PILATES

Ante-Natal

Once you are pregnant it is very important that you adapt your fitness routine accordingly.  You are not ill and there is no doubt that you and your baby will benefit enormously from exercise during the ante-natal period.  You will, however, have to adapt your usual program to take into account the changes taking place within your body.  If you are doing any cardiovascular work in addition to Pilates, be careful not to raise your heart rate too high as you must remember that the foetal heart rate is already faster than your own.

The changes in the hormones result in ligamentous laxity. This means ligaments which help to stabilise joints soften during pregnancy to allow the pelvis to expand for space for baby which means that many of your joints may become unstable.  You will need to pay extra attention to alignment with every exercise you do.  You will need good lumbar stability and pelvic alignment as the baby grows and puts extra strain on your back.  The traditional stance of pregnancy with the hollowed back stresses the lumbar spine and you should try to be very body aware to avoid this.

Although good abdominal strength is necessary to support the spine this is not the time to work on over strengthening these muscles or going for a flat stomach!  The baby needs room to grow without restriction, so we recommend that abdominal work is limited to gentle transversus abdominis strengthening (core control).

By working on your scapular stability, you will lessen the effect of heavy breasts which can lead to rounded shoulders.  The breathing techniques and overall body control will be very useful during labour as will good control of the pelvic floor muscles! A word about these.  We want them to efficient but not too strong - you must learn how to let them release during the actual child birth itself.

Avoid exercise which put pressure on the pubic bone which is liable to separate with the increased laxity of the ligaments.  You may also find that exercises which involve lying on your back become uncomfortable from your third trimester, so change positions frequently.  Working on all fours is a wonderful alternative and provides great relief as the pressure of the baby comes off the spine.

We recommend that you stop training completely between weeks 8 to 14 of the pregnancy as this is when you are most likely to miscarry and you should consult your practitioner before continuing with them.

Postnatal

After the birth you are going to need a strong body to cope with the demands of motherhood.  As the baby grows you will need to lift and carry, not just the baby, but all the paraphernalia that travels everywhere with you!

You must wait 6 weeks after the birth to have your final post-natal check-up before commencing exercise.  We know that you want your figure back but if you attempt abdominal work too soon, you do more harm than good.  During your pregnancy the two halves of your rectus abdominos muscle (your ‘six pack’ muscles) will have separated to allow for the growth of the uterus.  These two halves must rejoin (the midwife will do a ‘rec test’) before you begin curl up style exercise or they may remain separated permanently. If you have had a Caesarean then you will need at least five months before you start curls ups.  Zipping and hollowing is great to prepare you for this.

Pelvic floor exercises are the other areas to work.  Lots and lots please! Also exercises to strengthen the mid-back muscles, otherwise the weight of your breasts as you breastfeed will stretch these muscles.

It will take several months for your hormones to return to normal so the ligaments will remain lax.  Pay close attention to your alignment and do not try to over stretch.  Do not introduce weights into your program for at least 6 months and be careful of all exercises where you need good pelvic stability (such as standing on one leg) as your pelvis may still be unstable.  The pelvic stability exercises in a lying position are fine as the floor supports you.

Be kind to yourself, take time out to relax, you will tire easily especially if you are breast feeding and getting little sleep.  If you find lying on your front uncomfortable for your breasts, exercise on all fours instead.