Pre Natal Pilates Exercises For Every Trimester

PreNatal Pilates Exercises For Every Trimester

by

Claudel Kuek

Pregnancy is a most wonderful time for most women; nurturing and growing a beautiful baby inside of you. You must also at this time remember to take good care of yourself. By staying active and fit during pregnancy will help you to adapt to your changing weight and shape, and eventually help you get back into your pre-baby weight and shape so much more easily and quickly too.

Pilates is especially beneficial for pregnancy because it is low-impact, it focuses on establishing a strong core and inner centre, with emphasis on the discipline of correct posture and the right breathing patterns. Pilates will help to keep you fit, prepare you adequately for childbirth and ensure you recover more quickly after.

Here are three moves for you to try (one for each trimester):

Please remember to check with your doctors before beginning any kind of exercise during their pregnancy. Throughout these exercises, you should remain comfortable and pain-free at all times.

1) Deep Abdominal Contraction (only done in first trimester while still fighting nausea and exhaustion but appropriate during this stage to still lie flat on your back; this exercise strengthens your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles)

Lie on your back with your knees bent (if in the second trimester, kneel on your hands and knees). Check that your back is almost flat (don\’t tilt your pelvis forward and don\’t arch your back). Inhale to begin. On the exhale, contract your pelvic floor, and gently draw your belly button down towards your spine (while lying on your back) or lift your belly button up towards your spine (if kneeling on your hands and knees). Do not suck in your stomach. The contraction should be gentle (approx 40% of maximum effort). Try to hold this pelvic floor and abdominal contraction for 10 seconds while breathing slowly and normally. Gently relax after 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise for 8 times.

2) Spine Stretch (second trimester exercise that stretches and strengthens the upper back and the core muscles thus decreasing back pain while correcting the pregnancy posture)

Sitting up tall on the floor with your legs shoulder width apart, place hands directly in front of you at chest height. Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, draw in your abdominals, contract the pelvic floor and move the pelvis forward while creating a c-curve of the spine. Inhale to reach forward, extending the spine, arms straight by the ears, pulling the shoulder blades down towards the hips. On the next inhale, reverse the motion going through the c-curve back to starting position. Exhale to relax. Repeat this exercise 8 times.

3) Standing Cat Back (third trimester exercise when bellies are bigger; this exercise keeps the spine supple, tones your legs and glutes while strengthening the abdominals)

Begin standing with the feet hip-width apart with your hands on your thighs to support your lower back. Inhale to prepare. Exhale as you lower into a squat. Gently inhale to round your spine, pulling your tailbone and the crown of your head forward and toward each other as your spine arches. Exhale to reverse, rounding your spine with tailbone and crown of the head arching backwards towards each other. Repeat this exercise for 5 to 8 times.

Copyright (c) 2012 Claudel Kuek

Claudel Kuek, Pilates Director of

PowerMoves Pilates in the Park

at Bishan Park, Dempsey Hill and Rochester Park in Singapore;

click here

to find out if Pilates is what you really need to create the makeover in you!

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