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Pilates At-home
Choosing a Workout for
Your Pregnancy
Your Pregnancy
By Teri Brown
There has been an explosion of exercise videos geared toward pregnant women. Gianni says while there are many good videos that are both safe for your baby and beneficial to your health, you have to watch out for those that are not.
"Use common sense," says Gianni. "There are pregnancy videos out there that are not safe and are unclear. If it doesn't feel good, if you're uncomfortable or feeling any pain, don't do it."
Choose a well-structured and balanced workout. Balance, for obvious reasons, is very important for pregnant women. It is also important to make sure there are modifications for all three trimesters along with clear descriptions of the workout positions.
"It's great if the instructor uses visualizations, like imagining the pelvic floor muscles as an elevator or imagining you are trying to stop the flow of urine," says Gianni. "Any imaginative, descriptive ways of helping you to contact these muscles are important."
When buying a Pilates pregnancy video, first make sure that the instructor on the tape is an expert in the field. Gianni says to also look for a section or introduction that addresses safety and posture. Posture is a constant challenge throughout pregnancy. Good posture and alignment can help pregnant women avoid the usual aches and pains. And, like any exercise program, enjoyment is a large part of wanting to work out regularly.
"We have become very creative with prenatal exercise," says Gianni about her own video, Jennifer Gianni's Fusion Pilates for Pregnancy
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