If you are thinking of starting a family or are already pregnant, chances are you’ve heard about the importance of pelvic floor exercises for women. During pregnancy the pelvic floor muscle is a supportive hammock to the uterus and bowel. Prenatal Pilates classes can help mothers-to-be strengthen their pelvic floor muscle.
The importance of pelvic floor exercises for women; pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and after giving birth
The damage done by the weight of carrying a growing baby and effects from pregnancy hormones can weaken your pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will help you to actively support your bladder, uterus and bowel. It is important to exercise the pelvic floor muscle to help improve bladder and bowel control to prevent incontinence. And, to reduce the risk of prolapse from occurring, which can cause discomfort & reoccurring UTI’s.
The pelvic floor also supports the lower back, abdominal, glute and hip muscles. A strong pelvic floor will help prevent lower-back pain, decrease the risk of injury during birth and speed up post-natal recovery.
The best pelvic floor exercises for women
Not all forms of physical exercise are suitable for women during pregnancy. Prenatal Pilates classes provide a low-impact workout that is safe and contains movements that help strengthen your pelvic floor. Vanessa, from Pilates on the Coast, Central Coast Pilates studio is a trained prenatal Pilates instructor and shares four of the best pelvic floor exercises for women.
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISE #1: The Lunge
- Start in a stride stance with equal weight in both legs
- Maintaining a neutral spine position, inhale as you bend your knees, keeping slightly more weight in your front heel
- Just before you change directions start exhaling and lift the pelvic floor, holding the contraction as you push back up to the start position
- To make this more difficult you can start with your feet hip distance apart and step either forwards or backwards into the lunge position, then push back up to return to the start position
- Repeat for 10-15 repetitions on each leg
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISE #2: The Squat
- Holding a fixed object, such as a post or a sturdy chair, stand with your feet slightly farther than hip-width apart. Lower your body into a deep squat, keeping your weight over your heels.
- Squeeze the muscles of the pelvic floor as if you were going to stop the flow of urine when you go to the bathroom
- Hold for four seconds and exhale as you release
- Repeat combo 10-15 times.
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISE #3 The Pelvic Tilt
- Stand with your shoulders and bottom against a wall.
- Keep your knees soft.
- Pull your tummy button towards your spine, so that your back flattens against the wall
- Squeeze the muscles of the pelvic floor as if you were going to stop the flow of urine when you go to the bathroom
- Hold for four seconds and exhale as you release.
- Repeat up to 10-15 times.
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISE #4: The Clam
- Lay on your side with your head resting on a pillow or your arm, and your knees stacked one on top of the other
- Keeping your heels together, bend your knees until your heels are in line with your spine
- With an exhale lift the top knee off the bottom knee rotating from the hip joint and keeping the heels together. Try not to roll the hips back as you lift the knee.
- Then return the knee back down with control to the start position
- Repeat for 10-15 repetitions on each leg
Vanessa says “it is important to remember that some exercises and positions are not suitable as you reach different stages of your pregnancy. I recommended that you speak with an expert to ensure you are keeping safe and doing the exercises correctly.”
The benefits of doing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy
Prenatal Pilates classes are a low-impact workout that is safe to practise and provides multiple benefits for both mum and baby. Here are some examples of how pelvic floor exercises for women can help pregnant mothers.
- Learn how to control your breathing
During pregnancy your breathing can be affected from an increase in the hormone progesterone, which causes you to breathe in and out more often. As your baby grows inside your womb, you can develop stiffness in your upper back, your diaphragm moves upwards toward your chest and the chest increases in size. Because of these changes, it can look and feel like shortness of breath and many women feel like they are having trouble breathing. Prenatal Pilates classes can help you to have control over your breath and allow you to train your intercostal muscles to take deeper breaths, ensuring good air exchange between you and your baby. It is also beneficial during labour; Prenatal Pilates classes will teach you specific breathing techniques to aid with the movement and muscle activations during childbirth.
INHALE through the nose, directing the breath into the sides of the ribs (expanding the ribs laterally)
EXHALE through the mouth, closing the rib cage down and in
- Maintain a healthy weight
When you are eating for two, its normal to gain weight throughout your pregnancy, however putting on more weight than recommended increases your risk of developing gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Many women will no longer have diabetes after the baby is born. However, there is the potential for some women to continue to have a high blood sugar level after birth. Regular exercise adapted to your fitness level and abilities will keep your weight gain during pregnancy within the recommended levels. Prenatal Pilates classes are suitable for all fitness levels and can be tailored to meet individual needs.
- Improving balance
Because your centre of gravity shifts when you are pregnant, you may feel clumsy or unstable during those months. Prenatal Pilates classes can be adapted to your body’s postural changes, whilst increasing your core strength to help improve your balance.
Continuing your routine after giving birth
One of the reasons why Prenatal Pilates classes is an excellent exercise option during pregnancy is that you can continue your program after giving birth. Returning to exercise after giving birth is very important for your pelvic floor recovery to prevent unwanted issues, such as prolapse, incontinence or pain during sex. Pilates is low-impact; it focuses on mindful movements and controlled breathing to help the pelvic floor heal after childbirth. Controlled breathing helps to move the diaphragm away from your chest and relax your pelvic floor muscle. Whilst mindful movements ensure that pressure is not put on the stomach or pelvic floor during the workout.
Returning to exercise post-birth isn’t just beneficial to the recovery of your pelvic floor. It can be stressful taking care of a new born and adjusting to a new routine while recovering from childbirth. Pilates classes give you an opportunity to take time for yourself and allow your mind to slow down. These classes can help improve your overall health for the rest of your life. They also help your body to recover quicker and enable you to return to a healthy weight after delivery- this is important if you plan to become pregnant again in the future.
It is recommended that you talk to an expert about what you should be doing post-natal to help your pelvic floor recover and regain strength. Pilates on the Coast, Central Coast Pilates studio can create an individual pre-natal & post-natal exercise program for you. Our prenatal exercise classes are available through livestreaming or from our Central Coast Pilates studio. Not sure where to start, why not sign up to our Introductory offer.
