How did Pilates Exercises Begin?
Pilates exercises were created by Joseph Pilates at the time of the First World War to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. The exercises involved the stabilising, stretching and strengthening of a number of important muscles and also helped with a person’s mental health.
Benefits of Pilates
Whether you are pregnant or not, some of the key benefits of Pilates include the improvement of your posture, it aids effective breathing, bones can be strengthened, tension in your muscles can be released, stress can be relieved and your balance and concentration is improved. Pilates can also be used in conjunction with other therapies such as physiotherapy.
Pilates classes can help you both before and after pregnancy but it is important that the person running the classes is qualified in this specific area so that you know any exercises you do are safe.
Pregnancy has a huge impact on a woman’s body during which period it will undergo several changes. So, what are the specific benefits of joining a Pilates class both during and after pregnancy? Pilates will assist in the strengthening of various muscles such as back, pelvic floor and core muscles. It will not only improve your immune and circulation systems and posture but it will also help you to restore your general feeling of well-being. It is also worth noting that you will be attending classes with other women who are going through what you are so it will give you the opportunity to socialise.
For a number of weeks during your pregnancy, Pilates classes will focus on preparing the muscles in your pelvic floor so that they can be released in readiness for labour. The classes will also cover techniques to assist with the first stage of labour plus breathing during labour. In the period of your third trimester you will do exercises to help with the ideal foetal positioning and to get your body ready for the experience of giving birth.
After you have given birth you should not start Pilates classes again for a minimum period of 6 weeks if you had a natural birth or 8 to 10 weeks if you gave birth by way of a caesarian section. These classes will seek to return your body back to what it was like before getting pregnant. Whilst you are pregnant you will have stretched your rectus abdominals to cater for the baby growing inside you. It is these plus your pelvic floor muscles that the classes will initially focus on restoring. In the case of a caesarian section, the classes will help restore your abdominal muscles.
Final Words on Pilates during Pregnancy
So, as you can see, there are numerous benefits of attending and participating in pregnancy pilates classes both during pregnancy and after the birth. Why don’t you get yourself booked onto a set of classes to take advantage of the expert tuition provided by a qualified instructor in Pilates today?
