8 Essential Pilates Exercises To Do After Delivery

1. Breathing

Breathing allows us to activate our deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor as we oxygenate the body to promote healing after delivery. It also allows us to relieve stress and focus the mind.

Begin lying on the mat, knees bent and hand resting on your ribcage. Inhale, fill up the lungs, expanding the ribcage as the fingers separate slightly. Exhale, draw the bellybutton to the spine as the ribcage lowers, feeling the activation through the deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.

2. Pelvic Curl

This exercise strengthens the abdominals and hamstrings.

Begin lying on the mat, knees bent and hip-width apart with the arms resting on the mat on either side. Inhale, tuck the pelvis, drawing the tailbone forward and lengthening the low back into the mat. Exhale, round up through the spine, lifting the tailbone and each vertebrae off the mat until just the shoulders are touching the mat. Inhale, pause; exhale, round back down through the spine until the starting position.

3. Spine Twist Supine

This exercise strengthens the obliques and provides a stretch through the low back.

Begin lying on the mat, knees bent and squeezed together with the arms opened into a T-position on the mat.  Inhale, bring the knees over to the side; exhale, bring the knees back to center using the obliques. Repeat in the opposite direction.

4. Single Leg Lifts

This exercise strengthens the abdominals and pelvic floor muscles.

Begin lying on the mat, knees bent and hip-width apart with the arms resting on the mat on either side. Inhale to prepare. Exhale, lift the right foot off the mat until you achieve a 90-degree angle at the hip; inhale, lower the foot back down as you tap the mat. Repeat 5 times on the right and switch to the left side.

5. Roll Down

This exercise strengthens the abdominals and pelvic floor muscles, while gently stretching the low back.

Begin seated on the mat with knees bent in front of the body and torso lengthened upwards through the back muscles. Inhale to prepare. Exhale, roll down through the spine as you tuck the tailbone forward. Inhale, pause; exhale, roll back up.

6. Spine Twist

This exercise strengthens the obliques and provides a stretch through the upper back.

Begin seated on the mat with legs extended forward and feet together. Inhale to prepare. Exhale, rotate the upper body to the side. Inhale, bring the body back to center. Exhale, rotate in the opposite direction; inhale, to center.

7. Front Support

This exercise strengthens the abdominals and upper body.

Begin kneeing with the hands on the mat. Hips should be aligned over the knees and shoulders over the wrists. Extend the right leg backwards until the toes touch the mat with the left knee remaining on the mat. Inhale to prepare. Exhale, bring the right knee forward; inhale, extend the right leg back. Repeat 5 times on the right and switch to the left side.

8. Swimming

This exercise strengthens the mid and upper back muscles while promoting coordination.

Begin lying on the mat, face forward and arms extended in front. Lift the arms and legs off the mat slightly as you pull the bellybutton towards the spine to engage the abdominals. Lift the right arm and left leg a bit higher off the mat, then lower both. Lift the left arm and right leg a bit higher off the mat, then lower both. Repeat 5 times on a long inhale and 5 times on a long exhale for a total of 50 or 100 as you build strength.

For more information or to register for Prenatal & Postnatal Pilates, contact us today!