Pregnancy Powerhouse
Pilates helps women maintain strength, regain figure

By Karen Nitkin • Photos by Nicole Martyn

Linda Rinier of the Pilates Center in Ellicott City says ideally a woman should begin Pilates before she becomes pregnant to help prepare her body. During pregnancy, one-on-one instruction is the safest route. ©Patuxent Publishing Company 2005

When Joseph Pilates began crafting a specialized exercise program in 1914 during World War I, he hardly could have imagined how popular his methods would become almost a century later.

Today, almost every gym offers classes in Pilates and private studios have sprung up that specialize in the low impact, deep muscle exercises that focus on flexibility and strength in the body’s “powerhouse” — the back, abdominal and pelvic areas.

The method seems ideally suited for pregnancy and post-partum, but is Pilates safe for pregnant women?

Absolutely, say area instructors, as long as some important precautions are taken.

Linda Rinier, owner of the Pilates Center in Ellicott City, says the ideal situation is for a woman to begin Pilates before she becomes pregnant.

“You want to make sure people are clear on that,” she says. “If you’ve been doing Pilates all along, then you can continue Pilates.”

But even women who are experienced with the exercises must modify the program once they are pregnant, and a good instructor is essential to guiding that process, she says. The ideal situation is a private lesson, modified specifically to the pregnant woman.

Dawn-Marie Ickes, spokesperson for the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) -— a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and maintenance of standards in the Pilates profession — agrees.

“One of the nice things about Pilates is you’re focusing on your breathing and coordinating it with your deep back muscles, pelvic floor, deep abdominals and diaphragm. Each is important in pregnancy and delivery, so you’re training all the key players,” she says. “If you were training for a marathon, you’d run. Well, Pilates is perfect for training for pregnancy and delivery.”

Under the right circumstances, Pilates, with its focus on spine alignment and “powerhouse building,” can help pregnant women fight lower back pain and gain strength to carry their increasing bulk. It can even help strengthen the muscles that aid in bladder control.

“During pregnancy, Pilates helps stretch what is becoming tight, and strengthens what is becoming weak.” says Ickes, who has her own practice in southern California. “It has the global effect of maintaining and improving both balance and alignment when both of those are critical.”

Alas, there’s no evidence that Pilates helps ease delivery, but certainly it can’t hurt, says Megan Rich, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor in Timonium.

Pilates has come to mean many things, as the exercises have evolved over time. Just as there are different kinds of yoga, there are different kinds of Pilates ranging from simple stretches on a mat to strength-building exercises on specialized apparatus.

Instructors don’t need any particular certification or medical background to teach Pilates, Rich says, though many have both. While it is important before undertaking any exercise program, for pregnant women it is essential to find out what kind of training and certification a potential Pilates instructor has.

“Other than PMA, there is no governing body overseeing Pilates, so you can call yourself an instructor whether you’ve completed a $39.99 Internet course or a 650-hour training program,” Ickes says. “Because of this, it’s important to make sure you have a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor who has attended a workshop or seminar in prenatal and postnatal education.”

Rich says her form of Pilates incorporates her knowledge of physical therapy and is fine for pregnancy. She says it’s OK for pregnant women with no previous experience to begin Pilates if they follow three strict rules.

First, don’t just jump into a group class, figuring you’ll pick it up as you go along. “Pilates helps a lot of people. It also hurts a lot of people,” Rich says.

Second, she agrees with Ickes and advises finding an instructor with pregnancy experience. Ask questions: What’s your background? Have you worked with pregnant women before? How many years have you taught Pilates? Have you been sued?

Third, she recommends private instruction, not a group, for pregnant women, especially ones who don’t have Pilates experience.

Ickes adds a fourth guideline: “Never do a Pilates videotape workout when you’re pregnant,” she insists. “You need a human being next to you to oversee what you’re doing.”

If you become pregnant while enrolled in a Pilates class, tell the instructor right away, Rich says. “That instructor should request a doctor’s release.”

Depending on the abilities of the exerciser, there may be no need to modify the program right away. “The modification comes depending on the person’s ability to do the exercises correctly,” Rich says. “You end up having to modify because there are things you just can’t do, but it can be minimal.”

As a pregnant woman gets larger, she can’t lie on her stomach for mat exercises. “We use inflatable inner tubes to put your belly in,” Rich said.

Juliette Benezra-Winston, a client of Rinier’s who also enjoys hiking, swimming and tai chi, credits Pilates with helping her regain her pre-pregnancy shape after her daughter was born. “I wish I’d known about Pilates sooner,” she says. ©Patuxent Publishing Company 2005

At Rich’s studio, three instructors continued to teach while they were pregnant, including one who had twins, she says. They were all fine.

Rich added she also taught Pilates during both of her pregnancies “till the day I delivered.” Three weeks after she delivered by cesarean section, she says, she was doing sit-ups. “My doctor was amazed.”

Pilates can be a huge help in getting back in shape after pregnancy as well. Juliette Benezra-Winston, who lives in Rockville, dances, does yoga, swims, hikes and practices tai chi, but only Pilates has helped her midsection, she said.

“Being in my 40s, it’s really hard to recondition your body after childbirth and get it back into any kind of shape, and this has certainly helped a lot,” she says. “I can certainly see where it’s helping to pull in the abdominal muscles,” said Benezra-Winston, who is 42 and began taking classes with Rinier when her daughter was 16 months old.

“I wish I had known about Pilates sooner,” she says.