Pilate exercises provide benefits such as improving body awareness, strengthening muscles, and preventing and combating urinary incontinence, which is common at the end of pregnancy. In addition, these exercises increase the amount of oxygen your baby reaches and help calm and calm him or her down.
These exercises may begin from the second trimester of gestation, however, some caution should be exercised as some may cause an imbalance, favoring a drop or increase in intra-abdominal pressure. Those who are not used to Pilates should prefer Pilates Matwork because they are simpler and more controlled exercises, which are performed on the ground with balls or elastics.
Find out when you shouldn’t practice Pilates during pregnancy by clicking here.
Lying on your back, arms around your body or gently placed on your stomach and legs bent or above a Pilates ball, hold the neutral position, leaving room for a pea on your lower back and shoulder blades well placed on the ground, shoulders away from your ears and imagining that there are 2 headlights on your hips , which should be pointed upwards.
From this position you need to inspire and when you release the air contract the muscles of the pelvic floor, as if you wanted to suck a pea with the vagina. This contraction should be maintained while inhaling and exhaling slowly. Perform this contraction 10 times in a row, holding your breath and the correct position.
Lying on your back, flexing one leg and lifting the other stretched, do 5 lifts with each leg while contracting your pelvic muscles, performing slow, well-controlled movements, without lifting your hips off the ground at any time.
Lying on your back, lift your hips off the ground, as shown in the image, and do 5 lifts while contracting your pelvic muscles.
In the four-support position, try to rest your chin on your chest as you advance your hips and stretch your back, as shown in the image, do 5 repetitions by contracting your pelvic muscles.
Get on your knees and sit on your heels, stretch your arms forward and tilt your body, as shown in the picture, until you feel the stretch of your back muscles, stay in this position for at least 20 seconds.
Stay in the position shown in the image for at least 20 seconds and do the same exercise with both legs.
Especially during pregnancy, Pilates exercises should be performed with maximum concentration, slowness and movement accuracy, contraction of pelvic floor musculature during exercises is essential as they improve blood supply and tone, combating urine loss.
Pilates during pregnancy does not have a high caloric expense and that is why pregnant women should not lose too much weight with it, but this can help maintain good physical shape and prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Here are some examples of Pilates exercises that can be done during pregnancy:
Pilates exercises during pregnancy can be guided by a physical therapist or physical education professional as long as they are both Pilates instructors.
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