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Pilates helps improve body for baby

by Donna Laportel
published in The Toronto Star, 2003.

Pilates for pregnant women? Why not? The hot new fitness trend has been adapted by a Toronto company catering to moms-to-be and new moms who want to stay fit.

“The moment the doctor confirms they’re pregnant, they say, “Oh, my God, I’ve got to get in shape for this”, says Skylar Hill-Jackson, co-director of BABY & ME FITNESS.

Hill-Jackson, along with partner Karen Weinthal -- both mothers of three -- developed the program in conjunction with Joanna Bell, who has been teaching classical Pilates for eight years.

Weinthal is a certified childbirth educator, having taught prenatal classes for 17 years at Women’s College Hospital. She and Hill-Jackson each have 20 years’ fitness teaching experience.

A system of physical conditioning, Pilates was developed more than 90 years ago to improve muscle tone through deep stretching and resistance movements. In modified form, it’s perfectly suited for pregnant women who not only want to stay in shape but keep their internal muscles toned to ease their labour, says the 28-year-old Bell, mother a 3 1/2-year-old girl.

“Most of the classical Pilates work is a contraindication” for pregnant women, says Bell (which means they shouldn’t do it). But she has adapted the exercises to emphasize protecting the back, strengthening the pelvic floor, toning and relaxation.

During pregnancy, a woman’s body releases massive amounts of hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone. They make the body relax and soften to allow room for the baby to grow. While mobility increases, joints and ligaments can become unstable. If the abdominal muscles aren’t toned, back strain can result. Sway-back can develop in latter stages of pregnancy, Bell says.

As the baby grows, normal breathing patterns are disrupted. When you learn to breathe properly, your rib cage expands with the breath and the shoulders are relaxed. Therefore, you are less tense. And, in turn, by toning abdominal muscles through proper breathing., “it actually feels like you are hugging your baby,” she says.

Bell uses sounding techniques to help calm the body, which is particularly useful during labour, she says. Certain vowels can be sounded out during forced exhalation -- such as “U”s and “O”s -- creating low vibrations that are relaxing.

To strengthen the pelvic floor -- which not only helps during pregnancy, but throughout a woman’s life, aiding the muscles for orgasm -- concentrated exercises are required. She likens the pelvic floor to a hammock connected to the pubic bone in front and the coccyx in back and whose muscle goes through the vagina and anus. If the hammock is prolapsed, it can lead to incontinence.

Concentration helps ensure you are doing the exercises correctly,. It also focuses the mind, pushing away other concerns or worries.

Kelly Ford-Linton raves about the program. “It’s awesome. I really like it,” says the 38-year-old Toronto mom, who is six months pregnant. She says she has had back problems since she was a teen and had always wanted to do Pilates. Married with a 4-year-old son, Levi, she says she and her husband, Bill, were always physically active before having their son. But she says she is not in as good a shape as she once was and didn’t want to backslide further.

“I really feel it after a class.” she says, adding that, “as much as you put into it, you get out of it.” She expects to continue right up to the end of her pregnancy because the exercises are adapted individually for each woman. “You can hold back on whatever doesn’t feel right.”

Cindy Ng, 31, says that her son, Justin, now 9 months old, gained weight quickly and this was putting a strain on her back. “After one class, I was walking home and the pain was gone,” she exclaims. Though she finds it harder than other fitness classes, she says she will continue because she finds it ultimately more relaxing. Besides, her husband, Danny Wong, “gets to spend some time with the baby.” helping improve father-son bonding, she says.

Women who are experiencing (or have experienced) normal, healthy pregnancies can sign up for the 10-week program. Women are advised to check with their health-care providers before undertaking exercise programs. Baby & Me Fitness offers a variety of other exercise classes, such as yoga, aquafit and even stroller fitness, all of which involve mother and baby learning together.