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At-Home Pilates Pregnancy Workout
Pilates is a great way to stay in shape during your pregnancy and can even help prepare your body for labor. Try these tips and at-home workout.
by: Tracey Mallett
In This Article
Pilates During Pregnancy
- Strengthening your abs with Pilates movements relieves back pain and helps with body alignment–which can help later with a faster and safer delivery.
- Activating pelvic floor muscles through Pilates keeps the muscles strong for the birthing process and also helps with any incontinence you may experience during and after pregnancy.
- Pilates exercises can be done at home on a mat with small props, such as pillows or cushions to support your head.
- Movements are low impact, so they won't increase your heart rate or put undue stress on lax joints.
hen everything from your muscles and joints to your internal organs is changing shape and shifting, things can get a little uncomfortable. The solution? Pilates can help your body feel more like it's self. It can improve your breathing, relieve back pain and keep you flexible. It can even help you recover your body shape after birth.) Here's how to get started.
Pilates Improves your Breathing
Pilates focuses on breathing, which helps activate the transversus abdominus. (This is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and is responsible for supporting the spine and pelvic area when ligaments are lax during pregnancy and nursing.) Research shows that activation of the transversus abdominus also activates the pelvic floor–keeping these muscles strong and supple for the birthing process can help with any incontinence you may experience during and after pregnancy.
Lateral breathing is also inherent in Pilates. It improves rib cage mobility when the range of motion in the diaphragm is limited due to the high position of the baby in the third trimester.
