5 Everyday Pilates Movements for Moms to be

Pilates is an excellent form of exercise for expecting moms as it helps to build resiliency and confidence in the body.

Continue reading this blog to learn 5 simple everyday movements you can do prior to becoming pregnant, if you are pregnant, or if you just want to feel good!

• As a reminder, make sure that your doctor has cleared you to exercise before doing the following movements.
• If a movement is not feeling good in your body make sure to stop and seek guidance from a Pilates professional, or other movement professional before continuing.

1. 360, lateral thoracic breathing
“Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.” – Joseph Pilates

The breath is one of the six principles in Pilates. Learning to breathe fully can help to calm the nervous system and energize the body.

• 360 breathing, also known as lateral thoracic breathing, can help moms to be reduce feelings of stress and anxiety about the unknowns of becoming a mom.
• It can also boost their energy to get through busy days.
• In addition, learning to redirect the mind back to the breath when experiencing pain can benefit mom during labor and aid in recovery and energy regulation after giving birth.

360 Breathing:

Using a TheraBand in this exercise is a helpful tool to feel the breath expanding the ribcage.

1. Place a TheraBand around the ribcage or place your hands on your ribcage.
2. Before beginning, relax your jaw so that the tip of the tongue lightly touches the roof of the mouth.
3. Inhale through your nose. Visualize the lungs expanding like a balloon.
4. Then, completely exhale steadily through the mouth visualizing a balloon completely deflating.
5. After 5-7 rounds of breath visualizing the lungs expanding and deflating like a balloon, continue breathing with a focus on the movement of the ribcage.
            1. Inhale through your nose, expanding the ribcage into the band.
            2. After your inhale, maintain a   long spine and exhale all of the air out.

      6. After 5-7 rounds of breath with the focus on breathing into the ribcage return to your natural  breathing.
                   1. Notice how the body feels after taking a few minutes to do these simple breathing techniques.

2. Hug the baby, free the baby

“Breathing is the first act of life, and the last.” – Joseph Pilates

• Hug the baby, free the baby is a simple everyday movement that builds body awareness and encourages good posture.
• This simple technique can be used by anyone to become more mindful of your posture when standing, sitting, and doing other everyday activities.
• This exercise can help common aches and pains in the body such as low back pain by simply improving your posture.
  
  The movement

1. To begin, stand or sit with the hands behind the head and elbows wide to allow more space in the upper body. If standing, keep the knees soft to avoid hyper extension.
2.  Inhale through the nose, taking a 360 breath (from above) expanding the ribcage, allowing the shoulders to glide up to the ears, and breathing down into the pelvic floor.
3. Exhale through the mouth starting from the lower belly. Think about gently hugging the baby towards your spine and up as you exhale out.
4. Repeat three times. Then do the series with the arms resting down by your sides. As you do this series, make sure to maintain a neutral pelvis.
5. After repeating this series three times, give yourself a moment in “free the baby” where the abdominals are relaxed.
   
   Notice the difference between “hug the baby” and “free the baby”.
   
   During pregnancy it is helpful to practice “hug the baby” when doing activities like exercising, lifting, sitting, etc. It is helpful to practice a gentle “hug the baby” when doing things such as grocery shopping or household chores, and practice free the baby in moments where you are relaxing.

3. Blooming Flower
“Change happens through movement and movement heals” – Joseph Pilates

• The blooming flower is a great exercise for mom to be. It can help reduce tension in the neck and shoulders as well as allow a full breath.
• This is a feel-good exercise that can be practiced by anyone when they are feeling tense or have been sitting for an extended amount of time.
• This exercise can be practiced seated or standing and is also excellent to practice when outdoors enjoying the sunshine to boost one’s mood and re-energize the body.

The movement:

1. To begin, stand or sit with a neutral spine. Place the hands behind the head. Practice gently hugging the belly in from the previous exercise.
2. On an inhale, lift the shoulders up towards the ears. Then reach the arms up to the ceiling thinking about the fingertips reaching to the sky.
3. On an exhale, float the arms down and out to the sides allowing the shoulders to relax back down the back.
4. Repeat this movement 5 times.

4. Squatting standing OR propped up footwork

Standing Squat:

• Squatting is an important activity that we do every day.
• Learning to squat properly is even more important! Squatting is important to prevent injury when lifting objects, such as newborns and toddlers after pregnancy.
• It is important to focus on using the glutes when standing up from squatting.

The movement:

1. Stand with the feet a little wider than hip distance apart.
2. Place a bend into the knees as if you were going to pick something up off the floor.
3. Keep the spine in neutral and keep the belly hugging in.
4. As you exhale, straighten the legs using the back of the legs to stand up. Think about the glutes propelling you up to standing.
5. Practice this movement 5-10 times. If this movement is feeling comfortable try the same movement, but actually pick something light (about 5-15 pounds) off the floor to practice for when baby arrives!

Footwork:
An alternative to squatting that is excellent to practice in the Pilates studio is footwork. Footwork can be modified to be in an elevated position, so mom does not have to lay on her back when pregnant.

The movement:

1. Place a jump board propped up on the reformer and add cushions for comfort. Find a spring tension that is comfortable for you. Start with a lighter spring and add more depending on comfort.
2. Place the heels on the foot bar with legs parallel and hip distance apart or wider if it is more comfortable.
3. Exhale press the legs out to straight. Avoid hyper extending (locking) into the knees when pressing out. Instead, think about lengthening the legs as you press out.
4. Inhale to slowly draw the carriage back into the stopper.
5. Repeat 10 repetitions in the following positions. Feel free to pick 3-4 positions and change them up depending on the day.

Alternative Feet Positions:

Parallel Heels

Parallel Toes

Pilates “V” Heels

Pilates “V” Toes

Wide Turned Out Heels

Wide Turned Out Toes

Standing side stretches OR Mermaid stretch

Standing Side Stretches:
Stretch the muscles on the sides of the body and create more space throughout the upper body and ribcage. This feel-good stretch can be practiced throughout the day to boost your energy. It is important to get up and do gentle movements throughout the day to change the position of the body and avoid potential aches and pains caused from being in one position for too much time.

The movement:

1. Stand with the feet wide and the knees lightly bent.
2. Place you right hand on your right hip and take the left hand behind your head.
3. Bend towards the right imagining you are reaching up and over a barrel so that you avoid collapsing into your side.
4. Hold here for a few breaths enjoying the stretch on your left side.
   Repeat on the other side.
5. You may repeat this series multiple times throughout the day!

 Mermaid:
If you are at the studio or have a reformer at home, you can enjoy the mermaid stretch as an alternative to standing side stretches. Mermaid is another feel good stretch, perfect for finding length through the sides of the body.

The movement:
Recommended Springs: One red
1. Start seated on the reformer facing the side

2. Legs can either be in a mermaid sit (z-sit) with the shin against the shoulder block, or in another comfortable seated position.

3. Place the base of the palm of the hand closest to the foot bar on the foot bar.

4. Inhale, extend the arm out of the hand that is on the foot bar and reach your opposite arm out to the side and overhead for a side stretch (make sure to keep both shoulders relaxed and ease out of the stretch if any strain is felt)

5. Exhale, return to your starting position bending your elbow and lowering the opposite arm back down

6. Repeat the exercise 5 times on one side and then repeat on other side

 I hope that you have enjoyed this series of movements that can be done at home or in the studio! Let us know if you enjoyed these movements by emailing [email protected]!
 

Bio:

Brandy Gitzinger, (PPI Graduate - Perinatal Pilates Specialist)

Brandy received her Pilates certification from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California in 2017. Brandy enjoys teaching Pre and Post Natal women Pilates and believes exercise should be a joyful and positive experience for every client that she meets. She loves helping women through such an exciting and new time in their lives and providing them a supportive community to rely on.

Email: [email protected]
Website: Envision Sport Physical Therapy & Pilates