Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 26: Squats and Low Frogs

Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. This week the baby is around 2.2 pounds and 15 inches long! Instead of measuring from crown to rump (which they do at the beginning because baby is all curled up), they now measure from head to heel. For those of you who like to visualize, he’s about the length of a cucumber.

This week I’ve noticed that my workouts are really challenging. I commented to Carey that I could understand why some women stop working out at this point in their pregnancies! However, I always feel better after moving and this week was no exception.

Carey had me working on the Chair, which was wonderful. I’m almost to the end of the second trimester and so the focus of our private sessions has shifted slightly from core and total-body strengthening to preparing f26weeksor labor. We did a lot of hip opening, including a few variations of squats. Instead of focusing solely on strengthening my body to carry this baby, we’re also focusing on learning to let go when it is time to deliver.

Some of the exercises that we did this week included a great piriformis stretch where I was seated on the Wunda Chair with my right foot on the paddle and my left foot crossed over my right knee. Instead of leaning forward to stretch, I simply let the spring of the paddle lift my right leg up, giving a nice stretch in the back of my left hip/glute.

We also did a fun variation of Standing Front Push Down. Standing in front of the chair, I took a wide, turned-out stance. I raised my arms and rounded my spine forward toward the chair, with my hands eventually reaching the paddle. Instead of leaving my legs straight (like the traditional version), I bent into a squat as I pushed the paddle down. At the bottom, my heels lifted away from the ground slightly and I arched into a small extension. Then, reversing that movement, I rounded my spine and straightened my legs to come back to standing. I could really feel the stretch in my hips as I went into the squatting position (which, Carey assures me, is a great position to labor in – uff da!).

Finally, we did a version of Low Frog with the bottoms of my feet touching and my knees out wide (see picture below). For Low Frog, you are lying on your back in front of the Chair with your feet on the paddle. Traditionally we have our heels on the paddle with our feet in a Pilates “V,” but this time I brought the bottoms of my feet to touch, which allows for more hip opening. The two pictures on the right show the starting and ending positions of the paddle. The picture on the left shows my ever-growing belly!

See you next week,

-Cassie

How do I find the best Pilates instructor for me?

If you are new to Pilates, you may be a little overwhelmed when it comes to finding a Pilates instructor or maybe you didn’t even realize that it was important to make sure your instructor was qualified and a good fit for you!

When it comes to fitness many people think that a good trainer or instructor is simply someone who can push you to strengthen your body and do something you might not choose to do if left to yourself.

And yes, a good instructor will motivate you to do what you might not have thought you can do.  But more importantly, your instructor will teach you how to do it with the proper form and technique for your individual body so that you don’t get hurt and you get the maximum health results from your efforts!IMG_2526

There is a lot more to TEACHING movement and exercise than just calling out exercises.   A good instructor will be able to guide you through a movement while helping you adjust and fine tune your technique at the same time.  A good instructor will help you learn a movement in your own body and not just having you mimic what they are doing.

Whether you are taking a class at the local gym or a Pilates or Yoga studio- it is still important for you to research your instructor!

You may be surprised to know that many fitness centers and studios don’t require any sort of formal training or teaching experience for their Pilates teachers.

Often times it is assumed that if someone can teach a aerobics class or is a trained Yoga instructor that they are qualified to teach a Pilates class.  Many times these instructors have never even taken a Pilates class from a qualified instructor.   Often times these unqualified teachers have no Pilates teaching experience or training at all.

So what should I look for in an instructor?

1. Learn about where they did their training.  How many hours of training have they completed?  Was the training only mat work, or did it include equipment?  Were they trained to work with different populations, including those with injuries or special needs?

Most credible Pilates training programs start out with 100-150 hours of training, minimum for a basic Mat Instructor program.  To qualify to take the Pilates Method Alliance Professional Certifying Exam, instructors must have a minimum 450 hours of training on all Pilates apparatus and Pilates Mat work at all levels. Most fully trained instructors have 700 or more training hours logged in before they take their exam.

2.  Ask about their teaching experience.  How long have they been teaching?  Do they teach group classes only, private sessions or both?

3.  Ask to talk with them in person or maybe try out a class or session with them.  It’s important for you to feel comfortable with your instructor at all levels.  Not only do you want to make sure they are properly trained but you want to make sure you enjoy their teaching style.  Every teacher brings their own unique style to their teaching and it’s important to find an instructor that best fits you and your personality.

Want to learn more about how to find a Pilates instructor?  Go to http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org and read more.    Founded in 2001, the Pilates Method Alliance is the professional association and certifying agency for Pilates teachers.  For the past decade, Pilates teachers from around the world have worked together to create a unified community, to share knowledge and information, and most importantly, to establish the practice of teaching Pilates as a profession.

 

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 25: Having Fun with the Pilates Props

 

Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! This week the baby is over 9 inches long and weighs over 2 pounds.

The biggest change I’ve noticed lately is that I feel big. When I want to get out of bed in the morning, I either need to rock my way up to sitting or turn to my side and use my hands to push into the bed to sit upright. I have about three more weeks in the glory days of the second trimester and then (I’m told), the real bigness starts. Should be fun!

This week Carey and I focused on shoulder opening, upper back extension, and side bending. We used a piece of classical Pilates equipment called the Ped-o-Pul (pictured below) and the Fletcher Pilates towel. The Ped-o-Pul is great for alignment and upper body work. We did a series of arm exercises where you stand tall with your head back against the pole. For most of us, who tend to round forward through our upper backs, standing tall with your head in line is work in itself.

We also used the Fletcher towel. Ron Fletcher was one of Joseph Pilates’ students who went on to create his own brand of Pilates work. One of the great Fletcher innovations is called the Fletcher towel. It’s a braided terrycloth towel about five feet long and the diameter of a golf ball. The towel has a little give when you pull on it, but not as much as a Theraband.

We did a nice shoulder stretch where you stand with your feet about hip-distance apart, with a little bend in your knees, holding on to the towel. Starting with the towel in front of you, you inhale and bring the towel overhead, rotating in the shoulders to bring the towel behind your body. This stretch really helps to open the shoulders. We also did side bending while holding onto the towel and standing roll downs. We ended with an extension exercise where I stood tall and held the towel overhead, with my hands wider than my shoulders. Gently, I leaned back to get a stretch across the front of my body without crunching in my low back. The skin and muscles across my stomach have felt really tight lately, and so the gentle extension was a great little stretch.

The picture this week is of me using the Ped-o-Pul. Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

See you next week,

-Cassie

25weeks

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 24: High Kicks and Making Room for Baby

Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. This week the baby is the length of an eggplant. He weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces according to an ultrasound that I had to make sure that baby’s heart was looking good (which it was). During the ultrasound the technician noted that baby is measuring a little bit ahead – in the 62nd percentile – and has a long femur bone. He might be a tall one!week24

The biggest change I’ve noticed lately is that baby is a lot more active. I used to only feel kicks low in my abdomen, but lately have felt them as high as my belly button. As my body grows to make room for the little soccer player, I have noticed that certain areas – including my side waist and hips – are really tight.

To work on creating more space in my midsection, Carey and I spent a lot of time doing different side bending exercises. One that was really tough for me was to try and move my ribcage side to side as I was kneeling without simply jutting my hip to one side. Although the movement itself was small, I could tell right away that those muscles needed and loved to be stretched.

We also did a lot of rounding and extension of my low back. Most women in their second and third trimester feel a variety of sensations in their low backs, ranging from pain to joint movement to tightness. So far I’ve avoided the pain and tightness, but have noticed some joint movement that causes me to feel that I am out of alignment at times. As a Pilates instructor, it’s hard for me to be okay with my joints not lining up! Thankfully, the rounding and extension exercises not only stretch out the low spine, but also are a safe way to strengthen my abdominal muscles, which in turn help support the position of my sacrum, pelvis, and hips.

I didn’t get a good exercise picture this week, but I did get to celebrate my sweet nephew’s first birthday. Here’s a picture of me and my baby’s soon-to-be cousin!

See you next week,

-Cassie

Pilates Side Leg Kick Workout

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The Side Leg Kick Series is a wonderful mini workout all by itself or added into another workout.  These total body movements will strengthen and lengthen your legs while working your core.

 

Pilates and Pregnancy Week 23- No more Lying on my Belly and Other Fun Changes!

Jon, Cassie, Abby vipWelcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. After a brief hiatus for the holidays (and lots of cookies) I am ready to be back moving again! This week the baby is the length of an ear of corn (8.5 inches) and weighs around 1.5 pounds. I’ve definitely noticed the growth in my stomach and my clients have too!

The biggest changes in the last two weeks are that I no longer feel comfortable lying on my stomach and it’s a challenge to pull my boots on! My feet aren’t swelling yet, but bending over and trying to pull my boots on takes some maneuvering around my belly.

This week Carey and I worked on the Reformer. Early in the workout I could tell that certain exercises were more challenging than they were pre-pregnancy. In particular, Short Spine (where your feet come back over your head) was difficult. Hundreds were also a lot of work. I can still come up into the upper ab curl, but it’s becoming more difficult to engage my abdominal muscles as they stretch to make room for baby.

Other than those few exercises, the rest of the work felt great. In particular, we worked on hip opening, side bending, and upper body strength. Some of my favorite exercises at this point in my pregnancy are Knee Stretches, Mermaid, and the Side Arm Series on the Reformer.

The picture this week is of me with two other studio clients, Abby and Jon. We each received studio awards for our dedication to Pilates over the past year. It’s harder to see the bump head on, but I promise you, it’s there!

See you next week,

-Cassie