How we strengthen your core and pelvic floor muscles with pregnancy pilates

Pregnancy pilates is a great form of full body workout which is kinder to your joints without losing the effectiveness of the workout during and even after your pregnancy. You can definitely “sweat it out” if you like but also enjoy the workout without feeling completely exhausted by the end of it. Pregnancy is such a special time but it can definitely put a lot of strain on the neck and lower back. And whether you’re someone who’s been active or wants to get active, pregnancy pilates is the best way to start. Not only is it good for your joints but the exercises are designed to specifically target your core and pelvic floor muscles. This is exactly what you need during and after pregancy. So how do you know where to start? Well, the first step is to find an experienced physio like myself who’s not only passionate but also has knowledge about pregnancy related aches and pains. There are a lot of pilates studios but they are not equipped to deal with a specialised area like pregnancy pilates. Here’s why doing reformer pregnancy pilates with us is a great idea for you!

Since your hormones pretty much have a rolelrcoaster ride during and after pregnancy, its’ very important to understand how it’s changed your body. There’s just not enough information for not just new mothers but mothers in general. Would you know how and when to get back into exercising if you’ve had an emergency c section? Not many women would and it’s not your fault. This is exactly why so many women end up with low back pain after pregnancy and are dealing with it for a long time before they see someone!Furhermore, there’s so much pressure on losing weight! And these cross fit & bootcamp style workouts focus on quick strength gain and weight loss which can be quite detrimental in the postpartum period. Pregnancy pilates is a great alternative.

Every new mother should see a physiotherapist for atleast 5 to 6 sessions after pregnancy. There I said it! It’s so important to get your neck and your back assessed to see if there are any inflamed joints or tight muscles before you start pregnancy pilates or any exercise program for that matter. A gym next door does not have the expertise to do this. So the first step is to see a physiotherapist who’s well versed with the changes that are happening not just to your body but also your life after pregnancy. Only then can they develop a tailored pregnancy pilates program for you.

So many ladies who come to me for help have restricted movement in their joints and muscle tension that they’re not able to do the movements efficiently. This becomes evident in our initial session when I test them. Not everyone can start on the pregnancy pilates program straight away. Some may need more help than others with getting the movement back in their lower back or neck. In fact some moms don’t even realise how sore their backs are until I actually touch them. Because they’re constantly on the go. But night time or when you sit down to relax can certainly remind you of that. So once I’ve assesed your individual stresses I’m able to individualise a pregnancy pilates program so you can stick to it long term. Some may want to start classes but other may need more 1 on 1 sessions initially before they feel confident in a pregnancy pilates class setting even if it’s a small class.

Oh I simply cannot explain how important this is. It’s not like a gym set up where there are 10 to 15 machines and it’s quite impossible to look at everyone’s form. So invariably I’ve had women who’ve signed up for gym programs but haven’t ended up going because they’ve been unable to do them without pain. Every woman’s body is different and will tolerate different exercises and modifications. So I tend to modify a few exercises in the pregnancy pilates class or even in my one of one sessions based on what my ladies(or gents) feel comfortable doing. This helps tremendously even with their self confidence because they can do a lot more with the right modifications. So basically each person is doing their own modification of the exercise at their own pace in our pregnancy pilates classes. It’s not a race! Also because it’s our physios who run these classes they’re compteley claimable through the health funds.

I definitely have to specify this because there a few gym that are now running reformer pilates classes but they are not tailored for mothers or pregnancy. Most of our patients are doing it to recover from back pain or get their core and pelvic floor strength back in the postpartum period. So our classes are designed specifically to address these issues. They are specifically pregnancy pilates exercise program and not just for fitness like a gym or a generic pilates studio. We take special care to ensure that you have a great workout but will also advice you on minimising stress on your neck and lower back. So if you’re looking for pregnancy pilates in browns plains , then you must give us a try!