{"id":41295,"date":"2021-04-07T08:06:06","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T00:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flexhk.com\/2021\/04\/07\/prenatal-pilates-why-and-how-you-should-exercise-during-pregnancy\/"},"modified":"2024-09-03T11:14:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T03:14:45","slug":"prenatal-pilates-why-and-how-you-should-exercise-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/like2say.com\/flexhk\/prenatal-pilates-why-and-how-you-should-exercise-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Prenatal Pilates: Why And How You Should Exercise During Pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prenatal Pilates: Why You Should Exercise During Pregnancy<\/b><\/p>\n

Giving birth can be the biggest workout of your life, and you need to be ready.<\/span><\/p>\n

Support your body through the extra weight and strain that pregnancy puts on it with a programme designed to keep the body strong in preparation for childbirth<\/span><\/p>\n

Pregnancy is a time when a woman\u2019s body naturally puts on weight and grows in ways that make a healthy birth possible. An effective prenatal exercise programme supports this natural process of expansion and addresses the potential weaknesses that arise during and after pregnancy that can leave a woman vulnerable to injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is, there are safe exercises in the Pilates world that support women during pregnancy!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read: <\/b>Postpartum Diaries: Bed Rest Is The Worst Advice Ever<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Prenatal Guidelines<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cPrenatal and Postnatal Pilates should be designed to suit you, not be modified for you,\u201d says <\/span>Michelle Kok<\/span><\/span>, who teaches Prenatal Pilates at Flex Studio Hong Kong. \u201cPilates for pregnancy and postpartum focuses on all the key areas that need special care, such as upper body strength to prep for holding, feeding and carrying; back and core strength to counterbalance a growing belly; butt and hamstring workouts to support a much heavier body; and stronger calves and achilles\u2019 tendons to keep your balance intact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you know a highly qualified Pilates instructor who has experience with training pregnant women, you will be safe doing Pilates as long as you train under his or her supervision. And while it\u2019s generally okay to start Pilates when pregnant, especially if one has led a physically active lifestyle prior, one still needs to be careful to follow a certified Pilates teacher in order to gain the benefits of the system without fear of injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read: <\/b>Hong Kong Pregnancy Journal: Fitness Instructors on their PreNatal Journey<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

PreNatal and PostNatal Senior Pilates Instructor Nicole Serje is known for her informative, inspiring and personalised instruction<\/p>\n

Strengthen the core while the belly grows<\/span><\/h3>\n

Back pain is a common complaint among pregnant women as they get heavier and their bellies begin to protrude, putting extra strain on their backs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping your core muscles strong during pregnancy is essential,\u201d says Nicole Serje, who runs PostNatal Recovery Workshops at Flex Studio One Island South in Wong Chuk Hang. \u201cThis means learning how to engage the core, which includes the deep abdominals, pelvic floor, diaphragm and muscles of the back. This not only supports the extra weight and protects the back from injury and overstraining, but is also vital for post-natal recovery.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are core workouts to avoid, such as those that involve flexion. Flexion is the rounding of the spine forward when standing or sitting, or rolling upward when lying down, like a sit-up. When doing crunches, abdominal muscles are responsible for this action. Pilates exercises like the Upper Abdominal Curl, Roll Up, and Roll Down compress the abdomen and shorten the abdominal wall. This is <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>what you want to do when your belly is growing during pregnancy \u2013 it\u2019s counterintuitive to contract that which should be expanding! Try core stability exercises instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the connective tissue between the superficial abdominal muscle (rectus abdominis) can become stretched and weakened during pregnancy and this can be exacerbated by sit-ups due to the extra compression on the abdomen. (<\/span>Also Read<\/b>: <\/span>Body After Baby: Common Postnatal Symptoms and What Cause Them<\/span><\/a><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep the rest of the body in good shape<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cBuilding and maintaining general strength throughout your whole body while pregnant is <\/span>more important than you think,\u201d says Nicole. It not only helps to support your growing belly, it will also prepare you for once your baby arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Nicole, upper body strength will be much needed for picking up your not-so-little bundle of joy all the time. And feeding, whether it\u2019s breast or bottle, tends to pull you into a hunched-over position that can create weakness, tightness and pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lower body strength work will help with lifting and carrying, along with pushing your stroller, and walking around holding an unsettled baby! \u201cGeneral strength and core work is important for postural strength and functional movement,\u201d Nicole explains, \u201cbut it can also help prepare you for labour and the birthing process… and you are more likely to recover better afterwards.\u201d <\/span>Strength work is also fantastic for general well-being!<\/span><\/p>\n

Beware the overstretch<\/span><\/h3>\n

When a woman is pregnant, her body releases a chemical called relaxin that relaxes the muscles, tendons and ligaments to allow the baby to emerge through the pelvis. In the second and especially third trimesters, women need to be careful about doing stretches that go beyond their pre-pregnant range of motion. It\u2019s possible to stretch too much and destabilize the joints, particularly in the pelvic area.<\/span>It\u2019s all in the balance<\/span><\/p>\n

They say giving birth can burn more calories than running a marathon. Labour requires a tremendous amount of endurance, which is why exercising during pregnancy is essential!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the flipside, it\u2019s important to remember: moderation is key. Especially as you approach your third trimester, follow your intuition and don\u2019t overtax yourself of your baby. Excessively working out during pregnancy can put strain on your body and take the focus off the baby growing inside \u2013\u00a0which is, at the end of the day, the most important thing here. So listen to your body!<\/span><\/p>\n

Prenatal exercise guidelines<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here are some general guidelines on working out when pregnant:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n