With Mother's Day around the corner, here are some tips for moms-to-be from Jenn Seracuse, Director of Pilates at Pilates ProWorks in NYC.  Jenn is certified in Mat and Apparatus through Pilates Academy International as well as having Suspension Training and Prenatal & Postnatal certifications. The latter (combined with her love of babies) helped Jenn to develop the an extremely popular Mommy & Me Pilates Program in New York for women with babies 6 weeks to crawling.

Jenn's Views on Pilates as a Prenatal Exercise Option

Credit: Jay Sullivan

I know I am not the first person to say that Pilates is a great prenatal exercise option and I am sure I won’t be the last.  In fact, in my very biased professional opinion, it is the best option for moms-to-be and new moms. There is a long list of reasons to maintain a Pilates practice during pregnancy, but here are what I believe to be some of the most important benefits:

A STRONGER TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS WHICH HELPS PREVENT DIASTASIS RECTI

This is a big one, which is why it is first!  One of the major misconceptions out there is that women should not work their abdominals during pregnancy. Of course they should! It’s just a matter of “how” they are working their abdominals.  Women should focus in on the Transverse Abdominus during pregnancy and not on the Rectus or what people see as the six pack muscles. This means forgoing any ab work involving lifting or holding the torso up against gravity, which would include any of the series of 5, roll ups, or ½ rollbacks  or C curve exercises. Instead women should opt for isometric abdominal contractions of the Tranverse, which is like lacing up an internal corset bringing everything in to the center.

I always say to my moms, “they should look 10 weeks less pregnant when they exhale and contract their transverse” making sure they shorten top to bottom, side to center and back to front.  Strengthening the Transverse will help combat an exaggerated Diastasis Recti, which is something that every mom-to-be should be aware of.  As the abdominals stretch, a small separation (approximately 2 fingers wide) will occur between the two sides of the Rectus, which are the most superficial layer of the abdominal wall.  This is a natural protection response, preventing the Rectus from having to stretch too far, but if not handled with care, this separation can become over exaggerated and even sometimes not return to its natural state after delivery.  This is the number one reason to maintain a strong connection to the deep abdominal muscles, whose job is to keep everything together, even in the stretched state of pregnancy. If the Transverse is contracting, the separation will close.

**If you are not sure if you have an exaggerated Diastasis, ask your doctor or Pilates instructor to palpate your belly and check.**

A STRONGER CONNECTION TO THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES

Most women have heard of “Kegel Exercises”, but don’t really understand the importance the Pelvic Floor during pregnancy. One of the main functions of the pelvic floor is to support the organs in the lower abdominal cavity. As the uterus grows it relies on the pelvic floor more and more for support, which is why it needs to be strengthened.  On the flip side, in order to give birth the Pelvic Floor must completely relax to allow the baby to pass through. Pilates helps women not only feel the contraction of the Pelvic Floor muscles but also the release, ensuring that it is both strong and flexible.  A strong Pelvic Floor will also help the body return to it’s pre pregnancy state more quickly and prevents incontinence.

BETTER BREATH CONTROL

As the baby grows, the diaphragm is compressed up into the chest, and even though a woman’s lung capacity remains the same, it can feel increasingly harder to breathe.  Pilates breathing taps into the intercostal muscles lining the ribcage, which allows moms to still feel able to take deep breaths. Pilates breathing also helps keep the thoracic spine flexible, which can get very tight and even painful during pregnancy.  Also, since each exercise in Pilates is associated with the breath, using the breath during labor is much more accessIble and natural.

LESS DISCOMFORT DUE TO MUSCLE & SKELETAL IMBALANCES

As the baby grows the body has no choice but to adapt to make room.  This of course means that posture and alignment will be compromised.  While Pilates can not stop this from happening, it can help to strengthen the stabilizing muscles, especially those surrounding the hips and pelvis to ensure less discomfort (especially in the low back) as the baby grows and also help with balance issues.  Strengthening these muscles also helps to ensure there are no permanent imbalances postpartum.

STRESS RELIEF

Just the simple act of taking an hour out the day to focus, breathe & do something good for the body does wonders for stress levels.  This can also promote better sleep at night, which is something many pregnant women struggle with.

And of course...

A QUICKER RECOVERY & RETURN TO PRE-PREGNANCY BODY

It’s simple... the stronger the body is going in to pregnancy and throughout, the stronger it will be after.  If women lose the connection to their abdominals as they stretch during pregnancy, it will be that much harder to reconnect once the baby is out. It’s not just about about abs either.  So much of being a mom involves lifting, bending over and time spent rounded forward (feeding, changing, pushing a stroller, etc) so strong arms and back are also important to prevent permanent tension, imbalances and bad habits.

A NOTE TO MOMS-TO-BE:

It’s no secret that there’s a lot going on during pregnancy, so the most important thing to remember as a mom-to-be is that you are no longer the same person and your body is not your own anymore.  It belongs, also, to the human you are growing in your belly, who, though very small, will certainly cause big changes.  It is crucial to respect these changes and not push yourself. Make sure that you drink enough water to stay hydrated through your workout.  Of course, consult your doctor before beginning any pre or post natal exercise regimen and make sure to work with a professional who has experience with pre and post natal clients.

As a little bonus, here is my favorite Prenatal/Postnatal Exercise: WatchDog Balance 

WatchDog Balance

Shown here on the FitFormer, as we would do in my Prenatal class at Pilates ProWorks, but can easily be done on a mat at home.