominal muscles play a key role in helping to stabilise the back and pelvis by strengthening the abdominal, back and pelvic floor muscles via Pilates pregnancy exercise it can help reduce back pain.
As your baby grows and moves further down the birth canal strong pelvic floor muscles can help support your womb, bladder and bowel. Benefits may also include the prevention of incontinence when you sneeze, or cough and help assist you when it comes to pushing your baby out during labour.
During pregnancy it is well known that as your baby grows your centre of gravity moves which can affect your balance and can lead to you being less stable when you walk. By practicing Pilates and keeping your core strong this will help to combat this problem thus enabling stability when your walk and throughout your pregnancy.
This can be done by adopting different positions i.e., by going on hands and knees, side lying and using special equipment such as wedges and Swiss balls.
By regulating your breathing with long inhales and exhales you not only aid and boost your body’s circulatory system efficiency but it can also help keep you calm and alleviate any stress or anxiety. This can exceptionally beneficial when gearing up for a challenging event such as labour because breathing and relaxation through contractions helps release the pain reliever hormones which will help ease discomfort and in the second stage of labour it helps you push baby out.
if you are new to my Pilates classes, please note that I cannot take you on until you have reached 16 weeks of pregnancy and you have had the all-clear from your mid-wife or GP; this is for safety reasons.
If you are an existing client and fall pregnant, please note that you can continue with Pilates if you wish. However, its essential that you inform me immediately as exercises need to be modified in accordance with your health and safety especially during those crucial first three months.
You will need written confirmation from your mid-wife, or GP that you are physically able to take part in these classes as everyone’s circumstances are different. A standard sign-off letter is available from me upon request to help save time for both you and your medical practitioner.
To register for this course, please contact me to arrange an initial consultation and review.