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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Many women find Pilates to be one of best exercises to do, both during and after their pregnancy. One the top reasons &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;yY6bHCNUG-SHo1gLnViayA&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-many-benefits-of-pilates-exercise-2704865&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Pilates&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and pregnancy go together so well is that Pilates is great at building &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-best-exercises-for-core-strength-3120054&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;core strength&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. If your &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-abdominal-muscle-group-296478&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;abdominals&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, back, and &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;-nYTG9wTW7__ED_oqHAwUA&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-dvd-review-better-than-kegels-2704327&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;pelvic floor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;/Kegel muscles are toned, they will support a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery. Pilates is also famous for helping new moms get their figures back after baby is born!&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Another great reason to do Pilates in pregnancy is that Pilates is very adaptable. Most &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;Q8lNbGLru7qbJj7f9mfzpg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-pilates-method-of-exercise-2704855&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Pilates exercises&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; can be &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/exercise-modification-tips-2704650&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;modified&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; as your body and abilities change. The modifications help you keep the intent of the exercise, but adjust the form to work for your body. Read &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/exercise-modification-tips-2704650&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Exercise Modifications&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; for an introduction to modifications.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Get Good Instruction&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;First, check with your doctor of midwife.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;If you have never done Pilates before, it will be important for you to &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;vqLL_vl_mj84_6e2cQN8Tg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-find-pilates-classes-2704448&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;find a pre-natal Pilates class&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, or an instructor who can give you a lot of one on one attention. It is not recommended that you begin doing Pilates on your own if you haven\u2019t already worked with the fundamentals.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;You may want to read &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-pilates-master-instructor-2704309&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Tips for Choosing Your Instructor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you do already have a &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;rF2aOM9UaQb-BzFXNnFnCA&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/top-ways-to-learn-pilates-2704438&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Pilates background&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, it is still ideal to take a &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;bFcsTCj4B2RZU3NaEbk1Yg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-classes-for-beginners-2704432&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;prenatal Pilates class&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; or work directly with an instructor. However, there are a number of DVDs, videos and books that can support your practice.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Compare Prices on Books and DVDs for Pilates and Pregnancy:&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-and-pregnancy-2704627&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Review: Pregalates, Pilates for Pregnancy DVD&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Food, Water, and Energy&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You are already eating for two, but if you are exercising you are burning more calories and losing water through perspiration. Therefore, you will want to increase your caloric intake and stay hydrated.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Prenatal Pilates is not particularly strenuous, but you will want to make sure to pay attention to your body(and baby)and pace yourself. Your energy levels will be changing and you don\u2019t want to over do. One clue fitness experts suggest is the &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;4HxQ_U3REY7tebjOF3CMgA&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/talk-test-fitness-term-1231121&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;talk test&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. If you are too winded to talk in a casual tone and tempo, it is time to slow down. Other signs that you need to take a break are dizziness, feeling faint, nausea, racing heart, shortness of breath, uterine contractions, bleeding or leaking fluid, and headache.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;As Your Body Changes&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;As your baby grows your center of gravity will shift. You may find that you need to be a bit more cautious when doing certain things that you are quite used to doing like getting up and down for &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;q2_drWwD-GqDw9iinOgwMw&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-exercise-mat-buyers-guide-2704341&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;14&amp;quot;&amp;gt;mat work&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, getting on or off the reformer, or working out on an &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;PCZyfOScRTfJ1r4vDxMrZg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-many-kinds-of-exercise-balls-2704569&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;15&amp;quot;&amp;gt;exercise ball&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Hormonal changes during pregnancy promote flexibility in the joints and muscles. Women do experience more strains to their muscles and ligaments during this time because their bodies are wisely making them more \u201Cstretchy\u201D. You will want to be sure not to overstretch. Working in a smaller range of motion is often a good way to tune into the subtleties of an exercise. For example, this would be a good time to work with tuning in to the &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-pelvic-floor-muscles-2704828&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;16&amp;quot;&amp;gt;pelvic floor muscles&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/learn-to-breathe-deeply-2704794&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;17&amp;quot;&amp;gt;breathing&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; well, and gently working with &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-mat-exercise-the-saw-2704706&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;18&amp;quot;&amp;gt;oppositional stretch&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;About the Scoop&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;At a certain point, not too far along, your abdominal &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/pilates-mat-exercise-rolling-like-a-ball-2704661&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;19&amp;quot;&amp;gt;scoop&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; just isn\u2019t going work or look like it used to. The point will be to keep a definite sense of the engagement of the abdominals and pelvic floor, and do what you can without working too hard, after all there\u2019s somebody in there! There is a condition that sometimes occurs later in a pregnancy called, \u201Cdiastasis\u201D, where there is a separation of the abdominal muscles. If you do have a diastasis you will want to modify carefully with your instructor, or pause your &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;RRQetBwftMXKBWp5WtaEjQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-best-schedule-for-pilates-workouts-2704630&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;20&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Pilates workouts&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; until after the baby is born.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Here are instructions for testing whether you have a diastasis from Verywell&amp;amp;#39;s guide to &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/exercise-4014728&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;21&amp;quot;&amp;gt;exercise&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, Paige Waehner, in Pregnancy Today:&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;\u201CTo check for ab. separation, lie on your &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;fK_AJW8BJAaGg3b6WeiMtQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/easy-exercise-ball-workout-2704741&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;22&amp;quot;&amp;gt;back with knees&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; bent and place your fingertips about 1 or 2 inches below your belly button, fingers pointing toward your feet. Lift your head as high as you can and, if you feel a ridge protruding from the middle of your belly, that&amp;amp;#39;s a diastasis. Pay attention to how you feel, and if you experience any discomfort in your abdominals or back, stop!\u201D&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Past the First Trimester&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Once you are into your second trimester it will be time to stop doing exercises while lying flat on your back. This is recommended because of the possibility of obstructing blood supply to the baby. It is also recommended that you not put your feet over your head. That\u2019s not to say that you can\u2019t prop them up. What it means is that your hips stay down. You will want to eliminate any sharp percussive movements from your routine. An example would be vigorous sidekicks, and of course, reformer exercises with the jump board will be out.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pregnancy could be a very rewarding time to tune inward and connect with the core of Pilates, the &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/six-pilates-principles-2704854&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;23&amp;quot;&amp;gt;exercise principles&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow. Working with these principles will not only enhance your workout experience, but they also offer skills to bring to the birth and care of your baby.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/pilates-and-pregnancy-2704627>