PreggiLates - Pilates especially designed for Pregnancy

PreggiLates is Pilates especially designed for Pregnant women. MD Health Physiotherapy has had numerous pregnant clients over the years of running its Pilates and Sports Training Centre and hence has developed strict protocols, policies and procedures to address such a client base.

 

What happens during pregnancy?

When a woman is pregnant, she goes through various musculoskeletal changes that may affect her day-to-day living during and most definitely after the pregnancy, such as:

Weight gain; increased strain on muscles and ligaments on vertebral column hence lower back pain; Increased ligamentous & joint laxity due to increased oestrogen & relaxin – this may also cause lower back pain; Increased pressure on Pelvic floor as uterus expands, the Pelvic Floor is stretched and weakened – causing incontinence; Abdominals stretched and weakened – which may inadvertently split the connective tissues on your abdominal muscles. Hernia may occur due to the split in your abdominal muscles.

How can our PreggiLates 13 week program address these issues?

We have two Senior Physiotherapists who are trained in Women’s Health Physiotherapy and have designed PreggiLates, a Pilates program which will address issues during and after pregnancy. Below are some of the benefits of doing PreggiLates with MD Health Physiotherapy:

• Weight Gain: It is ok for women to gain weight during pregnancy. In fact it is necessary for pregnant women to gain some extra weight during the pregnancy as it is required for the healthy growth of your baby. However, the difficulty is losing the weight after pregnancy. PreggiLates is especially designed for women to increase their muscle strength as well as increase their muscle mass during pregnancy hence a great improvement on muscle tone. Increase in muscle tone inadvertently increases your metabolic rate – thus increasing your body’s ability to burn excess fuel such as stored body fat. It is also easier to get back into shape after giving birth as it only takes a few weeks to get those muscles active again – remember – it doesn’t take long for your brain to remember those Pilates moves.

• Increase in Strength: Because of the increase in laxity on joints, the stronger your muscles are the better off you will be as the strength in the muscles will support the extra strain during your pregnancy. If you have survived all your life with very little strength training before your pregnancy – it is a different story during pregnancy. Whilst pregnant, your body will be carrying the extra weight. Just to make it even more complicated, hormones are produced during pregnancy which causes laxity in your joints – i.e. your joints are more lose than usual – a bit like a rag doll. When this happens, without any muscle strength, your joints which are already lax will take up extra strain from the increase in weight. This will inadvertently lead to pain especially on the lower back. PreggiLates is designed to increase your muscle strength especially around all the major joints in your body. Your muscles having been activated and strengthened will in turn take up the excessive strain put on your joints. This will minimise your lower back pain and all the other discomforts suffered during pregnancy.

• Increase in core control: PreggiLates will also develop and improve core stability and pelvic control which will manage and prevent pregnancy-related lower back pain. Pilates members who have been with us for over 3 months who suffered from a sudden onset on lower back pain found themselves recovering within a week. This is due to the fact that it only takes as little as two Pilates sessions to get their core re-activated again hence the quick recovery from the pain.

• Good preparation for Labour - I know – there’s no such thing as easy labour but anything which may assist in minimising labour pains can’t go astray.  With PreggiLates, increase in all over body strength will be beneficial in preparing you for a strenuous time whilst giving birth . Increase in pelvic floor strength may also minimise the likely occurrence of incontinence after pregnancy.

Why do PreggiLates with US?

• All our Pilates sessions are fully supervised by qualified Physiotherapists as your Pilates instructor.
• You are in a state that requires care and supervision from qualified practitioners.
• You will be required to do a Full Body Assessment with our qualified Physios and a Clearance Letter is sent to your Obstetrician or GP to ensure your safety and avoid complications.

How to get started?

Call us on 03 9846 5888 and book for your Full Body Assessment. This will take 1 hour and is free of charge. There is no obligation to sign up but it is mandatory to go through the Full Body Assessment as the results will form the basis of your PreggiLates program.