Pilates For Pregnancy - in Leeds

During pregnancy, Pilates sessions can help you focus on your strength, pelvic floor and posture. These elements are vital to those going through pregnancy which puts strain on ligaments and tissues that connect the muscles to bone. Pilates works these stabilising muscles to support your skeleton, reducing the discomfort that may be caused by postural changes. By building strength from within, Pilates helps relax, tone and strengthen the body for the task of delivering and caring for your baby. The addition of breathing exercises and specific pelvic floor conditioning are useful tools during labour and after your baby is born.

When you are pregnant the amount of cardiovascular exercise available is often dramatically decreased. The Pilates exercises we teach at our studio in Leeds are all non-impact and therefore do not put strain on sore joints. Pilates efficiently targets and builds strength in the vital parts of the abdomen, back and pelvis, particularly the deepest layers of muscle in the torso that stabilise the spine.

Not recommended if...
In some circumstances you could be advised against Pilates during pregnancy. You should always ask your Midwife or Doctor if Pilates is right for you, especially if you have any of the following conditions:

• Maternal heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Pain
• Bleeding
• Maternal diabetes
• Three or more miscarriages
• Fever
• Incompetent cervix
• Placenta previa
• Severe headaches

It is advised you do not start Pilates or any new form of exercise unless you are 12 weeks into your pregnancy as a precaution. However, if you already practice Pilates you can continue from the beginning of the pregnancy if you feel up to it. Remember to listen to your body and stop if you feel you need a break.

Knowing When To Stop...
If you notice any of these symptoms whilst practising Pilates, stop exercising and ask your Doctor if you should continue or not:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Tachycardia - fast or irregular heartbeat
• Dizzy or faint spells
• Membranes ruptured
• Very short of breath
• Pubic pain
• Difficulty walking
• Unwell / Fever
• Leg or calf pain - swelling and tenderness
• Very anaemic
• 3rd trimester - breech baby
• Blood clots
• High blood pressure

Don'ts
At So Pilates, Leeds we advise that during your pregnancy you avoid movements such as these:

• Sitting and standing with legs wide and leaning forwards - strain is placed on your pubis symphysis and can lead to joint instability.
• Over stretching the hamstrings and adductor's (the muscles at back and sides of the thighs) as this can also lead to instability.
• Curl ups and roll backs as these work your rectus abdominis, the surface abdominal muscle which can separate during pregnancy.
• Exercises with a wide range of movement. Whilst pregnant it is best to keep your legs bent and movements small.
• Putting a lot of weight on one leg.
• Anything that feels painful or uncomfortable.

Dos
Focus instead on posture and alignment. Do this by sitting correctly and keeping your core gravity over both feet through the ribs and pelvis. The following exercises that help are:

• A lot of pelvic floor and lower abdominal work to help support the growth of the baby.
• Shoulder work will strengthen mid back muscles and help scapular stability.
• Strengthen your hamstrings and leg muscles to aid stability of the pelvis.
• To help open the rib cage and thorax and improve your posture use lateral breathing.
• Calf stretches and foot mobility work

After delivery
Post pregnancy Pilates will help get you back into shape and combat fatigue. Pilates post-pregnancy not only builds back up the strength in the core that mothers lose during pregnancy, it also tones and helps shift any weight gained (remember Pilates is not a weight loss technique). Also, having a new-born or toddler takes its toll on energy levels. Pilates will help build these levels back, giving you the strength to deal with the day-to-day errands of being a new mother. Post-pregnancy pilates will aid in regaining your former posture that may have been changed during pregnancy.

After delivery try to start pelvic floor exercises as soon as 24 hours later in batches of 6 contractions. You can also practice pelvic stability exercises, shoulder release movements and baby spine curls.

If you delivered by caesarean you can do pelvic floor exercises and lower abdominal contractions to help strengthen your transversus abdominis. Remember to follow advice from your doctor and ask when to start exercising again.

So Pilates recommend you recommence classes after a minimum of 6 weeks and when you feel ready. Remember your body will have changed and you may find some movements difficult or be advised to modify your level. Some movements may even be easier. If you had a caesarean delivery it is not advised that you do any flexion (sit up) exercises for at least 5 months, but instead use transversus (stable torso, neutral spine) exercises instead.

You must always check with your Doctor or Midwife before returning to Pilates. So Pilates has welcomed hundreds of Leeds' mums to our classes and it is lovely to now see people returning to the pregnancy sessions during their second and even third pregnancies. We look forward to finding out whether it is a boy or a girl!


For dates and times of pregnancy Pilates classes click here.