8 Reasons To Do Pilates When You Are Pregnant
1. It gives you the energy and endurance for pregnancy and labour
I don’t know about you but keeping fit massively improves my energy levels which definitely helped me deal with the increased energy demands of being pregnant and prepared my body and mind for labour. It is proven that women often cope with labour better having exercised through their pregnancy. Moving with the breathe helps centre the mind so regularly practising Pilates when you’re pregnant gives you the confidence you need to breathe and remain calm through stressful times.
2. Will help you look after your new baby
Maintaining your fitness will help you to look after your new baby once born. Labour and birth can really take it out of you and the effects of sleep-deprivation can be cruel. Looking after yourself – and staying fit and healthy – will assist in a speedy postpartum recovery and will help give you more energy to cope with the frequent feeds and chronic tiredness. It gives you the power to deal with stressful situations with more patience.
3. It can help with pain (especially back pain)
Moderate regular exercise has been shown to boost the release of beta endorphins which can provide a sense of wellbeing and decrease the perception of pain during pregnancy. This can lead to less lower back pain, headaches, or round ligament pain. Exercise that targets and strengthens the core stability muscles of the back and pelvic joints can reduce low back pain.
4. It makes you feel good (post-workout high)
According to one study, women who didn’t exercise regularly only had a 2.5% increase in endorphins with exercise. The women who did exercise regularly over two months had a 57%, 79% and then a 145% increase in endorphin release with exercise.
5. It boost endorphins during labour
Not only does regular exercise boost endorphin release during exercise, it also boosts endorphin release during labour (endorphins – the body’s natural drug - those happy hormones) and I think we could all do with a healthy dose of those!
6. It makes you happy
Exercise can improve a woman’s self-image and wellbeing during and after pregnancy, generally keeping her happier and can help her to feel like her normal self more quickly.
7. It helps you sleep better
Those who exercise regularly, have been shown to have better sleep patterns – more slow wave sleep. This will leave you feeling more rested and get a better night’s sleep (which is what you’ll be lacking the other side so make the most of every single wink whilst they’re quiet inside).
8. It helps you maintain a healthy weight
And finally… exercising during and after pregnancy will help you to stay within a healthy weight range during pregnancy and afterwards as well. Getting back to feeling like your happy-go-luck, healthy, strong self after having a baby again is what we would all love to do so keep going to those exercise classes for as long as you can whilst you’re pregnant to help with postpartum recovery.
