During pregnancy, your posture is severely affected and your back put under a lot of stress.

More than 60% of pregnant women experience low back back and more than 40% of the new moms continue experiencing back pain after their baby is born.

Why is that and how can Pilates help you during and after your pregnancy?

Lumbar lordosis is the arching of the lumbar spine.

The posture of the pregnant woman changes along the three trimesters as the various changes in the body unfold and the baby grows.

The first postural change happening the upper body and head ‘s position. As soon as one learns about her pregnancy, the first change is in the breasts. The breasts get bigger and heavier which makes your chest muscles shorter (pectoral) and round your thoracic spine, your upper back, the chin moves forward together with the head. Week by week, as the baby grows – and more so in the second and third trimesters- the weight of the belly and baby is pulling you forward. Heavier breasts + heavier baby+ heavier baby = moves your body forward. To compensate, the body tilts in order to find its balance, and start to be in a lordosis mode. Your posture is really negatively impacted and your back hurts.

Your whole muscle balance is out of balance. The upper back is rounded with shoulders rotating in, the chest muscles are shortened and tight, the front of the hip gets tighter, abdominals get weaker and stretched, hamstrings lengthen and weaken, lower back muscles shorten and compression of the spine happens (with potential sciatica), abdominal muscles lengthen and weaken, pelvic floor muscles are under a lot of strain, weaker and stretched, calves are tighter.

This process happens day by day, and it is critical to talk about posture and educate pregnant woman to protect their back today during pregnancy, to adopt a healthy posture, and keep it in order to protect their back in the long run even after the baby is born. Mind-Body connection and education about posture is critical for every expectant mom.

Pilates  is the optimal mind- body form of exercise to correct your posture during and after pregnancy. Pilates helps strengthen weak muscles, stretch tight muscles, lengthen short muscles, bring stability/flexibity balance in the body and help realigning the body and develop awareness of your posture. 

Pilates is taught at Body Belly Baby to expecting moms as well as postpartum moms with or without their baby.

Pilates at Body Belly Baby is the safest, most effective , and respectful to the Pilates Method practice you can have in Coconut Grove and in Miami.

Better than any massage or physical therapy, movement and realignment of the spine, learning about healthy posture during pregnancy, understand the mechanisms that create lordosis , becoming aware of your own body is what Pilates does for you to be at your best before, during, and after pregnancy.

Time to start your Pilates journey !