Pilates is a great way to stay fit during pregnancy
Making time to exercise can be a challenge for all of us. However, there is probably no time more poignant as the transition to motherhood for reprioritising your health and well-being. Pilates, Yoga and barre will benefit your body, mind and mood, supporting a healthy pregnancy. If you’re thinking about pregnancy or looking for a pregnancy friendly workout, we’d love for you to join us at our studio in Claremont, Perth, WA.
Becoming a Mother is a time of great change. As your body expands to grow a tiny human, your energy levels drop and you begin to add extra kilograms. Coupled with “morning sickness” that for many women lasts all day, it is tempting to sit still. However, your body is designed to move. Even if a gentle walk is all you can manage, it will make you feel better.
In 2019, Canada released guidelines for physical activity, stating that all women should remain physically active from conception until delivery, even if they weren’t active previously. The guidelines recommended 150 hours of physical activity during pregnancy, across at least three days of the week, including aerobic and resistance activities. They also recommended pelvic muscle floor training.
Exercise will benefit you if you’re pregnant in the following ways:
- Maintain good posture (reducing persistent niggles e.g. lower back)
- Strengthen your muscles to make the pregnancy more comfortable
- Help you to maintain a healthy weight gain
- Help you to breathe better and reduce stress
- Reduce your blood pressure (did you know your blood volume increases by more than 50% when you’re pregnant?)
- Safely exercise without over stretching (the hormone relaxin relaxes the ligaments around the pelvis)
- Strengthen your muscles in preparation for an active labour (e.g. squatting or all-4’s)
- Endorphins will make you feel better
- Help you to enjoy your “me-time”
- Set you up for a better post-birth recovery
Ideally you continue the exercise you’ve been doing before conception, but if you’re not active, then it’s never too late to start. A good rule of thumb is to only exert yourself to the extent that you could still hold a conversation (i.e. ensuring you can still breathe easily) and to take breaks if necessary. If in doubt, seek advice from your medical professional.
If you’re attending classes with us regularly when you fall pregnant, you can continue your practice with us by joining select classes everyday in the studio. Read our pregnancy and postnatal page here for a list of the classes you can attend when you’re pregnant. If you’re new to Balanze, please start with a private one-on-one class so we can teach you modifications that will allow you to practice safely and confidently. For example, once you are 13 weeks, we will incline you, so you are not lying flat on your back, as this can affect the blood supply to baby. Once you’ve attended the private class, you can continue with select group classes, where you’ll be empowered by our team to stay fit and active throughout your pregnancy.
We also recommend you see a women’s health physio while you’re pregnant so you can begin pelvic floor muscle training. If you’re not yet pregnant, start with our Intro Offer by clicking below or if you are pregnant, start our Premium Intro Offer, which includes a private session. You can book your private session online, with the Balanze App or email hello@54.79.230.246 with any queries. Our studio owner MJ has a young bub and she’s happy to help.
Big thanks to mama and physio Catherine Von Felten for her input writing this blog ♡
