This is my friend and student Maggie. I’ve been teaching her for years and through the different seasons of becoming a mother. Once she was pregnant we treated her Pilates program like training for a marathon. We built up exercises, like squats, that would be helpful for the marathon of childbirth. We found the right exercises and stretches that made her feel good in her body as it changed and her baby grew. She moved, stretched and strengthened her body while preparing her body and mind for giving birth. We prepared her body for being a mother and picking up a baby and a carseat. She felt confident and ready when it was time to deliver. All the preparation worked and she was able to push for four hours to deliver her baby without getting so fatigued and having to stop.

Baby Maley is now a year old and Maggie still does Pilates! I am constantly amazed by her progress. She exercises with Maley by her side. We worked on building up her strength to carry her baby and find the balance in her body after pregnancy. Now she is consistently crushing the Advanced Mat. She still works hard. The way we work has changed a little but the intention is the same. Maggie still makes time for herself. As a result she is building strength and working through the challenges being a mom can create in your body. Six months after her baby was born she did Teasers 1-5 in one session! Now she kicks ass with the Boomerang. Motherhood can be like a marathon and we are still training. Each week is different and we base each session on her needs for that day.

Everything is different once you have a baby. Pilates is helpful after pregnancy because it helps you build back up from the work of carrying a child. You work on balancing out the body from the changes throughout pregnancy. You use the strength you built up during pregnancy to work on the movements that are contraindicated until after childbirth. You work on building your strength for the new things it does caring for a baby. If you have back pain from all the bending over and picking up the baby Pilates can help you strengthen and stretch so there is less pain. Pilates meets you where you are. Sometimes it even meets you in your house with your baby. How has Pilates helped you?