When you don't have time for a class

As a mother, it seems like some days getting a shower and a meal or two is a feat in and of itself. I know that it isn't always possible to make it to a studio to take an hour long class no matter how much you want to. So, here are my 5 favorite at-home sure-to-make-you sweat moves. Oh- and this entire series can be done in 10 min or less.

Single Leg Stretch:
Lie on your back with your legs in tabletop, head lifted to the base of your shoulder blades. Place your right hand on your right ankle, left hand on your right knee. Extend your left leg out parallel to the floor. Exhale, and switch legs (left hand to left ankle, right hand to left knee, right leg extended). This is 1 rep. Complete 7-10, keeping your back in neutral and your transversus engaged.

Single Straight Leg Stretch:
Lie on your back, both legs extended to the ceiling, head lifted. Grab your right leg behind the calf, lower your left leg towards the floor. Scissor the legs to switch, grabbing your left leg and pulling it towards your body. Complete 7-10 reps. Your upper body should be still with your legs coming to your hands. No bouncing.

Criss Cross:
Lie on your back with your legs in table top, hands behind your lifted head. Rotate your torso to the right and reach your left shoulder toward your right leg. Your left leg will extend out towards the floor. Switch sides. Complete 7-10 reps.

Double Leg Stretch.
Lie on your back, hugging both knees to your chest, head lifted. Inhale, extend your arms over your head and your legs out on an angle. Exhale, circle your arms around to hug your knees into your chest. Repeat 7-10 times.

Double Straight Leg Stretch (or Leg Levers): Lie on your back with your legs extended towards the ceiling, hands behind your lifted head. Keeping your inner thighs firmly pressed together, lower the legs towards the floor only as far as you can go WITHOUT MOVING YOUR BACK. This should be right around 3-6 inches. Exhale, and raise the legs back to the ceiling. This is a TINY movement. Less is more.

From Pilates-Pro.com

A link to a great article about Pilates during Pregnancy. I have trained with Debbi, she is wonderful!

http://www.pilates-pro.com/pilates-pro/2008/8/18/pilates-and-pregnancy-safe-ab-exercises.html

Pilates for Stress Relief

Almost everyone has heard of the stress relieving benefits of yoga, but did you know that Pilates provides many of those benefits also? Three of the Pilates Principals are Breathing, Focus and Flow. Joseph Pilates believed that in order to exercise correctly, you must be fully present and aware of what you are doing. When you are focused like that, you don't have any space left to worry!

Post Pregnancy Pilates- How soon???

First of all, I am not your doctor. The circumstances surrounding your birth experience will be a large factor in determining when you can get back to exercise, but in general the rule of thumb is:

For vaginal birth with no complications: 6 weeks or whenever you stop bleeding and feel up to it.

For C-Sections: 6-8 weeks depending on your surgery, stitches, pain, etc.

HOWEVER- there are 2 very important things that you can begin doing literally the moment the baby is out (or whenever you feel up to it): TRANSVERSUS & PELVIC FLOOR PULSES!!!!

These two exercises (described in detail here) can help get you feeling great long before your body is back to normal. They are also important because:

1) Contracting the Transversus Abdominus will help pull your Rectus Abdominus (6 pack muscle) back together faster, closing the diastasis recti.

2) Your pelvic floor is put under a lot of strain while you are pregnant supporting the weight of your baby while your organs are being shoved up against it. And then, during the actual birth...well, we all know what happens then- it stretches a whole lot to allow the baby to come out. Pulsing your pelvic floor (also known as 'doing kagels') will help prevent you from experiencing the incountenance that plagues so many women after they've had children.

Exercise in General

I get Google Alerts each day for "Pilates" and "Pilates and Pregnancy." Usually most of what comes up is about celebrities and their quest for the smallest possible body, the business briefs of local newspapers talking about new studios opening and the latest ebay auction on Pilates videos. Today though, and interesting article came up from the New York Post entitled Is the Economy Making Us Fat? Read it if you like, but more than anything, the title made me think about all of the excuses that we have not to exercise: I'm too tired, I'm too busy, the gym membership costs too much, yada yada yada. When it comes down to it, exercise is just that, it is work. You need to fit it in, get up earlier, stay up later, schedule it on your calendar, JUST DO IT!

Feel free to send me your particular dilemma that is causing you not to exercise, and I'll try to find a way around it.

(By the way, exercise gives you energy, there are MILLIONS of ways to re-arrange your day to fit it in, and walking requires nothing more than two feet. Even the shoes are optional.)