BLOG: Pregnancy, Gymnastics and Weightlifting… Why Pilates?
The simple answer…
‘Pilates helps you make the most of what your body can offer’
I am definitely biased, but teaching Pilates has changed the way I assess and treat as a Chiropractor!
Just yesterday in the studio I was helping a lady in her 2nd trimester with pelvic pain, a junior elite rhythmic gymnast work on her turns and competitive weight lifter strengthen his core.
Interesting combination right…
So,
What Exactly is Pilates and Who’s It For?
Developed in the early 20th Century by Joseph Pilates, or Uncle Joe I like to call him, Pilates is a movement system where the focus is to strengthen, stretch and stabilise key muscles.
Originally it was a means for the rehabilitation of soldiers. Years later, after being refined through work with New York Ballet it is used by people of all walks of life to
Deal with pain like supporting a growing belly during pregnancy
Improve movement control like the turns required by a rhythmic gymnast, or
Strengthen the core to assist in transferring force from your legs move a heavy barbell overhead
For me..
It’s the missing link between treatment, traditional exercise rehab and return to sport (or life)…
Now I am sure most of you have heard the connection between Pilates and your core.
It’s the key!
Your ability to become aware of and control movement from the centre out is critical for:
improved performance
injury prevention
rehabilitation
This ‘core control’ is the central philosophy for all Pilates based exercises. Your ability to move effectively and efficiently transfers directly to recover and performance.
So you might be asking yourself,
What Exactly Constitutes Your Core?
I think it is essential that we all understand what the core actually involves.
I won’t go into too much detail but let’s start with the basics.
The core is like a barrel:
The top is the diaphragm (or breathing muscle) and is located under you lower ribs.
The bottom is your pelvic floor and is like a hammock or trampoline at the bottom of your pelvis. Most people think the pelvic floor is only important in women who want to or have had kids. Noooope! It is super important for everyone (including you, boys!)
The front is a muscle called your transverse abdominals or TVA for short.
The back consists of muscles called your multifidus
Side consists of internal abdominal obliques or IAO
Your core muscles work together to create a strong powerhouse in the centre of your body.
If our core works well, it helps to control the rest of our body.
There are so many stories I could tell you about patients who have directly benefited from Pilates…
The Mum who told me she has no pain in her back for the first time in 5 years
The CrossFit athlete who hit a PR after learning how to utilise their core
The runner who runs without lower back pain
Awareness of and ability to control your core ‘barrel’ play a critical role in your ability to recover and perform.
Pilates just happens to be a form of exercise perfect for teaching these skills.
Whilst it can be frustrating at times learning new ways to move – no growth or improvement comes without some type of struggle.
If you remember the case of my patient in her 2nd trimester…
She had been seeing me throughout her pregnancy for lower back and pelvic pain. This was her first pregnancy and by this point she was struggling to bend over and sleep due to the pain in her back.
A lot of her pain was due to the fact her pelvis was stretching to allow the growth of her baby. A completely normal part of pregnancy!
But for her…
It was causing constant discomfort.
She was struggling to sit and stand, drive and sleep.
Along with manual treatment to manage her pain, we implemented a gentle Pilates program to help her strengthen her core to help support her constantly changing body. Despite getting frustrated at times, these simple exercises worked perfectly to stabilise her expanding pelvis.
The combination of treatment and Pilates worked perfectly to reduce her pain levels as well as move more freely (without fear of injuring her lower back).
Clinical Pilates at Balance
Using specially designed equipment in the reformer, trap table and wunda chair we keep classes to a max of 3 so the program is always individualised and specific to your goals.
If you know there are issues with your core strength and movement control Pilates is the missing link.
There’s a reason I see most of our practitioners at Balance and there families for Pilates!
See the difference it will make for yourself.
For all Pilates appointments please call the clinic. If you have a friend you know would also benefit, get them to come along with you…