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Help your body and mind recover from pregnancy and childbirth...focus is on restoring pelvic floor and core strength along with upper and lower body strength, flexibility, posture and overall well-being.
Pilates is a great form of exercise for postnatal mums to help mums get back into shape, repair diastasis recti and strengthen the core.
It's also a great form of gentle exercise for babies. which is highly beneficial for a baby's health and development.
By taking a mum and baby pilates class, mums and babies can get exercise build strength, boost well-being and develop the mother-baby bond.
Why is Pilates great for new mums?
Pilates is a great way for new mums to get back into shape while also providing a host of benefits for both mum and baby.
Listed below are just some of the postnatal benefits:
Improve core strength and stability
Pilates can help to improve core strength and stability, which is essential when recovering from childbirth.
Being pregnant can put a lot of strain on your lower back and pelvis, so by strengthening these areas you can help to manage any discomfort or pain. Regular practice of pilates can help to alleviate lower back pain, which is common among new mothers.
You may find that you start walking around with a baby on your hip. This can also be hard on your body and affect your posture.
Pilates exercises help develop your core and stability and can correct any imbalances.
Improve mental health
Maternity leave can be an isolating time so it’s always nice to enjoy adult chat even if it is all about babies!
Pilates can also help with your overall mental health and well-being. Pilates promotes better sleep quality, increased flexibility, strength, and endurance.
Whether you are recovering from childbirth or simply trying to manage the physical demands of motherhood, Pilates can help you feel stronger, healthier, and happier.
Reduce injury
Pilates can also reduce the risk of injury. By strengthening the core muscles, new mums can feel more confident in their movement when carrying a baby, pushing the pram or just undertaking tasks.
It can also help prevent common issues that occur after pregnancy and childbirth like poor posture, low back pain and pelvic girdle pain.
Can pilates help with recovery after a Caesarean delivery?
Pilates can be especially beneficial for mums who have had a Caesarian delivery. This is because the exercises help to strengthen and tone your core muscles, which can be weakened or damaged during surgery.
Pilates focuses on building the core and can help reconstruct your core and restore your body to its pre-pregnancy state.
Can pilates help with Diastasis recti?
Pilates is a great way to treat Diastasis recti, a condition that results in the separation of the abdominal wall muscles.
The exercises in Pilates help to strengthen and re-train your core muscles, which can be strained or damaged during pregnancy.
Exercises like side planks and "mermaid" help build up the oblique muscles that support your core.
Mums often comment how impressed they are with how Pilates has helped them "feel their middles" again.
By regularly practising pilates you can reduce Diastasis recti, including associated pain and discomfort, as well as improve your overall strength and stability.
What about your pelvic floor muscle?
Pilates can also be great for helping to re-educate muscles after pregnancy and childbirth, especially those floor muscles. These are essential for supporting the bladder and bowel.
The weight of a growing baby on the bladder and bowel can weaken the pelvic floor muscles, so it's important to strengthen them again after birth.
Pilates exercises like pelvic tilts, bridges and gentle stomach curls can help tone up mum's lower abdomen and strengthen her muscles.
Why is Pilates great for your baby?
Pilates is great for babies of all ages, from newborns to pre-crawling infants.
It helps them develop their muscles which in turn helps them become stronger when they start crawling or walking.
It also gives babies improved physical awareness that might come in handy when it comes to navigating the world around them. The gentle stretching movements help to increase their flexibility.
The gentle movements in Pilates can soothe fussy babies and stimulate their developing senses.
Through mum and baby pilates classes, babies are exposed to various forms of stimulation which can encourage physical and cognitive development too!
There is also that added bonus that in the mum and baby pilates classes, the physical contact mum gets with her baby during a mum and baby pilates class helps the baby to feel secure and loved. This can boost their emotional well-being too.
The mum and baby class can also encourage mutual trust furthering that special bond that has already been established since birth.
All Active Pilates & Physio Mum & Baby Pilates Classes
At All Active Pilates & Physio we offer a special Mum and Baby Pilates Class in our Hillsborough Village Centre on Wednesday mornings.
Our aim is to provide a safe, fun and challenging environment for new mums with expert guidance and instruction ensuring you are in safe hands.
No need to worry about the stress of childcare as all babies are welcome at the class where we have excellent baby-friendly facilities.
This class is suitable for mums to attend, 6 weeks after a normal delivery and 12 weeks after a caesarean section, following your postnatal check.
We provide a personalised approach and exercises can be modified to suit each individual.
Our instructors Andrea Lucas, Aisling Hutchinson and Anita McBriar are trained in antenatal and Postnatal Pilates and the Reformer. They provide private 1-1 and small group sessions.
Whether you're looking to get toned and sculpted or just want a fun way to bond with your baby, our mum and baby pilates class is the perfect choice for you.
Join us at All Active Pilates & Physio for our mum and baby pilates or book a private session.
Mum & Baby Pilates are a great way to connect with other new mums, get fit, restore your body and have fun!