J
jenniferholmes
Guest
Hi,
Is it safe to continue doing Pilates while pregnant?
Thank You,
Jennifer
Is it safe to continue doing Pilates while pregnant?
Thank You,
Jennifer
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[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-04-01 AT 07:52PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Jennifer,
I am not a Pilates expert but Moira Stott is one. She is the Program Director of the International Certification Center and Co-Founder of the Stott Group of Companies (http://www.stottpilates.com/) She has this to say about Pilates and Pregnancy ...
"The available information on pregnancy and exercise can be very
confusing. Some of it is conflicting. We try to stay on top of the latest research regarding safety and pregnancy and cover this topic in the ISP (Injuries & special populations) segment of our program.
As many of those who responded to your original message have suggested, the latest research on pregnancy and exercise suggests that no two woman's bodies during pregnancy are alike. There are workouts that are quite appropriate for some people during pregnancy and not for others.
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, moderate exercise is safe for the fetus. Exercise is also said to prevent varicose veins, hemorrhoids and low back pain -- not to mention boost self esteem.
As well, you should be careful of over exerting the abdominal muscles. During the second trimester these muscles become stretched out, and some women experience diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles). With reduced support for the back, you run the risk of injuring the lower back.
Also, because of the increased amounts of relaxin and progesterone released in the body during pregnancy, the ligaments surrounding the joints become lax which leaves them loose and vulnerable. For this reason, you should be careful not to over stretch. It is important, though, to continue strengthening and rebalancing the muscles around the joints - still trying to center the body - as it goes through many
postural changes due to pregnancy.
With any Pilates-based exercise - especially the mat - there are many supine exercises. When I went through my first pregnancy it was felt that as long as I didn't feel dizzy or nauseated it was fine to exercise on my back. Consequently I went through my whole pregnancy modifying my workout on the mat and all the equipment as my abdomen obviously grew very large right up until I had my daughter.
When I was pregnant with my son, when I reached the second
trimester, I felt dizzy as soon as I lay down on my back. I was extremely tired, had no energy and the thought of exercise exhausted me. I think this demonstrates how every pregnancy is different and therefore should be treated differently.
Today many guidelines for pregnancy indicate that once you reach the second trimester you should not exercise in a supine position as you may be cutting off oxygen to the fetus even if you yourself are not feeling dizzy.
In general, we teach that it is better to be safe and not take any chances. In the second trimester we still do some mat work but we make sure that the upper torso is raised as it is when using the "Spine Supporter". We then alternate incline
position with sitting, kneeling and standing exercises done on Mat, Reformer and Cadillac. A great piece of the equipment for pregnancy is the Small Chair because it facilitates so many exercises in an upright position.
Of course, drinking lots of water is always important, and be sure not to over exert yourself. The beauty of this type of work is that it can be individualized for everyone's ability. And again individualizing the program is key.
I hope this helps.
Take care and best wishes for this exciting time.
Moira Stott"
So there you have it from the Pilates expert. I agree with all of her posted information. I found this at: http://www.bodymind.net/group9.txt. Of all the posts on that site, this one was the most thorough and had correct information regarding exercise and pregnancy. I do want to reiterate that you should modify all supine (ie. flat on your back) work
to an incline or choose another exercise. This is as per the latest guidelines regarding prenatal exercise from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.
Keep in touch.
I hope the above information helps.
Sheila Watkins
I am not a Pilates expert but Moira Stott is one. She is the Program Director of the International Certification Center and Co-Founder of the Stott Group of Companies (http://www.stottpilates.com/) She has this to say about Pilates and Pregnancy ...
"The available information on pregnancy and exercise can be very
confusing. Some of it is conflicting. We try to stay on top of the latest research regarding safety and pregnancy and cover this topic in the ISP (Injuries & special populations) segment of our program.
As many of those who responded to your original message have suggested, the latest research on pregnancy and exercise suggests that no two woman's bodies during pregnancy are alike. There are workouts that are quite appropriate for some people during pregnancy and not for others.
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, moderate exercise is safe for the fetus. Exercise is also said to prevent varicose veins, hemorrhoids and low back pain -- not to mention boost self esteem.
As well, you should be careful of over exerting the abdominal muscles. During the second trimester these muscles become stretched out, and some women experience diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles). With reduced support for the back, you run the risk of injuring the lower back.
Also, because of the increased amounts of relaxin and progesterone released in the body during pregnancy, the ligaments surrounding the joints become lax which leaves them loose and vulnerable. For this reason, you should be careful not to over stretch. It is important, though, to continue strengthening and rebalancing the muscles around the joints - still trying to center the body - as it goes through many
postural changes due to pregnancy.
With any Pilates-based exercise - especially the mat - there are many supine exercises. When I went through my first pregnancy it was felt that as long as I didn't feel dizzy or nauseated it was fine to exercise on my back. Consequently I went through my whole pregnancy modifying my workout on the mat and all the equipment as my abdomen obviously grew very large right up until I had my daughter.
When I was pregnant with my son, when I reached the second
trimester, I felt dizzy as soon as I lay down on my back. I was extremely tired, had no energy and the thought of exercise exhausted me. I think this demonstrates how every pregnancy is different and therefore should be treated differently.
Today many guidelines for pregnancy indicate that once you reach the second trimester you should not exercise in a supine position as you may be cutting off oxygen to the fetus even if you yourself are not feeling dizzy.
In general, we teach that it is better to be safe and not take any chances. In the second trimester we still do some mat work but we make sure that the upper torso is raised as it is when using the "Spine Supporter". We then alternate incline
position with sitting, kneeling and standing exercises done on Mat, Reformer and Cadillac. A great piece of the equipment for pregnancy is the Small Chair because it facilitates so many exercises in an upright position.
Of course, drinking lots of water is always important, and be sure not to over exert yourself. The beauty of this type of work is that it can be individualized for everyone's ability. And again individualizing the program is key.
I hope this helps.
Take care and best wishes for this exciting time.
Moira Stott"
So there you have it from the Pilates expert. I agree with all of her posted information. I found this at: http://www.bodymind.net/group9.txt. Of all the posts on that site, this one was the most thorough and had correct information regarding exercise and pregnancy. I do want to reiterate that you should modify all supine (ie. flat on your back) work
to an incline or choose another exercise. This is as per the latest guidelines regarding prenatal exercise from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.
Keep in touch.
I hope the above information helps.
Sheila Watkins
J
jenniferholmes
Guest
Thank You Sheila for the information. This is what I assumed...but it does'nt hurt to seek more information.
Jennifer
Jennifer