Roll Up Series

The roll up is a great exercise for before pregnancy, during the first trimester, and after the diastis has closed. Learn how to do it here in my step by step guide.

My favorite Pilates video this year

Just kidding. But, pretty amazing!

What I'm thankful for in Pilates

Here are the top ten things in Pilates that I'm giving thanks for this year. What are you thankful for?

Pilates for Pregnancy iPhone App on Sale!

The amazing Pilates for Pregnancy iPhone app is on sale thru Monday. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to review the app along with Sarah Picot's other Pilates for Pregnancy products and interview Sarah herself. Sarah's system is far and away the best I have seen on the market, taking you all the way from pre-conception to post-natal recovery. Click here to read my reviews of all of her products, and here for a link to each of the available apps.

Note: while there isn't currently an app for the postnatal system, there is a DVD, and Sarah says the app is on the way. By the way, it is far and away the best postnatal video I have seen- it truly incorporates your baby in ways that none of the others do. Check out the review here, the exercises are also detailed in the Pilates for Pregnancy Book.

Sarah Picot's Pilates for Pregnancy System: Reviews

Wow. When I received the review copies of Pilates and Pregnancy: A Workbook for Before, During and After Pregnancy W/DVD Sarah Picot - PRENATAL PILATES (DVD MOVIE)and Post-natal Pilates I was blown away. After going through 2 pregnancies as a Pilates instructor, I've modified my heart out, both for myself and the deluge of pregnant clients who come to me because they know I have experience. I hadn't even scratched the surface. Some of the modifications made me slap my forehead and say "Why didn't I think of that?!?!" Others, like the kneeling single leg stretch, are a testiment to creater Sarah Picot's creativity and dedication to keeping the pregnant body moving in safe, healthy ways. The post-natal program is encouraging to me, it makes me feel like there is actually a possibility of me getting in a workout with my 12 week old my son is rather than having to wait for my husband to be able to watch him. Read more about all of the products and an interview with Sarah here.

The Great Pilates Debate

Hopefully most Pilates practicitioners don't know how much arguing goes on behind the scenes over what can be called Pilates and what can't. My lastest examiner.com post introduces the Pilates debate, and I'll continue to discuss it in detail in the next few days. Click here to read the full article on examiner, and here to read the summary of the trademark lawsuit that allows us all to practice today. We would not have pre or post natal Pilates had this lawsuit not opened up the use of the Pilates name.

Pilates Class Guide

Thinking about taking Pilates but not sure where to start? Check out the Pilates class guide! You can learn how to choose your class, and all about Mat, Reformer, Jumpboard, and Private Pilates classes.

Pilates Equipment Guide

Click here to see the ultimate guide to Pilates equipment.

Pilates for Mommies...or...Exercise for the Exhausted

Congratulations! Your new bundle of joy is home from the hospital and you are a mommy! You will get amazing love and snuggles, and this little baby will look at you like the sun rises and sets with you, because, in his eyes, it does. Bu, you will not get a good night's sleep again for the forseeable future, nor will you sit down to a meal without being inturrupted by a child that wants to eat (it doesn't matter when you fed them, they just seem to sense these things.) And if you have to go back to work anytime soon, you will likely experience the worst guilty feeling for leaving your child in the care of someone else, or, if you are lucky enough to be able to take him to work with you, guilt for not paying enough attention to him or your job.

Health time is going to be hard to fit in for the next little while, but it's very neccissary. First of all, your self-esteem needs to know how powerful your body is. The delivery high is gone, and you are left with a body with extra skin in places where it isn't flattering and extra fat stores that your body stocked away in some caveman-esque way so that you could produce breast milk for your new child. These fat stores would be useful if we didn't have ready access to food in our society, but we do, and just because you have the fat stored doesn't shut off your hunger triggers. So you have to learn a new balance of getting enough calories so your body produces enough milk for your child and doesn't go into starvation mode without overeating and adding to the bulk.

As for exerice, you need to be kind to yourself. I highly recommend walking, keeping the Pilates principals in mind. Concentrate on pulling your shoulders back and your arm pits down to open up you chest whenever you have the opportunity- you are spending a lot of time with your shoulders rounded looking down over your new little one. If you still have a diastasis, refer to my previous posts by Jennifer Gianni for safe Pilates exercises to do. If your diastasis has closed, start slowly, but begin doing work to tone you core- I recommend this series: Assisted Roll up, Single Leg Stretch, Double Leg Strech, Criss-Cross (aka Jane Fonda's Bicycle), Swan, Pilates Push-up. Do 3-5 reps of each, working up to 7-10.

Jennifer Gianni Post Pregnancy Part 2

PART 2 Post-Pregnancy Exercises: 8 Weeks and Beyond

By: Jennifer Gianni
Published: Tuesday, 18 August 2009

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Here are several more exercises that you can add to your regime to help recover your pre-pregnant body. As stated in our previous installment, just because you are 8 weeks post-partum may not necessarily mean you are ready for this workout plan.

Everyone has their own set of circumstances and you may need to stay with the beginning exercises depending on your situation. Remember this is a delicate time, even if you are past the 8-week mark and feeling very strong. You will still need to monitor yourself very closely and listen to your body. There may be days when you'll do more and days when you'll scale down. I’ve selected a few more advance post-pregnancy exercises that you can add to your list.

This first series is side-lying leg exercise work. It tones and sculpts the outer thigh area to create a smoother outer thigh shape along with a stronger more stable outer leg. You want to create a neutral spine and pelvis in a side-lying position. Put a yoga mat on the floor. Lie down on your side and line up your head, shoulders, and hips with the back edge of the mat. Make sure the shoulders and hips are stacked one on top of the other. If the neck or bottom shoulder feels compressed, place a small pillow under the head.

Bring the legs out to the front corner of the mat. Bend the knees so the feet go back and the kneecaps point forward. Reach the top hip toward the feet so the bottom waist lengthens. During the side leg work you want to avoid collapsing into your bottom waist.

1) CLAMMING

• Keep the shoulders and hips stacked and the heels squeezing together.
• Inhale and lift the top knee. Be sure that the top hip does not rotate back as you lift the knee.
• Exhale and slowly lower the knee.
• Do 8-10 reps on each side.

2) CLAM TO PARALLEL

• Again, keep the shoulders and hips stacked.
• Inhale and lift the top knee with the heels squeezing together.
• Exhale and lift the top ankle in line with the top knee.
• Inhale and reattach the ankles.
• Exhale and slowly lower the knee.
• Do 8-10 reps on each side.

3) PUSH OUT

• Keep the same alignment in the shoulders and hips.
• Lift the top leg up so the hip, knee and ankle are in alignment.
• Inhale and press the leg out to a straight position.
• Exhale and bend the back in towards the chest.
• Do 8-10 on each side.
• If straightening the leg puts to much strain on the abdominals or lower back , only press half way out and then back to the starting position.

4) CIRCLES

• Keep the same alignment in the shoulders and the hips.
• Lift the top leg up so the hip, knee and ankle are in alignment.
• Keep the knee bent and imagine you have a crayon at the knee cap and as you circle the leg you are drawing a circle on the wall in front of you.
• Inhale for half the circle and exhale for the other half.
• Do 6-8 in one direction and then change directions.
• This exercise massages the ball of the femur in the hip socket helping to create synovial fluid and lubricate the joint.

This next set of exercises involves three positions—lying on the belly, gentle twists and gentle forward bends—to help restore the uterus and its ligaments back into the proper position after birth.

5) PRONE FLIGHT

• Lie on your belly with the feet hip distance apart, the arms by your body with the palms facing the ceiling and the forehead on the mat.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and float the crown of the head and sternum up. Keep the back of the neck long and the feet pressing into the mat. Hover the arms off the mat and reach back for the feet.
• Inhale and hold at the top.
• Exhale and slowly float down.
• Do 6-8 reps.
• When finished slowly sit back into Child's Pose.

6) GENTLE TWIST

• Lie on your back with the knees bent and the arms extended out by your side in a cross position with the palms up.
• Inhale and drop the knees to the left and look towards the right.
• Hold for 3-4 breath cycles.
• On your exhale slowly bring the knees and eyes back to center.
• Inhale and drop the knees to the right and eyes to the left.
• Hold for 3-4 breath cycles.
• On the next exhale bring the knees and eyes back to center.
• Do 4-6 on each side.

7) GENTLE FORWARD BEND

• Sit on the floor in front of a chair or stool in a straddle position.
• Inhale lengthen the spine as much as you can.
• Exhale and start to hinge forward and then relax onto the chair seat.
• Hold for 2-4 minutes.
• Take very deep inhales and exhales.
• As you advance you can start to deepen your forward bend. First by taking away the chair and adding a stack of blankets or a bolster in front of you that you can fold into. Eventually you can lessen the stack of blankets so you start to bend deeper and deeper.

Join us next time for more post pregnancy exercises.

More from Jennifer Gianni

Post-Pregnancy Workout—8 Weeks And Beyond!

By: Jennifer Gianni
Published: Tuesday, 11 August 2009

This part of the post pregnancy exercise plan is where most begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel; 8 weeks and beyond. But please remember, just because you are at the 8-week mark does NOT mean that you are ready to progress to this. Everyone has their own special set of circumstances, energy level, and strength to take into consideration. It may be best for you to spend a few more weeks practicing the 6/7 week exercises. Staying with the 6/7 week exercises may be the reason you stay healthy and fit instead of ending up with an injury. Remember that overworking and going beyond what you are ready for is just as bad (really worse) than under working!

Whether you decide to stay with the 6/7 week exercises or to progress to the 8 week and beyond, please continue to find the connection and relationship of your pelvic floor, multifidus and transverse abdominals through your breath work. These very important core muscles are essential to the stability of your skeleton and are only fired by the breath!

Try these next few exercises if you are ready to move on. If you feel any discomfort or pain please return to the more beginning exercises in our previous installments.

1) ROLLING PELVIC BRIDGE
In post-pregnancy, an extreme anterior tilt of the pelvis can remain causing the lower back muscles to be strained and tight. The Rolling Bridge exercise helps to stretch the lower back and to restore a neutral pelvic position.

• Start on the back in a neutral spine and pelvis with the arms long by the side and the eyes to the ceiling.
• Inhale to prepare.
• Exhale and slowly start to peel the spine up off the mat one vertebra at a time starting at the tailbone.
• At the top of the move anchor yourself at the top of the shoulders. You should feel no weight or pressure on the neck.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and slowly start to roll down from the top of the spine one vertebra at a time until you are back in a neutral position.
• Do 4-6 reps.
• Hug the knees into the chest when finished to stretch the lower back.

2) HINGING PELVIC BRIDGE
In post pregnancy the deep abdominal and back muscles can become weak. This Hinging Bridge can create core strength and stability when practiced regularly.

• Start on the back in a neutral spine and pelvis with the arms long by the side and the eyes to the ceiling.
• Inhale and prepare.
• Exhale and hinge the back up in one piece and anchor at the tops of the shoulders. Be sure no weight or pressure is put on the neck.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and hinge down in one piece. As you come down the spine and pelvis should stay in a neutral, still position.
• Do 4-6 reps.
• Hug the knees into the chest when finished to stretch the lower back.

3) DIAMOND BEND STRETCH
After delivery the abdominals will be weak and stretched out. This will be the case for quite a while. Be gentle with yourself and do not do any hardcore abdominal work. Doing any extreme abdominal work could do more harm than good.

• Start on the back in a neutral spine and pelvis with the arms long by the side and the eyes to the ceiling.
• The legs should start bent with the feet flat on the floor and the kneecaps pointing to the ceiling.
• As you move through the legs, keep the spine and pelvis still and neutral.
• Inhale and prepare.
• Exhale and slide the legs out to a straight position, keeping the heels on the floor.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale, turn the legs out, connect the heels and slide the legs into a diamond position.
• Inhale and brings the legs back to the starting position with the knees pointing up to the ceiling.
• Do 4 reps and then change the direction.
• Inhale and prepare.
• Exhale and allow the legs to open into a diamond shape with the knees to open to the sides with the heels together.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and slide the legs out to a straight, parallel position.
• Inhale and slide the legs straight back into their starting position with the kneecaps pointing to the ceiling.
• Do 4 reps.
• Hug the knees into the chest when finished to stretch the lower back.

4) TABLETOP LEGS
After delivery the abdominals will be weak and stretched out. This will be the case for a while. This exercise will help to tone and strengthen your transverse abdominals, the deepest layer of abdominals.

• Start on the back in a neutral spine and pelvis with the arms long by the side and the eyes to the ceiling.
• As you move through the legs, keep the spine and pelvis still and neutral.
• One at a time bring the legs into a tabletop position. The legs should be in a 90 degree angle with the knees over the hips and in line with the ankles.
• Inhale and prepare.
• Exhale and slide the legs away from you as you pull the deep abdominals in and across.
• Inhale and slide the legs back in.
• Do 6-8 reps.

5) TOE DIPS
After delivery the abdominals will be weak and stretched out. This exercise will help to tone and strengthen your transverse abdominals, the deepest layer of abdominals.

• Start on the back in a neutral spine and pelvis with the arms long by the side and the eyes to the ceiling.
• As you move through the legs, keep the spine and pelvis still and neutral.
• Bring the legs into tabletop one at a time. The legs should be in a 90 degree angle with the knees over the hips and in line with the ankles.
• Inhale and prepare.
• Exhale and dip the left toes towards the floor. The leg should move from the hip without any other angle changing. Imagine you are a wooden doll and the bent leg can only hinge from the hip.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and bring the left leg back up from the hinge at the hip.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and hinge the right leg down from the hip.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and bring the right leg back up from the hinge at the hip.
• Do4-6 on each side.
• Hug the knees into the chest when finished to stretch the back.

Join us next time for more advanced post pregnancy exercises!!

Mat Pilates

Most recent examiner.com article on Mat Pilates.

Exercises for your pregnancy

*****Sometimes exercise during pregnancy is strictly forbidden to protect the health of the mother, the baby, or both. Check with your healthcare provider before starting, continuing, or changing an exercise regimen.

If you have any of the following symptoms while exercising, stop immediately and contact your healthcare provider:

vaginal bleeding, dizziness or feeling faint, shortness of breath, headache, chest pain, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling (which could indicate a blood clot), back or pelvic pain, contractions/preterm labor, decreased fetal movement (learn how to monitor your baby's movements, but bear in mind that the baby's often most quiet when you're most active), fluid leaking from your vagina, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, even while at rest.*****

Transversus Contraction

Quite possibly the most important exercise during and after pregnancy. This exercise will help you “find” your Transversus Abdominus Muscle. This muscle is integral in maintaining and regaining strength during and after pregnancy.

Begin seated with your legs crossed in front of you. Your back is straight, shoulders are down and relaxed. Inhale, allowing your stomach to expand as your diaphragm domes down. Forcefully exhale, as though you were trying to fog a mirror in front of your face, pulling your belly button to your spine, contracting all of your abdominal muscles. The deepest contraction that you feel is your Transversus Abdominus. If you can’t “find” it, laugh. That muscle that gets sore when you laugh really hard? That is your transversus.

This exercise can be done seated, laying on your back, kneeling on all fours, standing, and pretty much any other position you can think of.

Transversus Contraction with Pelvic Tilt

Now that you know where your tranversus is, let’s begin to mobilize your lower back. This will help alleviate some of the pain you may feel towards the end of your pregnancy.

Lay down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (if you cannot lay on your back, this exercise can also be done up on all fours). Inhale, exhale and pull your belly button to your spine. Inhale again, maintaining your abdominal contraction, and as you exhale, pull your belly button even lower, pressing your lower back into the mat.

Bridging

Not only does it work your glutes and hamstrings, Bridging keeps helps keep mobility in your low back and combat the extreme lordosis that plagues many women after they have had children.

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip width apart. Now scoot your feet together two or three inches- women always think their hips are wider than they really are. Your back should be in a neutral position with your natural arch underneath your low back, hip bones and pubic bone in a flat plane to the floor.

Beginning with your tail bone, roll you low back into the mat and raise your hips, peeling your vertebrae off the mat one at a time. Raise your hips until you can draw a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees through your hips, inhale, and exhale as you begin to roll back down, again, one vertebrae t a time.

Repeat 4-5 times.

To make it harder: With your hips high, raise one leg straight up to the ceiling without letting your hips shift. Hold for count of 2, lower down and switch legs.

Your Body's Changing: Abs & Pelvic Floor

Your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles experience the biggest changes during pregnancy.

Abdominal Muscles:

Your abdominal muscles stretch to more 50% longer than their original length while you are pregnant.

Because your abs are the main supporting muscles of your lower back, as they stretch you may experience back pain.

Your rectus abdominus aka “six pack muscle” splits to allow your uterus to have enough room to grow. This split is called “Diastasis Recti”

This split happens in 95% of women- there is nothing you can do to prevent it, but you can keep it from getting bigger than it needs to be.

Exercises such as crunches, and even bending from your waist, can increase the split. See Exercises page for some safe, effective exercises to tone your abs and alleviate back pain during pregnancy.

Pelvic Floor:

Your pelvic floor is made up of 36 muscles that form a “hammock” that all of the organs of your pelvis rest on.

These are the “stop the poo, stop the pee” muscles.

Also known as Kegal muscles.

As your ligaments relax and stretch, the pelvic floor becomes the main supporting muscle for your growing uterus against the effects of gravity.

Exercising your pelvic floor will not only tone the muscle, but because you will have better control over the muscle fibers, you will be able to more effectively relax it during labor.

Your Body's Changing: Muscular Changes

Muscular changes are caused by hormones (relaxin), changes in your center of gravity, and the rate at which your new baby gains weight while growing inside of you.

Neck and shoulder muscles become tight, contributing to occurrence of headaches and carpal tunnel

Increased breast size strains pectoral muscles and may cause slight slouch in shoulder

Ribs expand as uterus grows and pushes organs up and out of the way

Weight of uterus causes your pelvis to tilt forward on your hips, changing your center of gravity. This may cause you to walk with your legs farther apart and feet turned out (pregnancy waddle)

Your knees may become hyper-extended as you try to offset the change in center of gravity

Ankle sprains are common as ligaments relax

Calf muscles become short and tight, causing muscle cramps when you point your toes and while you sleep at night.

Your Body's Changing: Postural Changes

Postural Changes

As your baby grows, your tummy will tend to pull your body forward, increasing the curve in your lower (lumbar) spine. This change will be offset by changes in other portions of your spine, which will effect other portions of your anatomy.

Center of Gravity

Prior to becoming pregnant, your center of gravity was somewhere around vertebrae S2- the portion of your spine just above your tailbone. As your uterus grows, it will cause your center of gravity to shift higher and forward to account for the weight of the baby in the front of your body.

Head & Neck:

Your head and neck may begin to curve forward, especially as your work at a desk. Your neck muscles will get more stiff and tight, which can lead to headaches. Postpartum, caring for your baby may increase these issues.

Upper spine & shoulders:

The curve in your thoracic (upper) spine will increase to help offset the increased curve in your lower back. This can cause your shoulders to droop forward. As your uterus puts pressure on your rib cage, your 1st rib will get closer to your collar bone, which can cause the nerves that run down your arms to become compressed and lead to carpel tunnel. To prevent this, practice pulling your shoulders back when you sit- don’t let them ride up by your ears.

Lumbar Spine:

As we’ve said, the natural curve of your lumbar spine will increase as your baby grows. Your low back and hip flexor muscles become tight, while your gluteus (butt) muscles stretch along with your abdominal and pelvic floor. While you cannot prevent the increased loradodic curve, the exercises on this website will help combat these changes most effectively.

Your Body's Changing: Physiological Changes

Changes in your bodily functions

Cardiovascular:

Blood vessels relax to allow for greater blood flow.

By the 2nd trimester, your blood volume will increase by 40%. This is what causes the “puffy” look some women get.

Your heart rate increases by 10-15 beats per minute, resulting in decreased endurance. This is why you can get easily winded.

Decreased Blood Pressure can cause dizziness and make your heart race.

Respiratory

Contrary to popular belief, your lung capacity does not change. Growth of your uterus will cause you to begin to breath through your rib cage rather than in your tummy. (Costal vs. diaphragmatic breathing)

You increase oxygen consumption by 40-50%.

You will be more sensitive to carbon dioxide.

You may begin to hyperventilate.

Gastro-Intestinal Changes

Your intestines are made up of the same type of muscle as your uterus. The same hormone (progesterone) that cause your uterus not to contract, causes your intestinal track to slow down.

Your growing uterus invades the intestinal space.

You may experience constipation, acid reflux, gas and indigestion.

Changes in Metabolism:

Being pregnant burns an additional 300 calories per day over your regular needs. Your body will produce more heat, so you need to be careful not to over-heat. Weight gain of 20-40 lbs in common in single births, 50-70 lbs is common in multiple births.

Skin Changes:

Increased blood flow to the skin will help cool your body more efficiently (making you sweat more.)

You may experience “Cholasma” which is increased pigmentation in the skin, especially on your face.

You may get stretch marks or spider veins. This is hereditary, no lotion or oil can prevent it.

Nails and hair grow stronger and faster.

Your Body's Changing!

Congratulations! Your pregnant! Now you're thinking:

What the heck is happening to my body?????

The short version:

Your belly’s getting bigger, causing the curve in your lumbar spine to increase. The increased curve in your lumbar spine is causing your thoracic (upper) spine to curve too. Your neck muscles get sore and tight. Your uterus puts pressure on your lungs, making it harder to breath. You have to learn to “breath through your ribs.” Your abs stretch to over 50% of their original length, and your six pack muscle splits down the middle. Your pelvic floor muscles are getting stretched. Your legs turn out and you might start walking bow-legged to maintain balance.

Click on the links below to learn more:

Physiological Changes

Postural Changes

Muscular Changes

Abs & Pelvic Floor

2 Great Podcasts for Pilates during Pregnancy Exercise

Balanced Body does 4 incredibly weekly podcasts: Elizabeth's studio (with the renown Elizabeth Larkam), Enthuists, Instructors, and Rehab. In the rehab series, episodes 2 & 5 both deal with pregnancy. Here is a link to their iTunes page.

Can Pilates be Bad for You? Part 1

My first article is up on examiner.com, it's my reaction to the recent NYtimes.com blog post that hints that ab work might be bad for you. Let me know what you think!