Our body goes through numerous changes during pregnancy, with one of the most prominent changes is our expanding tummy. Through this amazing changes, our abdominal muscles stretch to allow room for our growing baby this leads to posture change and adds pressure on our spine and surrounding muscles.

For this pregnancy, this lazy mama here decided to try out a physio-pilates class at Parkway East Hospital. Apart from being a rehabilitation centre for the general patients, we attended a session with Debbie, one of the therapists, during our week 38 pregnancy for a Physio-Pilates class before our delivery!

Before she starts the exercises, she went through an assessment of the condition of my spine and posture. She discovered I was more prone to lean to my left side more therefore when I’m pregnant I will tend to have problems pertaining to my pelvis. Which was true! Pelvic aches during my first pregnancy had me in bed for the last week of pregnancy. Walking and moving around was tough. If I had to flip from one side to another when I sleep, it was a torture for me. Simple movements were liberally difficult for me. Therefore, what she suggested me to do is to start on building up my core strength. This is important in order to prevent any recurring aches in this pregnancy. (Should have come for classes earlier!)

What is Physio-Pilates?

A dedicated physiotherapy and pilates exercise programme for expectant mothers who want to maintain their fitness levels and prepare their bodies for the demands of labour and motherhood.

Benefits of Physio-Pilates

Pilates is an ideal form of workout for pregnant mothers as it is low impact and gentle on the body while improving strength, flexibility and balance. Combined with a physiotherapeutic approach, physio-pilates helps expectant mothers to manage the aches and pains experienced during pregnancy better. Other benefits include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Reduced back pain, stress and muscle tension
• Reduced strain during movement
• Improved sleep
• Improved balance and posture
• Improved breathing techniques to assist labour
• Strengthening the stomach, gluteal and leg muscles
• Strengthening the pelvic floor
• Speeding up post-pregnancy recovery

Here’s sharing more of our photo journal of our Physio-Pilate Session.

It lasted almost an hour with over 10 over sets of gentle exercise coupled with controlled breathing. Although the exercises are easy to do however the baby is weighing low already, so my muscles were shivering due to lack of strength during our first set of exercise just liked the images seen below! 

Ligaments are loose and prone to more pain and aches during pregnancy, so lifting the legs was so hard to do! It felt liked weights were tied to my ankle. 

Every set of exercise I have to make sure my tummy was tucked in when I breathe out and squeezed tight. Each breath had to be long and wide all the way down to the bottom of my lungs from the nose to the mouth. Try doing 3 sets, you will feel the tightening in the abdomen!

Next, we followed up with some shoulder movements to arms movement..

Further on, with sets of arms/rib stretch, those you do during morning exercises in schools!

Debbie took out props to assist me in giving the stretching some resistance. She always does one example before she does a few more with me. 

Then, we did sets of pelvic exercises, squats(oh, those squats) to below heel raise and calf stretch before we end the session. Right after, I felt a sense of relief from any strained and tense muscles, and I never felt better in my entire pregnancy. Just by doing simple movements actually made the body feel more relaxed and energised than ever. I should have come earlier!