relieved their back pain<\/a> and 15 found it was critical for injury prevention.<\/p>\nPilates was the most popular form of exercise in Australia in the past year, according to data from fitness and wellness subscription app ClassPass, with reformer ranking as the top style.<\/p>\n
Experts said pilates was no longer viewed as a luxury fitness trend, but rather an essential tool for mental and physical health \u2013 including during pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Rachel Annetta, who works at Epworth Healthcare, said pilates was \u201cbeneficial\u201d for pregnant women because of its focus on core and pelvic floor strength.<\/p>\n
She also said there was \u201cgood evidence\u201d that it reduced the risk of pregnancy complications.<\/p>\n
\u201cPilates strengthens those core and postural muscles that help to support the growing uterus, and it can reduce the strain of pelvic and back pain from the pregnancy,\u201d Dr Annetta said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can also reduce the risk of pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain \u2026 and blood pressure or hypertensive disorders such as pre-eclampsia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Annetta said pilates was \u201cabsolutely safe\u201d to practise right throughout pregnancy, provided modifications were made \u2013 including avoiding lying down for too long or overheating \u2013 and the instructor was informed of the pregnancy.<\/p>\n
She also said pilates could \u201chasten the recovery period\u201d post-partum, but recommended new mums return to exercise \u201cslowly\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kimberley Garlick, president of industry body Pilates Association of Australia, agreed that pilates helped to build strength, mobility and stability throughout pregnancy and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s version of a good birth is different but pilates is certainly is going to encourage your best possible birth and how you recover afterwards,\u201d Ms Garlick said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt supports your symmetry and alignment which is important because you might be feeding, sleeping or even carrying your baby more on one side of your body compared to the other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catherine Willis \u2013 a physiotherapist who specialises in obstetrics and sits on the Australian Physiotherapy Association board \u2013 said pilates helped women prepare for labour by building strength and introducing birthing positions.<\/p>\n
But she warned those who are pregnant or post-partum to choose pilates classes that are led by experienced physiotherapists and tailored to new mums, instead of generic workouts.<\/p>\n
This is because there are risks involved in exercising during this time if not done safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cPilates may help women feel more physically prepared for birth through better body awareness, more efficient breathing, pelvic mobility, confidence changing positions and stamina for the physical demands of pregnancy and labour,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome research even suggests that pilates may reduce labour pain intensity and duration.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut women should avoid exercising while flat on their backs after the first trimester, have exercises modified if they report any pain, and participate in pilates in well-ventilated rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mum Meg Mackey, 36, told this masthead pilates became her \u201cbest mental reset\u201d after giving birth to her little boy two years ago. <\/p>\n
The Hobart local said pilates helped her \u201ckeep moving\u201d throughout her pregnancy right up to 37 weeks, and allowed her to rebuild strength and manage her mental health post-partum. <\/p>\n
\u201cI used to run 10km a day to achieve mental clarity, but as a mum now, that time and effort feels harder to commit to,\u201d said Ms Mackey.<\/p>\n
\u201cPilates is my time \u2026 so I can be more present, patient and happy around my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Georgina Tagliaferri, 34, stopped pilates classes just one week before her son was born and said it made her pregnancy and post-partum experience \u201cso much easier\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe strength I built helped with everything from late-night feeds and lifting my baby to recovering from birth and returning to daily activities,\u201d said Ms Tagliaferri.<\/p>\n
Amber Setchell, 37, continued pilates all the way to the morning of her scheduled induction. She said her regular pilates practice helped her manage the changes to her body and routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs my pregnancy progressed, my centre of gravity changed, my joints loosened up and I had to learn to move differently,\u201d said Ms Setchell, who has a four-month-old baby girl. <\/p>\n
\u201cComing back after having my daughter was the most challenging part, it was hard \u2026 having to rebuild strength and confidence, but pilates taught me to be patient with my body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trelise Blade, a 38-year-old mum from Brisbane, said practising pilates gave her greater confidence, more energy and made her a \u201chappier mum\u201d to her young daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a pretty brutal birth and recovery, including a C-section, I\u2019d completely lost my core strength and confidence, pilates has slowly given me that back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I\u2019d be surrounded by super fit 20-year-olds in matching activewear, but I couldn\u2019t have been more wrong, everyone was so welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie Weir, a 34-year-old Newcastle mum-of-two, said pilates was \u201cespecially valuable\u201d during pregnancy because it taught her the \u201chandy skill\u201d of breathing through her contractions.<\/p>\n
She said her posture, core strength and mobility had also improved through pilates.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a mum of two young children, pilates has given me the strength and confidence to keep up with the physical demands of everyday life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Other parents who spoke to this masthead said pilates relieved their back pain and acted as \u201cone of the best forms of injury prevention\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Garlick said this was because pilates was \u201cadaptable\u201d and supported everyday movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cPilates is a sequence of functional movements that develop the body,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has a purpose for any person at any time of their life \u2013 whether they\u2019re an elite athlete, recovering from surgery, have a bad back or injury, or are a new mum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shayna Williams, a 40-year-old Sydney mum, used to struggle with back pain that left her \u201cunable to walk\u201d \u2013 but since practising pilates, she said she \u201cnever gets this anymore\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve experienced a massive reduction in back pain, and I feel taller and longer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Scott Capelin, 50, had a similar experience, starting pilates in 2003 as part of rehabilitation for a slipped disc in his lower back. The dad-of-four now completes 12 pilates classes each month, and has \u201czero back pain and better posture\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kat Nguyen-Thai, 35, tried pilates after \u201cyears of getting injured\u201d from HIIT fitness classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to move my body in a completely different way, while still leaving feeling challenged, sweaty and injury-free, and pilates ticked all of those boxes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
SEE WHAT THE 52 PARENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT PILATES BY CLICKING ON EACH PHOTO BELOW:<\/p>\n
Originally published as Birth to back pain: 52 Aussie parents share why pilates helps their mental and physical health<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New mums say regularly practising pilates has been a \u201cgame changer\u201d for childbirth and has helped them regain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575122,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[18,525,135,19,17,188607],"class_list":["post-575121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-playaday"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116884494577642047","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}