Prep for Childbirth
Keeping your body strong and mobile throughout pregnancy undoubtedly helps to prepare for childbirth. A strong body and good cardiovascular fitness may lead to a shorter labour and less risk of complications. In particular, a strong pelvic floor can aid in a smoother and more efficient labour.
Boost Your Mood
The hormonal changes that come with pregnancy may impact your mood. Regular exercise is well proven to boost feel-good endorphin levels, helping to reduce stress and anxiety, while increasing feelings of happiness.
Improve Your Sleep
Good quality sleep can become harder to achieve during pregnancy, due to hormonal changes and physical discomfort. Exercise not only helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, but also helps reduce common disruptors of sleep, such as stress and anxiety. Regular exercise can lead to more consistent and restorative sleep patterns.
Relieve Muscle Tightness in Back and Pelvis
As your baby grows, the added weight can shift your centre of gravity and alter your spine and pelvis position. Pilates will safely strengthen the muscles that support your back and pelvic floor, helping to maintain a proper posture. Prenatal Pilates is particularly effective in addressing and preventing back pain during pregnancy.
Support Your Postpartum Recovery
Maintaining muscle tone and cardiovascular health during pregnancy helps the body recover more quickly after childbirth. Pilates exercises, particularly those with a focus on core and pelvic floor restrengthening, can be particularly effective in helping new mothers regain their pre-pregnancy strength and fitness.
At Pilates By Bel, we offer on-demand Prenatal Pilates classes that allow flexibility with your approach to exercise. Ranging from 5 to 30 minutes, including full body strengthening and stretching, and with use of no or minimal equipment. We also have a 4-Week Prenatal Pilates Plan that gives you more structure and accountability to an exercise routine with a suggested weekly schedule. To try our Prenatal Pilates classes online, start your 7-day free trial here.
