Pilates in pregnancy

Medically reviewed by Hanna Dabbour, Senior physiotherapist

Written by Katie MacGuire

Photo credit: iStock.com / jacoblund

IN THIS ARTICLE

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a form of exercise which aims to train your body and mind to be strong, flexible and balanced.

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You'll learn how to do this through a series of movements and positions which raise your awareness of your body's strength and coordination. Deep breathing and relaxation enhance this awareness (Lange et al 2000, Latey 2001, Levine et al 2007, Jago et al 2006, Anderson & Spector 2000, Segal et al 2004).

The patterns of movement you'll learn are focused on your tummy, pelvic floor muscles and back muscles. These muscles are key to good posture, balance and strength. They also help to prevent incontinence and provide support to your back and pelvis.

The idea is that by strengthening your muscles, you'll develop a stable core. You'll build on this strength through a series of controlled, increasingly challenging movements. Although the movements are challenging, they won't put your body under strain.

How can Pilates help me in pregnancy?

Your stomach and pelvic floor muscles are put under increasing strain as your baby grows bigger. At the same time, the hormone relaxin is making the tough tissues (ligaments) that connect your bones more pliable. Your ligaments are likely to stretch more than usual (Kristiansson et al 1996) and if you overload them you may injure yourself.

During pregnancy, your tummy muscles are stretched over your growing baby and if they're weak, you may develop back or pelvic pain. Your weakened pelvic floor muscles may become less supportive to your bowel, bladder and uterus (womb), and move lower down into your pelvis under your baby's weight.

As a result, you may find it harder to squeeze and hold these muscles. Because of this, you may leak small amounts of urine when you cough or sneeze, or feel a sensation of heaviness down below.

Because Pilates targets the stomach, back and pelvic floor muscles without straining other joints, the exercises can work well for you during pregnancy.

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During pregnancy you may find that you feel a little more clumsy, or that your balance isn't as good as usual. This is thought to be due to changes in your balance and posture (Pruett & Caputo 2011). Pilates has been shown to help improve balance (Johnson et al 2007) so you may find that you feel less clumsy if you carry out the exercises. It may also help you walk without swaying from side to side so much as your belly grows.

Pilates exercises use the deepest layer of your tummy muscles, which are necessary for stabilizing your back and pelvis (Endleman et al 2008).

Many Pilates exercises are performed on your hands and knees, which is an ideal position for pregnancy. Adopting this position can take some of the strain off your back and pelvis. Towards the end of your pregnancy, it may also help to get your baby into the right position for birth.

There isn't any research on Pilates that looks directly at its effects on pregnant women (Davies et al 2003, Bernardo 2007, Balogh 2005). There is some research, though, that indicates that it can help to improve your flexibility (Segal et al 2004) and balance (Johnson et al 2007). And we do know for certain that exercise is good for you during pregnancy.

The main benefit of Pilates is that it targets the exact muscles and functions that can be a problem during pregnancy and after birth, in a completely safe way.

What if I haven't done Pilates before?

Before trying Pilates, make sure that you can perform a strong pelvic-floor contraction. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and hold for at least 10 seconds. If you can't do this you're at risk of overstressing your joints and ligaments during the exercises (Richardson and Jull 1995, Pool-Goudzwaard et al 1998).

Try the following exercise to see how good your core stability is. It involves quite a bit of co-ordination, so you may have to try it a few times before you get the hang of it:

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Get down onto your hands and knees. Align your hands under your shoulders, and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat. Try to do it next to a mirror, so you can check your position.
Breathe in and then as you breathe out, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. At the same time pull your belly button in and up.
Try to hold this for 10 seconds. Continue breathing normally throughout the squeeze and keep your back still.
Relax your muscles slowly at the end of the exercise.

If you can perform this exercise easily and repeat it 10 times, your pelvic floor and core tummy muscles are working well. This exercise is safe to perform at any stage of your pregnancy.

Can I attend any Pilates classes?

If you want to attend a Pilates class during pregnancy, it's best to look for one that's tailored to pregnant women. If your instructor is not a health professional, make sure that she has a qualification in teaching exercise to pregnant women.

Even if you found the pelvic floor exercise described above easy, you may find that many ordinary Pilates classes go too quickly for you. If there isn't an prenatal Pilates class in your area, make sure your instructor knows that you're pregnant. She'll need to adapt the exercises for you.

If you experience any pain or discomfort then stop the class and let your midwife or doctor know before you continue.

If you attend an ordinary Pilates class, be cautious about the following:

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Some of the positions, especially those lying on your tummy or back, or standing on one leg, are not suitable for mid-pregnancy and beyond.
You should avoid stretching any joint to its full range, especially in an unsupported position. This is because the hormone relaxin will have made your ligaments looser.
Supporting your weight on your hands and knees may make your wrists ache. This can be particularly uncomfortable if you have painful wrists (carpal tunnel syndrome). Your instructor should show you how to lean forwards onto an exercise ball if this is the case.

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Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

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Katie MacGuire

Katie MacGuire is an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur. She created an extensive library of evidence-based maternal health articles for BabyCenter Canada.

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