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Over the last 15 years I have worked very closely to develop
fitness and rehabilitation programs for many of my pregnant clients,
which includes my celebrity clients. In many cases Pilates
has been my # 1 choice and primary technique that I have used in
my clients programs, taking clients through the prenatal and postpartum
periods. I have use these same programs in all 3 of my own pregnancies
and have included the most important and effective exercises in my Pilates
for Pregnancy & Pilates After
Pregnancy videos. I am sure you will find the programs
easy to follow and most importantly, safe.
Though I have had many years of experience in developing fitness programs
for pregnancy, I felt it was still important to do research before developing
this video and found that the only real concern some doctors had was having
pregnant women exercise in supine or lying on your back. I could not find any significant
data to substantiate any great risk of exercise supine, especially
if it is for a very short duration, and the "exerciser" continues
to move and change position. In conversation with Dr. James Clapp, M.D.,
who has done extensive research involving pregnancy and exercise, author of Exercising
Through Your Pregnancy, copyright 2002, he agreed that research continues
regarding many issues, including this one. In fact, his preliminary studies
indicate that most woman have no problem with exercise supine as long as it
involves motion. He felt that motionless supine lying was where
there was concern and recommended against it. Since the Pilates
for Pregnancy video is designed to take a woman through before, during,
and after pregnancy, I have included many modifications for women that
may be uncomfortable on their back for any reason and note important information
in the pre-workout health warnings.
Dr. Raul Artal, professor and chair of the Dept. of Ob-Gyn and Women's Health
at St. Louis University School of Medicine, and ACOG advisor, has stated that "we
have learned that women can enjoy a much broader range of physical activity
during pregnancy than was previously thought." ACOG recommendations
have progressed over the years from "permitting" limited amounts
of exercise during pregnancy, to the new ACOG exhortations that pregnant women "engage
in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise on most, if not all, days of the
week." It is important to point out that many pregnant women
lie on their back while having sexual intercourse. In most cases a woman
having intercourse on their back would be engaging in vigorous activity. Many pregnant
women also will sleep on their back without any problem.
Another clinical specialist, Elizabeth Noble, PT who has over 35 years of clinical
experience states in her book, Essential Exercises for the Childbearing
Year, "Ironically, the most vigorous exercise that many women
will ever experience - labor- has been "managed" on the back for
years!" She recommends that the few women who experience this should limit
their exercises on the back at one time for no more than 5 minutes. In my video
I have alternated positions from supine, to sitting, to sidelying through
the video to accommodate for this possibility.
I recommend that you check with your doctor before engaging in any
exercise program. |
