How you can prepare for pregnancy with physical therapy

Arguably the most impressive physical feat we tend to take for granted is pregnancy. From the changes your body goes through to the actual birth itself, those nine months can be very demanding both mentally and physically.

At Pilates Klinik we specialise in providing physical therapy for pregnant women. But what are the benefits?

Pregnancy Pilates

Our pregnancy Pilates sessions will help to improve your balance by increasing core strength and allowing you to adjust to the gradual shift in your core as your bump gets bigger.

Postural alignment changes during pregnancy, and sometimes women can suffer from posterior pelvic tilt, internally rotated shoulders, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis or pronated feet. Our instructors will help you perform exercises that can alleviate these issues.

As the baby grows the diaphragm is pushed upwards and the ribcage expands, causing a restriction of the diaphragm. Pilates puts a big emphasis on controlling the breath, which addresses this problem and also help to control your mood. Combine improved breathing with an improved pelvic floor and you can see how physical therapy will serve you well on the big day itself.

Pregnancy massage

Massage during pregnancy can help to reduce swelling in joints by stimulating the body’s soft tissues and helping it process waste fluids such as lactic acid.

Your heart and cardiovascular system put in a lot more work during pregnancy, so the occasional prenatal massage is also a great way to aid circulation and prevent leg cramps.

Studies indicate that pregnancy massage can reduce anxiety and decrease symptoms of depression. Massage increases levels of serotonin and dopamine while decreasing production of the stress hormones norepinephrine and cortisol.

A better state of mind supports the body’s own natural resources in promoting repair to those key areas that do a lot of the heavy lifting during pregnancy. This also supports improved sleep quality, allowing you to recover better after each day–a vital component of mental health.

If you have any questions about the physical therapies we offer here at Pilates Klinik, please give our friendly and supportive team a call on 020 7377 1819 today.