Pilates Body Positions for Pregnancy

If you were a fitness enthusiast before becoming pregnant, you may feel lost or worried about what is safe for you and your growing baby. Do not despair. Pilates experts recommend that specific exercises help support the growth and healthy maintenance of a pregnant body. For instance, first trimester movements strengthen the core as the fetus grows, including muscles of the abdomen, back, waist and pelvis. Second trimester exercises are focused on assisting a pregnant woman with maintaining stability and balance by keeping the spine in a neutral position. Pilates for the third trimester is geared to prepare the body for labor by conditioning the pelvic floor muscles. Get the okay from your obstetrician-gynecologist and give some of these exercises a go.

First Trimester - Forearm Control

• Kneel on the floor and then gently lower your body down until you are lying on your stomach with your upper body propped up on your forearms. Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart and interlace your fingers. Straighten your legs. Pull in your navel, flex your thigh muscles and raise up on your toes. Breathe deeply and hold the position for five to 30 seconds. This will strengthen muscles in your abdomen, outer thighs, calves, lower back and pelvis.

First Trimester - Mermaid Side Bends

• Kneel on the floor. Spread your knees apart so your knees extend out past your hips to slightly stretch the hip adductor muscles. Lean to one side and place one hand on the ground. The deltoid muscle in the shoulder of the grounded hand will strengthen as it supports the weight of your torso. Extend your upper-most leg outward and raise the arm on the same side of your body over your head. This lengthens the spine, stretches the obliques on the side of the extended arm and the hamstrings of the extended leg. Push your weight into the palm on the ground. Pull in your navel to engage the abdominal muscles and hold the position for one breath. Return to a kneel and switch sides. Repeat four to eight times.

Second Trimester - Hovering Knees

• Kneel. Lower your forearms onto the floor. Your back will resemble a tabletop. Keep your elbows shoulder width-apart and your back straight. Inhale. Pull in your navel and exhale. Lift up on your toes so that your knees hover about two inches from the floor. Your pelvis will automatically tilt upward engaging your lower abdominal muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings in your thighs and your calf muscles. Hold for one breath while pressing into your forearms. Rest and repeat for four to eight repetitions.

Second Trimester - Kneeling Hundreds

• Kneel on a pillow or sit in a chair. Keep your knees hip distance apart. Roll your shoulders down and back. Extend your arms behind you. Inhale and join your hands together behind you. Do this five times and remember to inhale with every squeeze of the shoulder blades. This will also strengthen your upper back and upper-arm muscles. Pull in your navel every time you exhale. Do five to 10 sets.

Third Trimester - Pelvic Tilt

• Kneel and lower your palms onto the floor. Your body will look like a table. Keep your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders. Inhale, arch your back and lift your tailbone up. Exhale, tuck your tailbone under and round your back. Pull in your navel and squeeze your vaginal muscles as if to stop a urine flow. This will engage and tone your pelvic floor muscles and help you prepare for delivery by giving you full awareness and control of these muscles essential to pushing during labor. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions. Relax back on your heels as needed.

Third Trimester - Clamming

• Get two pillows. Lie on one side and place one pillow under your head and the other under your belly. Bend your knees and stack them on top of each other. Touch your toes together. Keep your back straight and pull in your navel. Touch your belly to connect with your baby. Keep your knees bent and toes touching. This is your starting position. Lift your upper thigh upward until it forms a near 90-degree angle with your body. This will contract the outer-hip adductor muscle of the upper-most thigh and help to maintain hip flexibility which is necessary for a successful natural delivery. Lower the upper thigh down slowly to starting position. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions before switching sides.