Tips and Why You Should Pilates During Pregnancy

Did you know…

That working out can help make delivery and labor easier? Yep! A strong core can help when you’re pushing out your new bundle of joy.

Exercise of any form will help maintain muscle tone which helps reduce any risk of losing your balance as well as support the physical toll your body is going through. Low impact exercises are particularly recommended as they reduce the pressure put on your joints. These sorts of exercises increase your flexibility to help alleviate any soreness in areas that have to bear more weight during the pregnancy such as the upper and lower spine (no jumping, running or any movements that place direct force on the body). Using low impact workouts while pregnant will also greatly increase the strength of your cardiovascular system which directly translates to more energy and becoming tired less easily.

Top 5 reasons why you should PIlates during pregnancy

1. You are happier! Working out will help increase your energy levels. Period.

2. You reduce the achey-ness and swelling. Building a stronger core and creating an active lifestyle will help reduce those impending back aches. Exercising will also help improve blood flow and decrease the swelling when your body starts retaining more fluids during pregnancy.

3. You become a healthier mama before and after. Many women develop type II diabetes due to high blood sugar during pregnancy. Exercising may help reduce the risk of gestational diabetes by up to 26% percent. Research has also shown that mamas who have an active lifestyle before nesting tend to bounce back faster and are able to cope much better with the stressful demands of motherhood. Bonus: you may also experience less constipation and have a must more restful sleep.

4. Your baby will be healthier in the long term. Your new miracle may come out a leaner, meaner fighting machine. While the baby is developing in the belly, active mamas tend to give birth to babies with a more efficient heart. This also tends to carry forward into their lives. One study showed that children of active mommies during pregnancy were more athletic than those we were not active during pregnancy.

5. Smoother delivery. Studies have shown that a stronger core can help decrease active labor by 2 hours! Research has also shown that regular exercisers are over 50% less likely to require a forceps delivery, Cesarean section, or other type of intervention.

7 tips to being a active mommy

Note: The following tips are meant as general guidelines as everyone has a different medical history and predispositions.

1. Always check with your healthcare provider before starting, continuing, or changing an exercise routine. If you exercised regularly before getting pregnant and your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you can likely continue working out as before. However, in some cases it's not okay to exercise during pregnancy, so talk to your provider about your fitness routine to make sure your activities don't put you or your baby at risk. If you didn't work out much before conceiving, talk to your healthcare provider about starting an exercise routine.

2. Be mindful of your own comfort zones and don’t push yourself too hard during workouts. It is a good idea to start with shorter exercises and gradually work up to longer and more intense sessions if you feel up to it. Be sure to talk to the instructor before or after the class about any sort of modified workout you should do if you experienced discomfort. NOTE: Twisting (french twist, kneeling side crunch, mermaid, etc) is ok as long as you don’t feel pain and your breathing is not shortened.

3. If you feel light-headed or dizzy at any point during the exercise, please do take a break. Pregnancy isn’t the time to push yourself with a vigorous routine. The last thing you want is to lose your balance.

4. Depending on the individual, you may want to avoid exercises that require you to lie on your back. The weight of your uterus may decrease the blood flow to you heart do to the weight pressing on a major vein. This could decrease your blood pressure as well as interfere with the flow of nutrients and blood to your baby. Again, this tip isn’t meant for everyone, be sure to consult with your obstetrician.

5. If your resting heart rate significantly rises after a day of working out, then it means your muscles were overworked and your body is working overtime to compensate. Another sign of over exerting yourself is if your recovery time increases and you have been getting sick a lot. Pushing yourself over your limits repeatedly can take a toll on your immune system which makes your body more susceptible to colds and other infections.

6. If you aren’t able to carry on a conversation during a session, then you are pushing yourself too hard. The goal of pregnancy exercise is to stay within your physical limits as well as feel energetic and refreshed, albeit a bit tired at first.

7. Hydrating is very important, especially when you are pregnant. Drinking fluids before exercise is just as important as staying hydrated during workout sessions. Dehydration may cause cramps or even bring on preterm contractions in extreme cases. Ordinary bottled water will do the trick; however, you may want to consider electrolyte replacement sports drinks to help boost your body’s water intake. A reliable method of determining your hydration level is to check the color of your urine. If your urine has a ting of yellow or nearly clear, you’re hydrated! If not, drink more fluids!

Here at X-CORE, we want to play a positive role in a pregnant client’s journey into motherhood. Be sure to talk to one of our instructors about modified exercises that would help avoid any discomfort or pain.