Pilates for pregnancy

tishiewishie

Hi,
I'm thinking about starting pilates. I'm 4 months pregnant and have never done pilates or yoga before.
Can anyone tell me if they're good??
I've heard that the breathing and stuff are good for the birth.

woggie

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!

Pilates are great for core strength, Yoga is great for flexibility and the breathing is very good for when your pregnant.

I found the following dvd very easy to follow throughout my pregnancy, it has different exercises depending on which trimester you're in: Pilates In Pregnancy (Lindsey Jackson).
I also did a yoga class which I found fabulous - even if I wasn't up to doing any stretches it was lovely to just lie there and relax!

metamorphosis

Il move this to the yoga/pilates forum for you OP

Hermione*

Two of my friends have done pregnancy pilates. One had her baby in October and the other girl's due next week - both said it made a huge difference to how they adapted to their changing body shape during pregnancy. The girl who's had her baby said that it also helped enormously with the birth.

tishiewishie

woggie wrote: »

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!

Pilates are great for core strength, Yoga is great for flexibility and the breathing is very good for when your pregnant.

I found the following dvd very easy to follow throughout my pregnancy, it has different exercises depending on which trimester you're in: Pilates In Pregnancy (Lindsey Jackson).
I also did a yoga class which I found fabulous - even if I wasn't up to doing any stretches it was lovely to just lie there and relax!

Thanks so much. I'll have a look for that dvd

janbaby

I teach prenatal pilates and I would not recommend that you use a dvd unless you have done pilates or yoga before you were pregnant. Pilates is great during pregnancy but you should go to a class and learn the techniques first and then use a dvd.

burrenyoga

Please keep in mind that many 'fitness style Pilates classes' are NOT suitable for pregnancy.

Make sure that the Pilates class you are signing up for is geared towards Pregnancy and not Fitness and Toning.

In the same way as i would not recommend anyone to sign up to a general Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga class for pregnancy....... but would be encouraging anyone who is pregnant to sign up to a Special Yoga Pregnancy class, or a gentle Satyananda yoga class.

Also it is always best to only sign up to classes where the teacher has specific pregnancy yoga or Pilates training.

I am have been practicing meditation for over 30 years and yoga for over 20 years and teach Yoga for many years.

When i did my Pregnancy Yoga training (about 4 years after my 'normal' yoga teacher training course which lasted 2 years), i was amazed at the specific instructions for techniques for pregnancy that are quite different from usual yoga teaching.

Unfortunately there all too many 'teachers' out there these days with very little training.... but all too confident 'oh yes this class is fine when you are pregnant'.

Please be careful 'who the teacher is' and how long they have been teaching.... and maybe a nice idea is to ask if they have been pregnant themselves?

Congratulations and I wish you well with your pregnancy!

My wife had a baby girl 3 weeks ago, and the yoga classes that she attended really helped her throughout the pregnancy and the labour..... and also after wards ;-)

Best Wishes,
Dave

tishiewishie

Thanks a million Dave

tishiewishie

I did a few classes of pilates, it was beginners pilates not especially for pregnancy but the teacher knew I was pregnant, she stopped me doing some moves and others I actually stopped myself. I started gentle yoga this week, it's more for pregnancy and I'm alot happier.