Can I Do Pilates While Pregnant?

Pregnancy is a wonderful time in the life of any mother. However, as our bodies prepare for birth, we undergo changes that can leave us feeling rather battered, bruised and unstable.

An excellent way to minimise the impact these changes have on our bodies is to complete a specially tailored Pilates class!

Prenatal Pilates classes are specifically designed for those who are currently going through pregnancy. They ensure that all the exercises being completed are perfectly safe for both you and bub.

Now, you may be wondering what the difference is between Standard Pilates and Prenatal Pilates. So, let’s break it down:

During a prenatal Pilates class, you will never be placed on your back or on your stomach. These positions place a lot of strain through your abdomen, which for obvious reasons is something we would like to shy away from while you’re pregnant.

As we enter the second and third trimesters, we want to keep exercise intensity to moderate-to-low levels.

During pregnancy, your heart is already placed under increased stress. So going out and performing high intensity exercise is not recommended. Your 4ME Pilates instructors have curated Prenatal routines that provide you with a fun and impactful workout that doesn’t place too much strain on your heart.

Prenatal Pilates classes will minimise the amount of inner thigh exercises that are completed. The reason for this is because, as we progress through pregnancy, our ligaments and joints become more loose and lax.

So pregnant women experience groin pain as their pubic bone begins to separate. Working the inner thighs when the pubic symphysis is already unstable can cause the pubic bone to separate further, leading to increased levels of pain.

Forward bending (or flexion), can place increased pressure through your abdominal muscles, which places you at an increased risk of diastasis recti.

You don’t need to avoid it completely. For example, seated flexion is defectly okay during the second trimester. But as always, if an exercise feels uncomfortable, simply give feedback to your instructor on how you’re feeling and exclude it from the routine!

Prenatal Pilates classes are a perfect, low impact exercise option for expectant mothers. They can safely and effectively allow you to maintain your mobility and strength without placing too much stress on yourself or bub.

If you’d like to try out our Prenatal Pilates classes, check out our class timetable and book yourself in!