BODY PATIENCE, MOTHERHOOD AND PILATES …OH MY!
Body Patience, Motherhood and Pilates …Oh My!
An exercise in gratitude and body patience
By: Kimberley Webb-Gilbert
They say, “Get Your Body Back”… but where did it go?
I tried to “fix” things about myself for a very long time.
Like so many people, I was shaped by society to believe that we are to only look a certain way, and that 'way' WAS beauty, which was paramount. As a fitness instructor, I assumed if I didn’t look a certain way or could not do very difficult core exercises (I’m looking at you, boomerang), I was a failure. Like, on all the levels.
After my first two sons, I internally upheld the ideas that there was no room for “excuses” after having a baby as I had better “get my body back”.
There was no space for stretch marks (and their significance), saggy stomach skin (which once housed humans) and extra fat to help sustain breastfeeding.
I was disdainful of my postpartum self and in a hurry to return to the physical body with which I was more familiar. I gave myself no room for grace.
Thankfully, over the years and with A LOT of work, I have had a gratitude mind-shift regarding the wonder of pregnancy, childbirth and the amazing and necessary changes that occur in a mother’s body.
Now I can say I appreciate my body as a part of my whole self, even though I look different than I once did.
I can now appreciate the ability that movement (we enjoy) has to uplift us in a sustainable manner, as opposed to a guilt-ridden manner. And it’s an ongoing process, because it’s hard to ignore ALL the messages, ALL the time, that we NEED fixing.
If you have been struggling with body patience during or after pregnancy, I hear you!
Pilates as Sustainable Exercise
I’d like to offer a uplifting, standing Pilates sequence using the guiding principles of
- whole body health (mind, body, spirit),
- whole body commitment and
- breath to support your whole self.
These exercises may help support your mental and physical health as you move through your parental activities of daily living such as
- lifting your child,
- nursing (bottle or breast),
- washing the dishes and preparing meals.
Try moving with this sequence for 2, then 5, then 10 minutes upwards with as many repetitions as you need.
Your commitment to moving sustainably for your circumstances invites ease.
Feel free to use a stable surface for support for any exercise and repeat each as many times as you would like.
1. Lateral thoracic/ 360 Breathing:
- You may want to try this in different positions such as standing tall or alternately reaching laterally to one side, back against a wall, seated, lying down on your back, in shell stretch, and side lying.
- Pick one part of your ribs to focus on at a time for each breath cycle (back, sides, front).
- Mouth closed, tongue gently placed on roof of mouth, and pulled back from front teeth
- Using your own inhalation/exhalation pattern and tactile tool of choice (hands, resistance band, floor, bolster):
- Inhale and fill your lungs like a balloon, back/side/front ribs expanding
- Exhale, deflating the balloons, noticing the contraction (shrinking of your ribs) as you expel for as long as you can.
2. Grounding:
- Pressing the floor away with your feet, sway forward and back, side to side
- Settling weight equally between balls of feet and heels, lift from ground through to top of head towards the sky
- Lift, spread, reach toes as much as you can.
- Wiggle your toes as if you’re playing piano.
3. Hug the Baby/Belly/ Free the Baby/Belly :
- Grounding through your feet (or point of contact with the ground) lift up through your head and visualize growing taller, reaching up towards the sky.
- Rooting down to rise.
- Hands at side, on hips, or behind head, inhale then exhale (360 breathing) and hug your baby/belly up and in towards your heart until you feel gentle support.
- Inhale to release, letting abdominals relax
Both are important for a resilient core and can be done anytime of day when you need support.
4. Star posture:
- Take and make as much space as you need reaching arms, hands and fingers wide,
- stepping as wide as feels stable and grounding through your feet.
5. Standing Foot Work in Parallel Legs and Feet:
Prancing: Start lifting alternate heels off the ground going at your pace.
Heel Lifts: Lift both heels off of the ground at the same time keeping ankles stable.
Knee Bends: Heels down, spine tall (lift from feet through to top of head towards the sky),
- bend your knees so that your seat starts lowering down towards the floor.
- Add on single or double heel lifts if you would like. Notice if that changes anything in the exercise.
- I was concentrating very hard in this photo, but feel free to smile as you move!
6. Squats:
- Grounding through feet, hugging the baby/belly, hands on hips or in prayer, pressing into each other for extra support
- Hinge forward from hip thigh crease, keeping spine long as you bend your knees
- Send your seat back towards the wall behind you (you could envision sitting into a chair)
- It may be helpful to exhale as you lower and lift up for extra support, or inhale to lower and exhale to lift
- Play with weight more into your heels and weight more into balls of feet.
- Weight back into heels back may activate your back core and provide extra stability.
7. One Leg Circle:
- Grounding feet, rooting to rise taller through top of your head
- Shift weight onto one foot and lift the other leg to the front as high as you like while keeping spine long and out of forward flexion
- Pointing toes or flexing foot, make three basketball sized circles in one direction, then in the other.
- Lift your leg to the side and repeat circles.
- Switch legs.
8. Spine Twist Variation:
- Rooting to rise from feet to head, hugging the baby
- Hands to shoulders, elbows in line with shoulders
- Rotate from mid and upper back alternating sides
- Keep pelvis and legs facing forward.
- Repeat letting pelvis, legs and feet move in the same direction as your mid and upper spine.
- Repeat going faster if you would like.
9. Side Bend Standing:
- Rooting to rise from feet to head, hugging the baby.
- Reach arms up (or hands on thighs or hips), and bend to one side then the other.
- Play with repeating with one leg stepped back in a small lunge or crossed behind.
10. Blooming Flower:
- Give yourself a hug and reach hands for opposite elbows, shoulders or shoulder blades
- Lift elbows up to sky, framing your face
- Reach hands up towards sky, wiggling fingers and maybe finding a hip wiggle or rib wiggle
- Resisting gravity, slowly bend elbows bringing them to your waist in W arms
- Return to your self hug with opposite arm on top and repeat.
What Do You Appreciate About Yourself?
When we are too busy trying to change or fix ourselves, we miss our gifts and true beauty. Trying to be grateful for and accepting of changes in our bodies, (which can be very hard!) can help us to appreciate all the different types of beauty which surrounds us all day,
from your child’s laugh
to your strong, comforting arms,
to wind blowing in the trees.
Have you had a similar experience? I invite you to consider what you appreciate about yourself physically as well as emotionally. Let’s connect on this journey!
Follow and Send Me a Message on Instagram: @thekindlyaligned
Or Email Me: [email protected]
Teacher Biography
Hi! I’m Kimberley Webb-Gilbert. I am a movement teacher who has been specializing in a whole person approach to fitness since 2013 when I completed my first yoga teacher training. In the years since, I have completed training and certification in Pilates mat, group fitness, barre, and strength training, with specialization in the pre and post natal period.
Using the tools of breath work, alignment, and connection, we can build sustainability into your movement practice either in private sessions or group classes. We can work to prepare you mentally, emotionally, and physically for the demands of life whether they are pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, parenthood or beyond. Let’s help you become an expert in what you need to gain strength and resilience!
What are your values around exercise and movement? Let’s figure it out so you can do more of what brings you joy! Full disclaimer though… I am anti diet culture so no talk of shredding abs, getting your pre baby body back, or fixing you happens around here. Let’s go on this journey together and train for the event of a lifetime and a lifetime of events!
Instagram: @thekindlyaligned
Email: [email protected]