Exercise is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy, as it controls your weight, improves your mood and blood circulation, promotes restful sleep, combats stress, and contributes to an easier delivery among other benefits. And while certain high-impact exercises should be avoided while you’re pregnant, low-impact options such as Pilates provide your body with the safe and effective workouts it needs during this special time. Learn why prenatal chiropractors routinely recommend Pilates as part of a pregnancy wellness plan.

5 Reasons To Take Up Pilates During Your Pregnancy

1. Exercises Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Start Pilates to work your pelvic floor muscles throughout your pregnancy. Pilates strengthens the pelvic floor and core muscles supporting your growing baby to help reduce back pain and sciatica, two common issues for pregnant women. Strong pelvic muscles from Pilates not only keep the fetus in the proper position, but it also helps you flex these muscles for an easier delivery.

2. Encourages Deep Breathing

Breathe deeply as you melt from one pose into another to reduce stress and subsequently enjoy better mental and emotional health. Deep breathing exercises also contribute to healthy labor and delivery, and something Lamaze classes continually emphasize because patterned breathwork keeps you calm, increases oxygen production to help you and your baby, and helps decrease pain.

3. Enhances Upper Body Strength

Use Pilates to improve strength in your arms, shoulders, back, and core. While carrying an infant is relatively easy, older babies get heavy quickly since it’s equivalent to carrying a 20 to 25-pound weight. Strengthen your upper body to avoid back and sciatica pain relating to holding and carrying your baby.

4. Helps Maintain Healthy Posture

Stay consistent with this low-impact exercise to maintain your posture throughout your pregnancy. Prenatal chiropractors note how the weight of a growing fetus pulls the body forward, resulting in postural and spinal alignment issues. Pilates strengthens stabilizing muscles in your pelvis and hips to reduce balance and discomfort problems.

5. Boosts Flexibility

Improve your flexibility with Pilates to keep your hip flexors as well as your chest, back, and neck extensors lose. These body parts often become tight during pregnancy due to the extra weight you are carrying around, resulting in weak opposing muscles. Increasing your flexibility keeps you feeling good while also promoting healthy blood circulation. Blood volume increases when you become pregnant, and exercise helps your body circulate it properly.
 

Discuss these and the other healthy pregnancy benefits Pilates offers during your visit to Pure Balance. The Manhattan-based prenatal chiropractors have helped pregnant women as well as children enjoy radiant health since 2001, and is headed by International Chiropractic Pediatric Association-certified chiropractor Dr. Michael Magwood. IM=X® Pilates are among the many services the prenatal chiropractors offer. Call (212) 661-5656 to schedule an appointment or visit the team online for more about pregnancy services.