For most women pregnancy is a wonderful experience and although it’s magical watching our bodies change, it can be difficult to deal with, especially if you are in good shape!

If you are used to exercising and keeping trim then seeing your belly (and other bits) expanding before your eyes can be upsetting and a little depressing to say the least. It’s almost like watching all your hard work go to waste! But it doesn’t have to be quite as daunting.

Some women are great at continuing with their everyday lives and exercise regimes, whilst others chose to take advantage of their ‘current situation’ getting their nearest and dearest to wait on them hand and foot, vowing not to lift a muscle and insisting on eating for at least two, possibly more!

Although it’s imperative to take it easier on our bodies whilst going through such a dramatic change, it is by no means an excuse to let ourselves go completely. After all, the weight you gain and the muscle tone you lose will only be harder to lose and tone up once the baby is born.

No Excuses!

There is no doubt that exercise makes us feel good, it’s a form of stress release and helps us to feel more relaxed as well as keeping us toned and healthy, so why should we miss out just because we are pregnant? The key is to adapt your work out regime to suit your ever changing bump, month by month.

Pilates Fan or Something New?

Pilates is most definitely one of the best and safest ways to keep in shape throughout pregnancy. If you are already a devoted Pilates fan, then it’s fine just to carry on. If Pilates is something that you would like to take up for the first time as a low impact exercise during your pregnancy, this is also fine, but it is recommended that you wait until your second trimester to begin.

Pregnancy Changes Us

As our bodies change during pregnancy we release the hormone relaxin which softens the ligaments that hold our bones together, making them easier to over stretch. If we over stretch our ligaments this can cause numerous skeletal problems and unbalance our alignment.

With Pilates there is an emphasis (especially in pregnant women) not to over stretch and perform all our exercises in the correct skeletal alignment and posture to avoid this happening.

As our bellies and pelvis are also put under a huge amount of strain during pregnancy it is imperative that we chose a form of fitness that accommodates for this and does not add strain or pressure. Pilates is fantastic for this as it incorporates various positions that are safe and comfortable to perform.

The All Important Core

If you know anything about Pilates you will know that it is a series of exercises that are based around the core, so you may ask yourself how you are meant to do hundreds of tummy exercises if you are pregnant?!

Well you can in fact continue to do a few gentle abdominal exercises if you are already a ‘Pilates pro’ in your first trimester only. It is not recommend to do any if you have never done Pilates before or once you have passed your first trimester.

The reason for this is that the Rectus Abdominis (the superficial muscle on the surface, otherwise known as the six pack) begins to separate to allow room for the baby to grow. If you are too strong in this area then this will make it difficult for this to happen.

You must also bare this in mind when you have had the baby your Rectus Abdominis will take a while to return to normal and meet in the middle again, so you must wait (usually about 6 weeks) before beginning any abdominal training.

If you want to check yourself to see if you’re ready to start working the abs, then feel in the centre of your tummy (just below your belly button). If you can feel a space between the muscle, then it has not yet returned to normal. If you are unsure then you can pop along to your GP for a ‘Rec Check’.

The Pelvic Floor

[Too much work on the pelvic floor muscles is also not advised during pregnancy as for the same reason as not working on the abdominals. If your pelvic floor is too strong you will have a harder job getting the baby out! However, as most of us know it is very important to do lots of pelvic floor work once the baby is born to avoid any ‘leaky’ situations....many women can experience incontinence after having children which is due to poor pelvic floor muscles.

The Rest of the Body

Don’t worry there are many other areas of the body to target, for example toning the arms, legs and bottom. Helping to release tension around the shoulders and neck is important. As the breasts get bigger this can sometimes cause strain in this area. Pilates can help to reduce swelling in the ankles, help to relax the body and mind, and focus on the all important breathing which is pretty essential in labour!