➣The 2 most important questions to ask when modifying Pilates exercises for pre and postnatal (perinatal) clients. 

As a Pilates teacher, I'm sure you know the general guideline 'work with the body that's in-front of you."

After 22 years of teaching Pilates, I can attest that when the body in-front of you is a pregnant or postnatal woman, nervousness can sometimes take-over with the worry of not really knowing how to adapt classic Pilates exercises. 

You might think the thoughts that I used to think: 

• "Am I being TOO cautious or not cautious enough?"
• "Is this position going to hurt mom or baby?"
• "Should I reduce the weight of the springs?"

The following 2 question formula was discovered over the 13 years I have been educating Pilates teachers on how to confidently work with this special population. 

Here are the 2 questions to ask yourself about the exercise to make sure you're making the most educated decision.

The general rule is to ask:

1️⃣ ? "What is the benefit of this exercise for my pregnant/postpartum client at THIS stage of her pregnancy or postpartum healing journey?"

• If there isn't much of a benefit that you can find, move on to one that does benefit her. 
• If there IS a benefit to the exercise, ask this next question: 

2️⃣ ? "How can I modify this exercise while keeping the intention of the original version?"

Let's use Chest Expansion as an example. 

Classically this is done on the knees. 

1. What's the benefit for this population?

• Opens the chest which is amazing to counteract the effects of heavy, growing breasts, and breast-feeding postpartum (not to mention the daily use of the upper body in everything else we do. There are a myriad of benefits.)
• Encourages whole-body posture which can help combat low-back pain 

Because it IS beneficial, now we look at the classic position of the exercise and ask:

2. How do I modify this exercise while keeping the intention? 

• For pregnant clients, switch kneeling to sitting on the long box to reduce the chance of losing balance (which is an issue during pregnancy.)
• For both pre and postnatal, the weight might need to be adjusted (a bit lighter) due to the hormones that soften myofascia (estrogen, progesterone, and the one you probably already know - relaxin.)
• For both pre and postnatal, drop the chin to the chest if she's getting too much upper trapezius involved. (Dropping the chin instantly releases the upper-trapezius that are often overused) 

There are MANY factors that go into modifying for each stage of pregnancy. 

• Was she doing Pilates before she got pregnant?
• How advanced is she?
• Are there underlying issues such as prolapse or diastasis recti? 

➣ No matter what the situation, using the 2 question formula to properly modify exercises will help you make educated decisions when teaching pre and postnatal women. 

⭐️ To sum it up, here are the 2 questions in a short version: 

1. Is this exercise beneficial?

2. How do I modify? 

Your Turn:

With your next client, practice going through these questions (even if they're not perinatal!)

 I would love to hear from you! Send me a message on Instagram @pregnancy.pilates.impact

Thank you for your dedication to teaching this very special population!

To Your Perinatal Teaching Success,

Alison Marsh

Founder of Pregnancy Pilates Impact 

Helping Pilates teachers to become CONFIDENT, QUALIFIED Perinatal Pilates Specialists.

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