Women who have recently given birth or are expecting a baby may feel anxious to return to pre-pregnancy shape, and many women find getting back into shape difficult, especially after a second or third baby. Be rest assured that while the body does change after childbirth, you can get the flat tummy back, and continue to get fitter after children have graced your life!

Pilates is a popular choice for women, not just for its huge celebrity following, but its reputation for toning the abdominal area. The holistic approach emphasizes body awareness, alignment, and ease of movement, and is renowned for helping people with back pain or injuries. According to the Pilates Foundation, the leading Pilates teacher training organization in Britain, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and GPs are now recommending Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today.

The method works very well as a pre and postnatal program largely because of its focus on the individual’s needs. Every pregnancy and birth are different, and women may have different issues afterwards.
Pilates deals with postnatal fitness issues in a way that other programs don’t. There is a focus on pelvic floor strength, and specific postnatal exercises for the abdominal region. The type of delivery you’ve had may affect your program; certain exercises are excellent after C-section, others are better following natural delivery. After the postnatal period, a standard Pilates program can begin to stretch your levels further. If you have been doing Pilates before the birth of your baby, then obviously your previous program will be taken into account.
Fran Michelman, Chairman of the Pilates Foundation, offers these guidelines if you are considering Pilates and have just given birth, or have had back pain or injury:

• Seek Medical advice
• If the GP or health professional recommends Pilates, get a letter from the doctor or health professional describing the condition, recommendations, or contraindications.
• Begin, if possible, on a one-to-one basis or a small group.
• Check out a teacher’s credentials and training. www.pilatesfoundation.com gives a list of qualified teachers, along with excellent information on the Pilates Method in England.

Remember not all Pilates teachers or classes are the same. Pilates is taught in many different environments, and like yoga, in many different styles. Some exercises come directly from Joe Pilates, (“classical” repertoire), others have evolved over the years. It can be taught “on the mat” or on Pilates resistance machines. But the most important thing to look for is a teacher with experience and training to adapt exercises to suit your needs. Whilst programs are written for beginners, improvers, etc., there is no ‘one size fits all’ formula. Joe Pilates himself taught every single person differently. There is no place for “textbook teaching” in Pilates!

The Pilates Foundation recommends choosing a teacher who belongs to a specific Pilates organization.  Pilates is a movement discipline like dance or yoga, and many teachers bring a true passion to their work. Becoming a teacher is not an overnight process. 

 “Training to be a Pilates Foundation Matwork teacher takes at least one year, and to become accredited to teach using studio apparatus takes eighteen months - two years,” says Jennifer Dufton, vice chairman of the Foundation. “All accredited teachers have taken both theoretical and practical exams and have done extensive supervised teaching.” In addition, teachers must continue their education every year, to keep in touch with the latest developments in fitness. The Foundation also recommends all qualified teachers be educated in the classical repertoire of Pilates; surprisingly many teachers are not!

A good grounding in classical repertoire maintains the integrity of Pilates; incorporating new fitness knowledge keeps the method growing and evolving. Joseph Pilates began developing his method around the time of the 1st World War, and if he were alive today it’s unlikely he’d be teaching exactly the same as he did then!

 “Study carefully. Do not sacrifice knowledge to speed in building your solid exercise regime.” Joseph Pilates, founder of the Pilates Method.

 If you are having a baby soon or have just given birth, here are some tips for the first 6 weeks;

• Do your pelvic floor exercises within a few hours of the birth or as soon as possible! (Ask your midwife or Pilates teacher for help if you are unsure how to do these.)
• Do not exercise on all fours before 6 weeks postnatal.
• Ankle circling is helpful after just giving birth, particularly after C-section.
• Gently pull your navel into your spine, whenever you think about it.
• Do not start a full-fledged program until 6 weeks after delivery, or 10 weeks after Caesarean delivery.
• Drink loads of water, eat well, (Breastfeeding carries a greater caloric requirement than pregnancy), and rest whenever you can! (This is as important to your well-being as exercise.)
• Use this time to bond with your baby.

Cathy Burdett is a Pilates teacher specializing in pre/postnatal exercise. She can be contacted on 07981 239 650.