Pilates, an ideal sport during pregnancy

Liliane, Delphine and Christelle, 5½ to 8½ months pregnant, met at the Qee center, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, for their weekly Pilates class for pregnant women. On the program: exercises adapted to their new forms and their current needs. Come on, let’s go for a session! Sitting on big balloons, the “pilateuses” slowly get into the mood by concentrating on their breathing. Breathe in through your nose, inflate the rib cage, then breathe out gently through your mouth. A very simple and very useful exercise for learning to breathe better: you are less short of breath every day and you will have better control of your breathing on the day of childbirth.

The solution to learn how to better manage your back

It’s also super effective for clearing your head and refocusing on yourself. Stack the relaxing effect that Delphine is looking for, more than 8 months pregnant, and who is attending her second class. Using the balloons, participants gently rock back and forth, right to left, and make circles. These very gentle movements allow, in fact, a deep work of the muscles of the perineum, so important to support the weight of the baby during pregnancy. These swings also improve the flexibility of the pelvic joints. This will be a great asset at the time of childbirth to help the passage of the baby. Pilates is thus a good complement during the preparation for childbirth. But that’s not all. Christelle, pregnant with twins, has found in Pilates the solution to relieve the ailments of pregnancy and learn how to better protect her back. During the session, Tasha Clavel, the teacher, shows everyone how to position themselves well: back straight, shoulders relaxed, head raised. A bit like the dancers. This is the “Pilates position”. During pregnancy, as the belly grows, the center of gravity shifts and we tend to lean forward, with the risk of arching the back too much. “Pilates allows you to learn to stand correctly and keep this good posture on a daily basis,” explains Tasha.

Build up in depth

Even though the exercises are done gently, they are super effective at strengthening deep muscles. The movements are quite simple, but the difficulty comes from the fact that they must be done while keeping the “Pilates position”. Thus, to raise the arm or the leg while maintaining this position of the body, it involves mobilizing no less than thirty muscles!

“When you are pregnant, you can do almost any movement, you just have to adapt it,” says Tasha. Today she is showing them an exercise with rubber bands to strengthen their upper body. Then, sitting cross-legged, the pilaters lean to their sides to strengthen the deep abdominals that help reduce back strain. Finally, lying on the ground, they bend and stretch their legs, do beats to strengthen the buttocks and thighs. For Liliane, 8 months pregnant and who has always been a great athlete: “Pilates is a good compromise for maintaining physical activity during pregnancy”. If this discipline offers many advantages to pregnant women, there are also benefits for the baby. For example, breathing movements open the rib cage, allowing the baby to have more room in utero. Stretching, relaxation, breathing … At the end of the session, the expectant mothers are relaxed and have recharged their batteries.

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