Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 2 June 2015 | Page 24

Pilates

practice. For me it was the best
decision I made for my body. Shortly
after beginning my new pilates
regimen, I became pregnant. Dina
began to tailor my workouts to
continued from page 9
strengthen the muscle that tend to
weaken during pregnancy. We worked
for months on tightening my core
muscles. I swear that all the work

fig 4: Clams (position 2)

fig 5: Forearm Plank

wonderful option for you during your
pregnancy, as your PIlates trainer will
design and develop your routines
specifically to adapt to your body as it
changes throughout the pregnancy.
Remember to ALWAYS CONSULT A
PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY NEW
EXERCISE
A few things to keep in mind and
avoid:
1. Medical experts advise not exercising
on your back once you are in your
second, or third trimester. The Vena
Cava is the main vein that carries blood
from your lower body to your heart.
Exercising in a supine (lying on your
back) position for a prolonged period of
time can compress the vena cava which
can interfere with the circulation of
both you and the baby. Many supine
Pilates exercises can be modified by
propping yourself up in a supported
supine position.

5. Balance and Postural Awareness
A comprehensive Pilates program
incorporates all of the points
mentioned above as well as improving
balance. It goes without saying that as
the baby grows, the body is constantly
trying to adapt. Pilates strengthens all
the deep stabilizers, bringing
awareness to proprioception or "where
we are in space", and teaching the
body how to adapt to these changes
with ease and grace. It decreases and
even eliminates back pain and avoids
permanent imbalances after the baby is
born.

made my delivery a cinch! About
eight weeks after giving birth, I was
back a t Pilates. I was amazed how
easily my core muscles recovered. My
abs began to flatten and tighten way
quicker than I would have thought.
Although this was great, the highlight
was the confidence that going back
to pilates gave me. It made me feel
strong. I continued with Pilates
through the birth of my second child
with the same amazing results; an
easy delivery, a strong body and
mind. To me Pilates is a must before,
during and after pregnancy!

6. Flexibility
The aforementioned changes in the
body during pregnancy can cause the
hip flexors, neck extensors chest and
lower back to become excessively
tight, which causes compensation, and
opposing muscles become weak. Again,
Pilates can minimize and even prevent
these negative changes by
incorporating dynamic and static
stretches into your pregnancy routine.

And from Jessica Stankard (pictured
demonstrating the various poses):
I began taking Dina's mat Pilates
classes about 4 to 5 years ago at
Fitness Incentive. Since then, on a
personal level, it has made me a
stronger endurance runner and has
kept my core, posture and body
awareness strong throughout my
current pregnancy. On a professional
level, as a Physical Therapist, I find
myself prescribing my patients many
Pilates exercises and teaching them
the same concepts I've come to learn
in class. It's a wonderful and
challenging foundation of
strengthening that can be tailored to
fit any age, activity level or
rehabilitation from injury. I would
encourage anyone looking to increase
their core strength, reduce low back
pain and improve daily posture and
body mechanics to take a Pilates
class. The health benefits are real
and long-lasting!

If you are planning to become
pregnant, there is no better time to
begin practicing Pilates than NOW! If
you are already pregnant, you can still
safely incorporate Pilates into your life.
If you attend a group class, please
inform the instructor and she/he can
give you modifications to fit your
needs, and keep you and your baby
safe.
Let's hear from Heather Neary:
About 8 years ago I began my Pilates
journey with Dina. I was skeptical at
first , but I was intrigued by all the
buzz I was hearing around this Pilates

24

2. Do not lie on your stomach.
3. Be aware of excessive rectus
abdominal work into your third
trimester. Avoid traditional "crunches"
where you are lifting your head forward
and curving your spine forward into
deep flexion. This can create a
separation of the connective tissue
(linea alba) of the rectus abdominus,
called Diastasis Recti. Although in most
cases, diastasis can be "repaired" postpregnancy, it takes a lot of work and it
is best to take precautions during your
pregnancy and do the best you can to
avoid it happening in the first place.
4. Avoid any inversion exercises where
your pelvis moves above your heart.
5. Be careful of over stretching. During
pregnancy, a hormone called "relaxin" is
released in the body. Relaxin loosens
the ligaments in the body to help the
body adjust to the growing baby and to
help the hips move during delivery. You
must be extra cautious of your "new
found flexibility" during pregnancy. if
you overstretch your ligaments, you
will cause permanent injury. As stated
before, it is important to maintain
flexibility during pregnancy, but it is
not the time to try to work on
developing more flexibility or going
beyond a reasonable range.
Keeping in mind the precautions above
and after getting cleared by your
physician, here are a few things you
can try at home:

Private Pilates sessions are also a
continued on page 27

Summer 2015 FIT to Print