Pregnancy Pilates Blog

Using Pregnancy Pilates to Optimize your Health and Regain your Shape

admin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:49:20 +0000

When I first found out I was pregnant I had a range of emotions sweep over me. There was, of course, the expected excitement, but mixed in was also the fear of the unknown. It is such a momentous change and you know your life will never quite be the same again.

As much as it shames me to admit it, I must concede that one of my greatest fears at that time was how pregnancy was going to alter the look of my body. I have always had a fairly easy time of maintaining my weight, but being in my thirties and generally quite lazy when it comes to exercise, I did not know if I would be able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and shape after the birth of my baby. I also have an abnormally large sweet tooth (for ice cream and chocolate in particular) and pregnancy was, by no means, helping to curb that.

In the two years preceding, I had discovered Pilates. A long time hater of all forms of exercise, Pilates was a fantastic breakthrough for me. I do not enjoy going to the gym, loathe team sports and was blessed with a complete lack of coordination. Pilates was something I could do from home that toned my muscles, made me feel strong and worked with my one physical asset – flexibility. You could say that it had really transformed the look of my body. It had given me an incredibly hard, flat stomach and long lean thigh and bun muscles that no amount of sit-ups and walking had ever achieved for me before.

Pregnancy, I feared though, might derail my Pilates experience, for nine months or so at least. Would I be able to get all of that back after such a long time off? So I asked my doctor and he told me that as long as I was feeling fine, I could continue on with my current exercise routine. In fact, he recommended that I try to stay in shape. I was happy, but doubtful that I would be able to keep it up for very long. The more I researched and read about Pregnancy Pilates though, the more I discovered that it is one of the best forms of exercise out there for pregnant women! It really builds and maintains the core muscles that are so necessary for carrying around a growing baby. It is also great to have those muscles toned up for labour and for getting back in shape after.

I kept up my routine for about six months of my pregnancy, modified it for months seven and eight and took the last month off because the belly was too big by then. Only minutes after the birth of my beautiful daughter the nurse commented on how flat my stomach was again. It only took about two more weeks for the muscles to pull back in and look flat again. After about six weeks I resumed my Pilates routine and began to tone the muscles back up. Now my stomach looks just as it did pre-pregnancy and I owe it all to Pregnancy Pilates !

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Postnatal Pilates - Snap Back Into Shape

admin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:00:59 +0000

Postnatal Pilates: Pilates After Pregnancy

Even a basic Pilates workout can get you back into shape, tighen your abdominals and help with any back problems after pregnancy.
Suite101: Health & Wellness Articles - http://www.suite101.com/healthandwellness/

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admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:00:59 +0000

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Pilates Regains Popularity…Including Pregnancy Pilates!

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:00:59 +0000

Old strength-stretch technique gains new popularity

Little About - Navi Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
If approved by their doctor, pregnant women can engage in Pilates. “Someone in the later stages of pregnancy may need to keep toned but may need to be more …

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Maintaining Women’s Fitness Through Pregnancy

admin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:15:42 +0000

By Michelle Bery

When it comes to fitness, men and women often approach it in much the same way – combining cardiovascular exercise with weight training and core work. For men, who often wish to build more muscle than their female counterparts, weight training may take a more prevalent role in their fitness routine. For women, who often wish to burn fat and create lean muscle, core work such as Pilates or yoga may take a front seat. But the one way that women’s fitness differs from men’s fitness is the accommodation for pregnancy during a workout.

There are plenty of women who choose to continue their exercise regime after discovering they are pregnant. And while exercise during a healthy pregnancy is allowed – and encouraged – it should be modified to allow for the changes happening in the woman’s body. Women’s fitness in this regard should be measured and thoughtful and always conducted under a doctor’s care.

First and foremost, you should not begin an exercise regime during pregnancy if you have not already been active. It is one thing to continue with a routine that you have been doing up until now but to jump into something with which you’re not familiar – at this vulnerable time – is not advisable. If you are normally a sedentary person – but wish to incorporate some physical fitness into your life during your pregnancy – you may want to begin with a walking regime. Walking can get your heart pumping and you can do it at your own pace – without putting undue stress on your joints.

For those who have been active in women’s fitness up until this point, and are having a healthy pregnancy, you can safely continue your exercise regime with a few moderations. Work with your doctor at all times to ensure that you are in good enough health to continue this program and to help you determine what is enough – or too much – for your body.

Doctors will generally recommend low-impact exercise during pregnancy; in addition to walking, there is swimming, and stretching exercises such as Pilates or modified yoga. The lifting of heavy weights is generally not advisable during pregnancy; nor is high impact exercise that puts stress on joints, abdominal muscles, and back muscles.

Ultimately, women’s fitness during pregnancy is about determining what is beneficial to your lifestyle at this particular time to maximize your physical and emotional health, reduce stress, and prepare for healthy pregnancy and delivery.

For easy to understand, in depth information about women’s fitness visit our ezGuide 2 Fitness.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Bery

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Another Fan of Pregnancy Pilates

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:31:34 +0000

Kate Winslet: What is so sexy about me?

South Asian Women’s Forum - New Delhi,India
“I don’t go to the gym because I don’t have time, but I do Pilates workout DVDs for 20 minutes or more every day at home,” she said. …

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Even Angelina’s doing it…

admin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:18:25 +0000

Angelina Tummy tuck?

Mountain FM News - Castlegar,BC,Canada
… very entertaining and easier to have fun with it so Shes been burning off her post-pregnancy pounds with a Nintendo Wii console, and the ‘Let’s Pilates! …

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6 Reasons to Exercise During Pregnancy

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:39:35 +0000

by: Criss White

Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising during pregnancy can have additional benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women that exercise regularly should tone down their workouts during pregnancy.

Walking, swimming, and yoga are two popular exercise activities suitable for pregnant women. Other forms of exercise like weight lifting are okay too as long as it is not too strenuous. Most experts recommend exercising 3-4 times a week, unless a medical condition prevents it. If in doubt, always consult a physician first. Listed below are some of the top reasons for exercising during pregnancy.

Exercise can reduce the length of labor and reduce recovery times. The right exercise routines will increase stamina needed for delivery.

Improve emotional health - exercise lowers stress and improves emotional health and can make it easier for the new mother to get through the experience of pregnancy.

Exercise can help with weight management after the child is born. A common concern with most mothers is losing weight after pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy can make postpartum weight loss easier.

Exercise is good for your unborn baby. By keeping your body healthy, you are also helping out your baby.

Reduced pregnancy side effects - Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, swelling, and constipation are common in pregnant women. Exercising has been shown to reduce the occurence of these symptoms.

Decrease risk of premature birth - exercise has been shown in studies to decrease the risk of premature birth by about 50%.

Make sure to drink plenty of fluids before exercising, have a nutritious diet, and avoid over exertion. Also, listen to your body - if you start feeling sick or nauseous, then you should stop and rest.

About The Author

Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com) and Babies and Showers (www.babiesandshowers.com).

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Way To Prevent Pregnancy Stretch Marks

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:10:32 +0000

By Pauline Go

Nearly 90 percent of all pregnant women get pregnancy stretch marks either during pregnancy or after it. Pregnancy stretch marks occur during pregnancy when the woman increases her weight dramatically and this leads to stretching of the skin. After pregnancy the stretch marks appear because the woman ends up losing weight too soon without giving the skin enough time to shrink.

Pregnancy stretch marks can be prevented if you take certain precautionary measures.

You should ensure that you do not gain too much weight all of a sudden. Instead you should try to gain weight steady during the entire nine months. This will help in preventing pregnancy stretch mark. Another way of preventing pregnancy stretch marks is to ensure that you keep your skin constantly hydrated by drinking a lot of water.

Make sure you exercise during your pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy will keep your muscles well toned and will prevent your skin from developing stretch marks not just during pregnancy but also after pregnancy.

Another effective method to avoid pregnancy stretch marks is by massaging your arms, legs, breasts and abdomen gently with special pregnancy stretch mark cream. This should be done twice a day for best results.

You are not alone to worry about pregnancy stretch marks. Most women worry about it and as mentioned earlier nearly 75 to 90 percent end up with pregnancy stretch marks. However, there are many methods to prevent pregnancy stretch marks and those described above are just a few. Your best resource for getting more information on prevention of pregnancy stretch marks is the Internet that has many sites devoted to pregnancy and issues faced by pregnant women.

About Author:

Pauline Go is a professional writer for many website like newbiemommy.com. She also writes other great articles like Choosing Cute Baby Names Tips, Signs Of Miscarriage, Sex After A C Section

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go

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Celebrity Pregnancy Pilates

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:11:55 +0000

Here’s an article I came across where actress Rebecca Romijn (who is carrying twins) states that she does Pilates as part of her pregnancy workout…

Rebecca Romijn Reveals Her Pregnancy Preferences
Celebrity Baby Blog - Forest Hills,NY,USA
“I do Pilates, bike ride, swim and kayak when I’m in Montauk, NY, with my in-laws. I’m trying to stay active before I’m put on bed rest and can’t do …

…and another revealing some other celebs who used Pilates to get their pre-pregnancy bodies back.

A new mom…longing to be fit again?

MSN India - Bangalore,Karnataka,India
For a less cardio-intense session, celebrity moms such as Melissa Rivers, Brandy, and Vanessa Williams swear by Pilates, an exercise method that strengthens …

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