PRE NATAL pilates
Exercising during pregnancy is important for many reasons. Evidence shows that keeping physically active and working on appropriate strength exercises while pregnant has a positive effect on physical and mental health. It is beneficial to work on the strength of your deep abdominal, pelvic & postural muscles to accommodate your growing baby and protect your low back and pelvis as ligaments ‘loosen’ due to hormone changes. It has also shown that regular physical activity could potentially reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
Performing the correct exercises during pregnancy helps to prepare the body for labour as well as setting you up for a good recovery afterwards so that you can immerse yourself in adoring your newborn!
While pregnant there are certain guidelines that are important to abide by to ensure the safety of mum and bubs. These include avoiding lying on your back for prolonged periods, increasing your heart rate or body temperature too high or doing exercises that overly stress your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles or pelvic joints.
In our small group pre-natal pilates session our physio’s will guide you through a series of prescribed safe exercises identified from an initial 1:1 assessment.
Pre-natal Pilates benefits:
• Maintain core and pelvic strength to prevent/control low back and pelvic pain
• Strengthen deep core muscles as the abdominals are stretched which can help minimise abdominal separation.
• Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to support the extra load on bladder, bowel & uterus.
• Improve flexibility
• Relaxation and breathing control
Post natal Pilates
Strengthening exercises like those offered in our post natal pilates classes are important to help rehabilitate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles that have been stretched during your pregnancy and potentially damaged during the delivery. The appropriate rehabilitation exercises can also address any injuries or conditions sustained during pregnancy or in the early postnatal period (sacroiliac or pelvic stress, low back pain) as well as aches and pains associated with being a new mum like upper back pain from carrying or breastfeeding your baby. A safe tailored pilates exercise program will be identified by your physio from a 1:1 assessment to get you on your way back to good health and fitness.
Benefits of post natal pilates:
• Strengthen deep abdominal muscles
• Recovery from cesarean delivery or abdominal separation
• Strengthen pelvic floor
• Increase pelvic strength following pelvic pain from pregnancy
• Flexibility
• Stress management and relaxation
And the best thing about our postnatal pilates groups is YOU CAN BRING YOUR ADORABLE BUBS ALONG TOO!! We do not have an age restriction on your bubs as long as you are happy to care for your rambling or curious toddler! All new pre & post natal clients will require a 1-1 physiotherapy assessment before starting any classes.