There are so many benefits of pregnancy pilates and moving right through the trimesters.
The nature of pilates means that you will keep your body moving and supple but without the stress of other exercise forms. The movements will help keep your spine mobile, helping to reduce back pain caused by an ever-changing posture.
From around 12 weeks, you shouldn’t be working your abdominals muscles directly, meaning avoiding crunches, planks and similar. Although traditionally pilates movements are done on your back, with a heavy emphasis on abdominal work, the movements can be adapted. Most of them can be changed to be done in side lying, sitting or standing. Although the focus may not be directly on the abdominals, you will still be working them, but at a much lower level. This still keep them strong but again without overloading them.
Your pelvic floor will also get a good workout, helping to keep it long and strong ready for the last trimester and labour.
Balance work also helps to keep your feet ship shape, as they can take a bit of a battering later in pregnancy- flat feet are very common. But the more you work them the better!
If getting up and down off the flor becomes a problem, props can be brought in to help aid you such as exercise balls, bolsters and towels. This all helps to support the bump and you so you can carry on moving.
By joining a class you can also meet others who have had babies, ask questions and still enjoy exercise. The NHS recommend around 150 minutes of exercise each week and pregnancy pilates will certainly be included during this.
If you want to discover what a pregnancy pilates class can do for you, find out more here.
