Pregnancy, Pilates and lordosis
Before I started formal Pilates training, I was already lordotic, which means I had excessive curvature in my lower back. I had no idea where my pelvic floor was, despite my prenatal classes. I used to think that having a weak pelvic floor was an anatomical problem, telling myself, “I don’t pee my pants, so it’s okay!” My first pregnancy went normally; although I didn’t gain too much weight, of course, the weight of a growing baby naturally changed the way I held myself and moved my body.
By the time I had my second child, my spine was even more lordotic. Feeling good and keen to get back into shape, I started running. I was working up to 10 km a day, three times a week and, to my surprise, I started to feel a twinge in my back. The doctor suggested Pilates and I thought “how boring!” but it wasn’t until an American friend told me that all the celebrities did Pilates after giving birth that I was seduced! I joined the group and not only discovered my pelvic floor, but also understood why it’s important to have a strong pelvic floor and core.
As your pregnancy progresses, the muscles in your trunk (abdominal and back muscles) that help support you and the baby’s weight become stressed and extremely strained. So when we practice Pilates during and after pregnancy, we’re working to strengthen and retrain these areas. We focus on coordinating your breathing and pelvic floor, as well as activating your abdominal muscles. This is imperative because even for a simple task like lifting your child, you learn to lift from your center and not just using your arms!
Women are under so much pressure to get back into shape after pregnancy. It’s a myth that your body will regain its shape. Sure, you’ll lose weight over the weeks, but the other myth is that everything comes back exactly where it was before!
The pregnancy hormone relaxin, which increases the size and elasticity of connective tissue (ligaments, muscles), will remain in the new mother’s body for up to six months. This means that your body has a higher degree of mobility and is in another state of change. When I work with a postpartum woman, one of the things we focus on is learning to stabilize the joints and learning from the core to help you realign.
Often, women are in a hurry to burn off their baby fat and start doing high-impact, weight-bearing exercises. Learn from my mistake: you may end up doing more harm than good!
Did you do Pilates during or after pregnancy and how is your back these days?
