You’re pregnant! Woop woop! Studies show that moderate exercise is safe and beneficial for both mother and baby, and it’s no secret that Pilates is our go-to as it ticks off all the boxes, mostly being:

• Non-impact

• Meditative

• Efficient for great breathing + deep core connections

• Improves body alignment, posture, strength + mobility 

Pregnancy related conditions, such as an incompetent cervix, bleeding, placenta previa and others may require you to limit exercise entirely. Always be sure to talk to your health care provider before starting a new exercise program.

How much exercise is too much, or too little?

Some studies suggest that an optimal exercise session in healthy normal weight woman is 30-45min @50-75% max Vo2 (intensity) followed by at least 15min of recovery. If we are entering pregnancy at a relatively fit state, then at what stage do we need to start modifying?

Let’s look at important things to monitor in each stage of pregnancy.

1st Trimester

Fatigue, nausea and vomiting may ask you to slow down considerable. Try not to worry too much, just adjust your intensity and duration to what feels right. Now is the time to start paying attention to posture and incorporating mid back mobility, lateral rib expansion + proper breathing strategies every single day. All 4 will help with both the Pelvic Floor and core, as well as managing and preventing general aches and pains. 

2nd Trimester

The 2nd trimester is usually when most women need to start changing or modifying their  strategies. 1st time Moms will usually start to see loading issues towards the end of the 2nd trimester but for 2nd time Moms this will likely happen sooner.

For instance, single leg squats may have felt fine for the first 3-5 months, but suddenly they’re causing SI joint pain. Or you may notice some ‘puffing’ or doming in the midline of your abdominals, when it wasn’t a problem weeks before.  Baby is changing pressure on the abdomen so we need to watch for pressure compensations and learn how to manage Diastasis Recti.

Here are 3 things to monitor carefully:

1. Bearing down, puffing of the abdominals or doming of the linea alba. These are all signs the task is beyond what the core can handle and it’s time to modify.

2. The Lower Abs. We have 3 regions of the deep core: lower, middle and upper. Even if the middle and upper are firing well, if we see bulging in the lower region we know pressure is going down to the PF and it’s time to change things up.

3. Feelings of heaviness, difficulty starting urination or fully eliminating a bowel movement. Be proactive to prevent potential PF issues! Be sure to check in with a Pelvic Floor PT.

Keep in mind, even if you are doing everything right, there may still come a point in your pregnancy where you’ll need to dial things back a little, or even a lot. Try and remember this is a short period of time. Your goal is to prevent potential issues and keep your body feeling happy and pain free. 

3rd Trimester

We are still monitoring all the things above, while increasing midback mobility, chest stretches and posture check ins. Now is a great time to incorporate meditation + relaxation techniques, as well as perineal massage. 

Prevention!

Here are some tips to help prevent unnecessary stress on your body.

1. Maintain a great 360 breathing pattern with lots of back and side body expansion (decrease stress off linea alba).

2. Maintain a great deep beathing pattern to take stress off of the Pelvic Floor.

3. Back off at first sign of poor loading.

4. See a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist to learn how to relax your Pelvic Floor to decrease tearing during birth.

5. No straining to go #2 – constipation is a big cause of prolapse!

Some Tips for Success

• Stay hydrated + eat a small snack 15 min prior to exercise.

• Watch out for over-heating, especially in the 1st Trimester.

• Take breaks when you need.

• Be prepared to modify things month to month as your pregnancy progresses.