Is Pilates good for post pregnancy?

Postnatal and Pilates are a perfect match!

Pilates strengthens the pelvic floor and deep abdominals, which is incredibly important postnatally (take it from one mumma to another!). I don't think I ever appreciated Pilates to its full extent until I was postnatal.

Postnatal Pilates moves at a slower pace to regular Pilates and focuses on strengthening muscles that pregnancy has made lax. Postnatal Pilates has many benefits, but please consult your doctor for their approval before trying any postnatal exercise, including Pilates.

Benefits of Postnatal Pilates

• Activating and drawing the abdominals back in (after being stretched to their absolute limit for 9 months!)
• Lifting and strengthening the pelvic floor (which pregnancy and birth weaken)
• Strengthening the middle back and opening the chest (carrying and nursing your newborn 24/7 plays havoc on your back!)
• Toning and strengthening the inner thighs and glutes, thereby supporting the pelvis (did you know pregnancy hormones stretch these muscles?)
• Stretching tight muscles
• And (perhaps most importantly!) postnatal Pilates gives you some time to do something for yourself and your body!

Meet one of our Postnatal Mums, Vesna

Today I'm introducing you to Vesna; our lovely Online Membership client and mumma of Mackenzie (4) and Elliott (8 months). We caught up with her to understand how Pilates helped her postnatal recovery. In this Q&A, she talks through her postnatal Pilates journey with such honesty and rawness, which she hopes will help other Mum's on their journey.

Vesna is also a great photographer! She helped us capture matwork Pilates from behind the camera recently; in fact you may recognise some of her work on our social media, website and this blog!

• Why did you choose Pilates for your postnatal exercise,  instead of other  available options? I chose pilates because when done properly it's a safe and effective way to build your core strength back up after having a baby. I did a combination of walking (as soon as I felt ready, approx 3 weeks after Elliott was born) and then specific postnatal pilates as soon as my womens physio cleared me at 8 weeks postnatal.Â

• What hesitations did you have in trying postnatal Pilates, and how did you overcome them? My main hesitation was whether I'd be able to do it properly online, without a live instructor present. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying and was quickly put at ease by Emily's excellent cues! The PPF postnatal program starts off gently and builds gradually so I knew I was in safe hands. Emily was also available on DMs to answer any questions, especially about progressing! At approximately 12 weeks postnatal I would add a barre class in each week and substitute postnatal ab exercises instead of the standard barre ones. The PPF postnatal classes gave me the confidence to substitute exercises for the level I was at.Â

• What was your experience with Pilates before your first postnatal Pilates class? Had you done it before? I've been doing pilates since 2014. I found pilates after a running injury. My podiatrist said I could do pilates while waiting for surgery, and pilates was the first exercise I did after surgery too (once cleared). Under the correct instruction, pilates is something that can be done no matter where you are on your fitness journey, and is perfect when coming back from injury because it's low impact and there are so many exercises and regressions/progressions that can be done! I also did pilates after my first daughter was born in 2016, however it was not COVID times and I was able to go to the studio for this.Â

• What did your timeline look like in terms of progressing through new exercises and being able to complete more challenging moves? From 8-12 weeks postnatal I did the PPF postnatal classes online. Even in this short time I found that my core strength and coordination was improving. I'd go back and do past classes and it was so nice being able to go from the level 1 to the level 2 exercise. At around 14 weeks I did the postnatal 9 online class which was a bit of a bridge between a postnatal class and a normal mat class. It also gave options for exercises when you felt like you weren't ready for certain normal mat class abdominal exercises which I appreciated! From 16 weeks I was doing a combination of normal matwork and postnatal matwork, and from about 20 weeks I was doing normal matwork, barre and PIT!Â

• What did it feel like to achieve these progressions? Every time I felt that I had progressed I felt proud and motivated to get even stronger. It was wonderful confirmation that what I was doing was working in building my core strength and overall fitness back up. I remember doing my first normal matwork class without substituting any easier ab exercises and feeling really happy. Also holding a plank during the PIT classes has been great. Pilates has been really complimentary to other exercise I've been doing like circuits with kettlebells and dumbbells. I've also recently started back at a gym lifting weights and my core control is great and I feel pretty safe lifting weights again, thanks to Pilates.  Â

• What physical changes have you noticed from incorporating Matwork Pilates into your postnatal recovery? It's greatly helped alleviate lower back pain. Before I was cleared to do pilates, I had a pretty sore back almost all of the time from lifting Elliott up, rocking and holding her. I've slowly lost the baby weight. For me the goal isn't to fit in my pre-pregnancy clothes, rather it's about fitness and strength. So for example, I live on hilly acreage and the walk to the road and back took me 20 minutes in the weeks after Elliott was born. It now takes me 15 minutes. Pilates has strengthened my entire body!Â

• Have you noticed any changes mentally from incorporating Pilates into your postnatal recovery? For me, exercise is an integral part of looking after my mental health, and this was the case even before I was a mum. I need to move almost every day. On the days when I didn't do pilates and/or walk, I would have less patience, be snappy and generally not a fun person to be around. Exercise also improves the quality of my sleep. Even though I don't sleep a lot of hours with a baby, when I do sleep, generally it's of pretty good quality when I have done Pilates that day.Â

• We know you love exercise in all its forms! In your experience, how does Mat work Pilates differ from other forms of exercise (both postnatal and otherwise)? I find matwork pilates similar to yoga in that it's quite mindful for me. To do it correctly you have to really focus on your breathing and activating the correct muscles, which leaves little room for wandering thoughts! As opposed to weights where I get quite competitive with myself, I feel a lot more zen after pilates.Â

• What advice would you give postnatal mums who are struggling with their recovery (and perhaps haven't tried Pilates before!)? I'd suggest seeing a women's physio to get clearance to exercise and then strongly suggest giving pilates a try! I feel like there is nothing to lose and it really is one of the safest forms of exercise you can do. Getting my core strength back was one of the key things that made me start feeling like myself again after baby.Â

• You recently did a photoshoot with the team at the Coorparoo Studio, and the photos were amazing! Tell us more about your photography business Thank you! Photography is something that has grown organically. It started from wanting to take beautiful photos of my family. I took a course and from there it has grown organically. I haven't stopped! I absolutely love taking photos and I see the world differently now. I'm always thinking about how things will look through a lens and how to make the ordinary look interesting and beautiful.Â

• What was it like to capture Pilates. something you're so passionate about, from behind the lens? It was amazing having two of my passions come together. I wanted to not only photograph the PPF team and the exercises on the reformer and mat but convey the incredible sense of community at PPF.  It was so much fun working with the PPF team!Â

• How can people get in touch if they want to work with you? Go to my instagram @vesna_f_ and send me a DM!Â

Some of Vesna's photos from our recent photoshoot

Want to try some postnatal Pilates exercises?

Once you have approval from your doctor or physio, check out our favourite postnatal Pilates exercises, which you can try at home. You can also sign up to our Online Membership to access a library of postnatal Pilates classes, or join us in a studio! We offer Mums n Bubs Reformer classes, as well as postnatal variations in our regular studio classes.