Pregnancy information — Mat Pilates

Pregnancy Mat Pilates is a calm-paced mat class for a group of no more than six women. We focus on breathing, posture, stability and relief from the back and pelvic pain that commonly comes with a shifting centre of gravity during pregnancy.

We adapt the exercises to your trimester and to how you feel on the day. You can slow down, skip an exercise or take a break at any time — there is nothing to push through.

Who leads the class

Classes are led by our certified Pilates instructors, who are familiar with the specifics of exercising during pregnancy and know how to modify the exercises.

They are not physiotherapists or specialists in pregnancy and childbirth. We say this openly so you know what to expect: this is safe, guided exercise in a small group, not medical care or physiotherapy.

If you are dealing with a specific issue — diastasis recti, significant pelvic pain, incontinence or the after-effects of a previous birth — we recommend one-to-one care from a women's health physiotherapist as well. Our group class is not a substitute for it.

Talk to your doctor

We do not require a doctor's note. Even so, we recommend that you speak to your obstetrician or midwife before your first class. They know things about your pregnancy that we cannot.

Guidelines for exercise in pregnancy recommend around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Pilates alone will not cover this — it is not aerobic exercise. Think of it as a complement to walking, swimming or other activity your doctor has approved.

There are conditions in which you should not exercise during pregnancy. Most of them are identified during antenatal care, so if any of them applies to you, you almost certainly know about it.

Please do not book a class if any of the following applies to you:

• ruptured membranes (waters breaking early) or preterm labour
• unexplained or persistent bleeding
• placenta praevia after 28 weeks
• pre-eclampsia
• cervical insufficiency (incompetent cervix)
• fetal growth restriction
• a pregnancy with triplets or more
• poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, thyroid disease, or serious heart or lung disease

If your doctor has advised you not to exercise for any other reason, their advice takes precedence over this list.

No Hot Pilates during pregnancy

Our Hot Pilates classes take place in a room heated by infrared panels to up to 40 °C. Overheating is a risk during pregnancy, so we do not accept pregnant women in Hot Pilates classes — not in the first trimester, and not if you attended regularly before your pregnancy.

The same applies to any exercise in an overheated room or in hot weather. Drink plenty of water before and after class.

If any of the following occurs during or after exercise, stop exercising and contact your doctor:

• marked breathlessness that does not ease even at rest
• chest pain
• regular painful contractions
• bleeding or leaking fluid
• persistent dizziness or feeling faint

Tell your instructor even if it settles in the meantime. You are not being a bother, and it will not disrupt the class.

A simple measure of the right intensity is being able to talk in full sentences while you exercise. When you can no longer do that, slow down.

Some exercises that are a staple of regular Pilates classes are left out or modified during pregnancy:

• Lying on your back for long periods in later pregnancy. The uterus presses on a large vein, which can make you dizzy. Instead, we work on the side, seated, kneeling or with the upper body propped up.
• Deep forward bends against resistance and exercises that make the abdominal wall dome into a peak along the midline.
• Exercises with a risk of falling or losing balance. Your centre of gravity has shifted during pregnancy and balance works differently than before.
• Sinking into end-of-range positions when stretching. The hormone relaxin loosens the ligaments, so you can go further than usual — and injure yourself more easily. We therefore keep stretches within a comfortable range.

The more we know, the better we can adapt the class. Before your first class, please tell us:

• which trimester you are in
• whether you have back, pelvic or pubic symphysis pain
• whether you have been diagnosed with diastasis recti
• whether you have had complications in this or a previous pregnancy
• whether you exercised regularly before pregnancy or are just starting

This information stays between you and the studio. We record it in the protected part of the booking questionnaire, and only staff who need it to lead the class can access it.

If anything changes during your pregnancy — a new diagnosis, advice from your doctor, new symptoms — let us know between classes too.