Strong mother = Happy Child
The baby is here! Congratulations! You are eating right, and doing everything right for the baby. But there is no doubt that pregnancy takes a toll on the woman’s body and mind. So what are you doing about your health and body now?
Multiple changes occur in the body of the mother during pregnancy. The body releases relaxin, a hormone which allows the ligaments to slacken for the growth of the foetus. The abdominal muscles get stretched to more than 120 per cent of their length, as do the pelvic floor muscles, which come under stress of bearing the weight of the growing foetus. And post-delivery, the body has to take up the task of returning itself to normal while addressing the care and nourishment needs of a dependent living being.
Getting back in shape is physically and mentally challenging for the woman post-partum. Instead of feeling the pressure to lose weight one should concentrate on strengthening the body. The emphasis in the months post-delivery should be to tone the stretched muscles and to correct one’s posture to avoid other complications.
Whether someone has a natural delivery or caesarean there are chances of pelvic organ prolapse or incontinence due to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles much later in life. This condition can be painful and affects daily activities. The poor posture assumed during and post-pregnancy along with the slackened ligaments and the lack of tone in the muscles can result in pain in the lower back, neck and shoulder region. Some women have been known to get lower back pain after receiving an epidural, which is an anaesthesia given during delivery.
Another condition due to the laxity of ligaments is pelvic pain, sometimes ignored and sometimes misdiagnosed as lower back pain. Strengthening the muscles which approximate the pelvic bone can prevent the same.
Pilates as your post-partum workout works from inside out. The focus on the inner core muscles, the low impact of the exercises, the strengthening of the muscles that create the approximation, training of the core stability muscles, and providing a better posture for the new mother are just some of the few benefits of a Pilates workout. Pilates provides a safe and controlled environment be it in the Matwork or Equipment classes.
Apart from this, as Pilates workouts are always supervised, even women with complications during pregnancy or undergoing IVF treatments can do it. They have felt more prepared for all the challenges with the pre and post-natal Pilates workouts at Moushu’s Pilates.
Last but not least, Pilates also addresses the emotional aspect of dealing with pregnancy or during postpartum depression. Pilates can really impact mental health in a positive way. Exercising as much as the body allows can really spike dopamine and affect the general well-being of the new mother.
This focus on the mind-body connect at Moushu’s Pilates will surely help the new mother remain happy. After all, a healthy and happy mother is the key to a happy child!
A writer and Pilates instructor by profession, and a lawyer by education, Tarannum is passionate about art, travel, fitness and food. She has been practicing Pilates for the past five years at Moushu’s Pilates Studio and has experienced the transforming effects of it on her body, firsthand.