Prenatal Pilates Classes
Prenatal Pilates class is designed to help expectant mothers respond to the changes their body goes through during pregnancy and prepare for childbirth from the comfort of their own home. These low intensity workouts are safe for you and your baby and will leave you feeling stronger, more mobile and definitely more energised.
When you are pregnant the body releases a hormone called relaxin, which increases flexibility in ligaments, making you more susceptible to pelvic and lower back pain. The class will help you strengthen the deep abdominal muscles and gluteus that support and counterbalance changes to weight and shape. This will reduce excessive pressure around your pelvis and lower back and help alleviate and prevent lower back pain.
One of the main principals of Pilates is breathing and being pregnant gives you an even bigger reason to improve and learn how to control your breathing. It is important to have good air exchange for you and your baby and it will help during labour. Practicing good breathing also involves upper body strengthening and stretching. This will help maintain flexibility in the area, improve deep breathing, activate the obliques but also keep you strong enough to hold and cuddle your baby when they arrive.
Your weight, shape and posture will also be affected by your pregnancy. This can disturb your balance making you feel a little unstable. During Prenatal Pilates you will practise and focus on improving your balance by increasing core strength, working on the legs and also executing exercises standing up.
Even though weight gain is absolutely normal and healthy during pregnancy, it is important to not exceed what doctors recommend. Staying active and exercising will help control a healthy weight gain.
Finally keeping in shape during your pregnancy will help you prepare your body for labour and also make it easier for you to recover and gain your pre-pregnancy body back sooner.
I highly recommend having your 12-week scan before joining Prenatal Pilates classes.