Is It Okay to Do Pilates While Pregnant?

Pregnancy is such an exciting time! You are growing a human inside of your body and preparing to introduce it into the world. However exciting pregnancy is, it doesn’t come without some challenges, too. How you used to do things just doesn’t exist anymore. The way you used to sleep changes. The way you used to eat changes. The way you used to work out changes. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to stop working out completely. In fact, exercising while pregnant is a great idea. 

Why You Should Exercise While Pregnant

According to the Mayo Clinic, “during pregnancy, exercise can help you stay in shape and prepare for labor and delivery.” 

Here are some of the benefits you’ll reap from exercising while pregnant:

  • Mood boost
  • Higher energy
  • Better sleep
  • Reduced backaches
  • Less bloating and swelling
  • Excess weight gain prevention
  • Better muscle tone
  • More strength
  • More endurance
  • Shortened labor
  • Reduced risk of C-section

However, before hopping into any kind of exercise, it is very important that you consult your doctor first. He or she will make the final call on whether exercise is good for you and your baby, and which exercises are best. 

Why Pilates While Pregnant Is Great

Pilates is a low-impact exercise that helps people stay in shape, which is something you want to keep in mind as you go through your pregnancy. Gaining weight for the baby is healthy, but you don’t want to go too far with that. Pilates is a great tool to keep you in check. 

Pilates also promotes a mind-body connection, which becomes especially important with pregnancy. This workout helps you to pay attention to your body in ways you may not have done before.  

However, it is important that you understand your limits while pregnant. You won’t be able to do all the same exercises you could pre-pregnancy, so it’s best to take a private Pilates class to learn the modifications you need to make. After a few of those, you can join a regular class and know which moves to modify. Be sure to always share with your Pilates Platinum instructor that you are pregnant so that he or she can adjust your moves accordingly. 

Here are some tips for doing Pilates in each trimester of your pregnancy.

First Trimester

Fatigue is something that plagues women during their first trimester, largely because hormones are all over the place. Exercise is a great way to help with that fatigue and is the ideal time to get a Pilates routine started. Beginning Pilates at this stage of pregnancy also helps you slowly adjust to working out while pregnant. Just be sure to keep your heart rate from getting too high, and keep the intensity on the lower side. 

Second Trimester

Many women find themselves gaining weight during this part of pregnancy because this is typically when food cravings set in. Pilates can help those cravings from getting out of control. You want to talk to your Pilates Platinum instructor about moves to avoid, as this is the stage where you have to start cutting out Pilates moves such as ab work, anything that requires laying on your stomach, inner thigh moves, and more. 

Third Trimester

This stage of your pregnancy will have you doing much of the same Pilates moves you did in your second trimester and avoiding the same ones, too. Note that your posture in your moves will change drastically once you reach this phase. 

Postpartum

You’re going to be a busy new mom once you reach this stage, but if you can find any time for Pilates, we highly recommend you do so. This will help rebuild your core muscles and also help you mentally get in a happy place with your body again, after all the changes it has gone through over the last 9 months. 

If you’re looking to stay fit while pregnant, schedule a Pilates Platinum class today.