Benefits of Pregnancy Pilates

We all know how beneficial Pilates is for everybody, but during Pregnancy, it really is incredible and comes highly recommended by health professionals. 

The goal of TPP’s Physiotherapy lead Pregnancy classes are to maintain strength in your body in a safe way, so you can feel your best during pregnancy. Maintaining strength means you’re less likely to develop niggly aches and pains, like pelvic pain and back pain. And let’s face it, that’s the last thing we want. Also, it’s well documented that regular exercise during pregnancy, like Pilates, can be beneficial both during labour and post-partum. 

Aoife’s knowledge and background as a Physiotherapist means the classes are carefully designed to also work on the core and pelvic floor. As your baby grows, there’s extra pressure on the pelvic floor, so, working on both maintaining strength and ensuring your pelvic floor muscles are able to relax and contract, is really important. We want our pelvic floor muscles strong, but we also need them to relax during labour. 

There’s no denying that pelvic floor exercises are tedious, but Aoife incorporates these exercises into the classes in a thoughtful and creative way.

What you can and can’t do during Pregnancy

First Trimester

So, let’s get straight to it, what we all really want to know is what we can and can’t do. 

But firstly, we want to start by saying that everybody and every pregnancy is different, so this is a generic guide. It’s important that you get clearance from your GP or consultant to continue with exercise during this time. 

During your first trimester, you can continue with your TPP classes as normal, there isn’t any exercise you need to modify. For example, core work on your back, bridges etc, they are all safe to do in the first 12-weeks. 

However, we all know that during the first trimester, you might be feeling sick and tired and may not feel up to exercise. We recommend listening to your body and doing what feels good for you. 

If your body is craving rest or you’re simply too unwell to exercise, honour that. However, if you’re lucky enough to feel well and have lots of energy, then continue with the classes you normally enjoy doing. 

Here you will find the classes that are the most popular among our TPP members in early pregnancy.

First Trimester Classes

Second Trimester

During your second trimester, there are some modifications you will need to make to the classes. We recommend avoiding exercises on your back, especially core work on your back. With a growing bump, there’s pressure on our tummy muscles, and by doing sit ups or ab work on our back, it increases the pressure on our tummy muscles, which can exacerbate a separation. Aside from this, we know from your feedback that lots of Moms-to-be simply aren’t comfortable on their back, so we tend to leave out all exercises in this position in our Prenatal classes. 

So, after 12-weeks, we recommend sticking with our Pregnancy specific classes. This way, you don’t need to worry about modifying anything.

As always, pick classes that feel right for you and how you’re feeling. 

Second Trimester Classes

Third Trimester

Your third trimester is very similar to your second trimester, in that you will apply the same modifications. However, as you near your due date, you might want to stick to some of the “gentle” pregnancy classes on the platform. As always, it’s important to listen to your body and go at a pace you’re comfortable with. 

Third Trimester Classes

Where to Start on The Pilates Programme

Our Pregnancy library is growing and we have lots of classes to choose from on The Pilates Programme. As you will have seen above, we have categorised our pregnancy classes based on trimester, so you can pick and choose what class or classes you want to do, based on how you’re feeling. 

If you prefer some structure around your classes and you’re new to Pilates, a really good place to start is with our 4-Week Prenatal Pilates Programme.

 If you like structure, but you’re familiar with Pilates and want a little more of a challenge, you can follow our Bump & Glow 4-week programme. 

Finally, we have a Pregnancy Friendly Weekly Planner that is updated every Sunday evening with recommended classes for the week. This is another option for expecting Moms. 

We know this can be a time where you would like some tailored advice or you might have some questions around where to start, so you can always email info@thepilatesprogramme.ie and Aoife will be able to guide you.