Postpartum Pilates
How soon after giving birth can you do Pilates? Basic Pilates exercises can be commenced straight after the birth if there are no complications. Pelvic floor activation, breathing awareness, deep core activation and gentle stretches are encouraged to aid recovery. If you have suffered from 3rd or 4th degree tears, you may want to seek further advice from a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist to ensure that you are performing your pelvic floor exercises correctly and have an effective technique. Returning to group-based Pilates classes is usually recommended after 6 weeks postnatal.
Postpartum Pilates
If you wish to return to class-based Pilates exercise, it is a good idea to have a postnatal check with a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist or, a Mummy MOT assessment, to check things over, and give you more bespoke guidance. This is particularly important if you have experienced any symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction or pelvic girdle pain during your pregnancy, or postnatally. Most women choose to wait until after their 6-week GP review before returning to an exercise class such as Pilates.
Benefits:
Carrying out Pilates-style exercises will improve healing and aid recovery, improve posture, strengthen the muscles weakened from pregnancy and delivery, and improve global muscle strength. This will help prepare your body physically to return to the level of function and physical activity.
Improves healing and recovery:
Pelvic floor exercises can be very beneficial to help you heal if there has been any stitches or trauma to the perineum after a vaginal delivery, e.g., a tear or episiotomy. Things are likely to feel, and seem, quite different to how they felt before giving birth. There is likely to be swelling and bruising in the area and by gently activating the pelvic floor muscles, it can help improve the blood flow to the area which aids the body’s healing and repair processes. Gentle stretches and mobilizations of your body will help keep you energized, reduce stiffness or joint pain, and prevent over tightening around any wounds or scars (perineal or abdominal).
Improves Posture:
Pilates provides you with cues and reminders to set your posture, and trains you how to reset and scan your posture in different positions. It will help you be more in tune with your body and will help you to learn how to correct postures that are unbalanced, or at least counteract them with some specific stretches. Be aware of the repetitive postures that comes with having a newborn baby, e.g., feeding, changing diapers, carrying and cuddling. Remind yourself often throughout the day how to be more mindful of posture and optimize it.
If you have had a c-section, the tendency is to stoop over to feel like you are protecting the abdominal wound but, as soon as it is comfortable to, it is important to retrain your body to stand tall and allow the scar tissue to stretch and allow you to stand fully upright.
Strengthens the muscles
The main muscles that are affected during pregnancy and delivery are the pelvic floor muscles and the abdominal muscles. These muscles are a major part of our core muscle group. They become lengthened, and therefore weakened, as well as suffering from trauma (from perineal or abdominal scars).
Pilates gives targeted exercises for these areas. It helps to cue, remind, and encourage the correct activation and progressive strengthening for these areas. The pelvic floor muscles are important for supporting the pelvic organs and preventing any symptoms of incontinence, such as urinary stress incontinence (leaking urine when laughing, coughing, or sneezing). Pilates can help strengthen and improve the function of the pelvic floor and can help reduce the symptoms of prolapse or incontinence.
Diastasis (tummy muscle separation) can be a common presentation postnatally, and through Pilates exercises the diastasis recovery can be optimized. Pilates focuses on the correct technique for breathing and encourages the deep tummy muscles to fire up and work effectively before progressing the load and effort.
Improves global muscle strength
Pilates exercises also help strengthen other major muscle groups including the lower legs, buttock gluteal muscles, and upper body. A progressive Pilates exercise class will give a rounded approach for a total body workout, whilst keeping things low impact, and therefore safe and appropriate postnatally. Pilates can give you back the foundational strength you need to build up and prepare your body for the demands of caring for your baby, as well as help you work towards returning to your previous level of physical activity or sport.
Pilates classes
We love to welcome postnatal ladies into our classes at Chaise Physiotherapy and Wellness, and our Pilates classes cater for ladies who are either new moms or are years after being postnatal! Check that you are booking onto an appropriate level class. We run a varied program of classes incorporating all levels. We suggest you go in at the beginner’s level to be able to regain your strength and body awareness before progressing. We invite you to come and try a complimentary class with us.
Our Pilates instructors are all well trained, and many have additional training to teach postnatal ladies, but it is worth checking that they know your background and postnatal stage before you begin the class. At Chaise Fitness we ask that you complete a medical form for this reason, and ensure you inform us of any pelvic, bladder, or joint concerns before commencing the class. We will then be able to advise you whether we recommend you have a physio assessment first or are suitable for the class format.
Check Out ChaiseFitness in Manhattan Today!
At ChaiseFitness, we believe that anyone can be fit—no matter what skill level or body type. This belief inspired the creation of our patented Reinvention Method, which is for everyone—the athlete, the dancer, the beginner, the advanced, the rebuilder. We blend Pilates, ballet, and strength training and equip you with a chair and overhead bungees so that you work out all your muscles every time. We are located in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. For more information, you can contact us at (973)996-2063, or visit our website.
