Postnatal Pilates, or postpartum Pilates, can help to aid recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. It does this by repairing and rebuilding the muscles that have been weakened or damaged, which can ease joint and muscle pain and enable you to regain strength and stamina. Postnatal Pilates is also gentle and low-impact, making it a safe way to ease back into exercise.
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that builds strength, improves mobility and flexibility, and increases stamina. Pilates has many physical and mental health benefits, including its role in creating good posture and breathing techniques, aiding healthy weight loss, and managing stress.
The principle of Pilates is to train and challenge the core muscles. This refers to the muscles in the mid-section, including the deep muscles in your stomach (abdominal muscles), waist (obliques), back (erector spinae and multifidi), pelvic floor muscles, and buttocks (glutes). As a result, Pilates is often encouraged during pregnancy - a time that poses a significant challenge to a mother's core stability and strength.
What is postnatal Pilates?
Postnatal Pilates, also known as postpartum Pilates, aims to aid recovery from pregnancy and childbirth by increasing blood flow and oxygenation to the damaged muscles. Postnatal Pilates exercises are low-impact and deliberately gentle, enabling new mothers to heal and rebuild their strength in a safe way.
The benefits of postnatal Pilates
Provides low-impact exercise - postnatal Pilates places minimal stress on your joints which is important after the extra strain of carrying a baby both during and after pregnancy.
Builds core strength and stability - this is the main principle of postnatal Pilates and is particularly useful following pregnancy when your core muscles are stretched and weakened.
Prevents and reduces back pain - builds up the muscles that support your spine (which is put under strain during pregnancy) and also redistributes the pressure on your spine and around your pelvis and hips.
Engages pelvic floor muscles - strengthens these muscles (after they become weaker during pregnancy and childbirth) which can protect against urine incontinence, help to repair the area between the anus and vagina following vaginal birth, and prevent a prolapse (when these muscles stretch under pressure and push against the walls of your vagina).
Improves posture - strengthens the muscles supporting your spine which combats the poor posture habits that pregnancy, breastfeeding, and lifting your baby can encourage.
Tones stomach muscles - targets and tightens the abdominal and oblique muscles while also helping to burn belly fat in a healthy way.
Supports mental well-being - as a complete mind-body workout that incorporates breathing techniques, postnatal Pilates can help you to manage the stress of looking after a baby, reduce postnatal fatigue (tiredness), and improve sleep quality.
How soon after birth can I do postnatal Pilates?
If you have not had any complications with pregnancy or childbirth, you should be able start postnatal Pilates after your 7-week check-up. The important thing is to start 'slow and steady' and if you are inexperienced work with a teacher who is experienced and knowledgeable.
How do I tighten my stomach after having a baby?
Postnatal Pilates can also be used to help you return to a more flat post-baby tummy but don’t put yourself under pressure to 'bounce back' from pregnancy.
It takes 40 weeks to grow a full-term baby and it will take much more than a few weeks to recover. Do not set unrealistic fitness goals as these will only lead to disappointment and stress, which is not good for your mental or physical health.
Start with a simple set of Pilates exercises to rebuild strength slowly. Doing these for five minutes several times a day is a gentle way to coax your body back into shape without overdoing it. Each you grow a little stronger and more confident in your ability. This will lead naturally and safely to more vigorous workouts.
Is postnatal Pilates good for diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti is a completely natural and common complication of pregnancy. The stomach muscles that line both sides of your linea alba (a fibrous vertical line running down the midline of the abdomen) can become stretched to the point that they are forced apart.
Postnatal Pilates can help with diastasis recti as it strengthens the entire abdominal area. This includes the transverse abdominals, which when activated and strengthened properly can be effective in helping to close the gap caused by diastasis recti.
How long after a C-section can I do postnatal Pilates?
Giving birth by C-section brings in another element of recovery and Convey advises that, in some cases, you may need to wait longer to start exercising. Make sure you consult your Dr to determine when it is safe to start exercising again. Generally it is safe to start at seven weeks post c-section, as long as you are no longer in pain and are recovering well.
If at any point the Pilates exercises (or any exercise) cause discomfort or pain, you must stop. It may be that you are starting to exercise too soon and need more time to heal. Alternatively, you may need an experienced teacher to help you with your body placement and technique.
Check out my postnatal pilates exercise in my online library or contact me for a specialized program.
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