During this pregnancy, Ashley has been staying strong and limber with the help of Amanda Kassar, aka Pilates by Amanda. Typically, they’re doing one-on-one Pilates sessions in LA, but if Ashley’s schedule is packed, she turns to Core Club, Amanda’s digital platform offering more than 200 mat workouts (including options tailored for pregnancy and postpartum). Here, we talk with Amanda about the benefits that Pilates can bring if you’re expecting or in your “fourth trimester.”
Why can Pilates be a good workout during pregnancy and postpartum?
Pilates is great for any body at any age, but especially for pre- and postnatal. I joke with Ashley all the time how I love a pregnant body. I think for me, already having two babies, I really understand what it feels like to work out pregnant and after. So many things are happening to your body and it’s good to feel in tune with how a workout makes you feel.
Pilates allows you to build strength with resistance training without the stress on the joints. When I train somebody who is pregnant, I’m very mindful that there’s extra weight forward and how important it is to work the posterior chain (backside of the body: glutes, hamstrings, back). The added benefit of Pilates is that our breathwork actually promotes relaxation. There’s already a number of things happening to our body that it’s nice to sometimes let go of stress. It’s also amazing to get such a good muscle burn while laying on your side. The best part about Pilates is the stretching. You don’t want or overdo the stretching due to the hormone relaxin, but there are some moves that just feel good.
The are so many Pilates benefits for new moms. First, Pilates’ first principle is breath, so when you start to retrain the breath pattern, you’ll start to feel your deep core muscles (that can sometimes get lost during pregnancy) and it also helps with the rib flare. During pregnancy, your ribs open up and out to allow the baby to grow, and after birth your ribs can flare. Coming back to Pilates using the proper breath pattern will help to reconnect the ribs. Pilates is also great if you do have diastasis because your teacher can check and plan your session accordingly. There are so many moves that can help with this on the mat or reformer.
What kinds of precautions should be taken during pregnancy and postpartum?
First and foremost, get cleared to work out by your doctor. Once I get the OK to train someone, I ask them if they’re feeling any ligament pain or tightness in the pelvis or low back and I adjust the routine for them. After the first trimester, I don’t have any prenatal client lay on their back flat while working out. The reason for this is that the weight of the baby can compress blood flow to the heart and can be dangerous. If I want to do a bridge to work their glutes, I will just prop them up on the box and keep them elevated. There are a couple props that I add to reformer, like the spine corrector and wedge, to make it more comfortable to them while working out. I also do not do inversions—again, the lack of blood flow to the heart can be dangerous. Once they are past their first trimester, no more laying prone (face down) during moves.
For postpartum, it’s critical you get cleared and also that you feel ready. I have some clients trying to come in four weeks post-birth, and sometimes you need to let the body naturally do its thing. If you rush back in and your core is not ready, you can actually increase diastasis recti. You need to be able to hold everything in while working out; otherwise, you’re just putting strain on your body.
What are some of the exercises, positions, or modifications you’ve been doing with Ashley during her pregnancy?
We do a lot of arms and back work—she’s gearing up for two babies! [Ed. note: meaning the new baby and Jupiter!] I also do bridges with her to get her glutes starting to support her back and belly. We do mostly closed kinetic chain exercises because that won’t aggravate her pelvis. She has some pelvic pain, so working both legs at once allows her not to strain one side. We’ve been working with the big balance ball to open up her hips and stretch her inner thighs. We also add in squats to help train her legs and it’s a good way to add in her connection breaths when she lifts up. I’m a firm believer in working obliques throughout the pregnancy to keep the core strong. If I feel like there’s any stress on the abdominal wall, I have clients go from side plank on the feet to knees to relieve any pressure.
Is Pilates able to help address some common body issues postpartum — e.g., diastasis and pelvic floor issues?
Yes, 100%! I’ve had clients that had significant diastasis and we were able to heal it so you can barely feel it anymore. I go very slow and I’m very specific on breath pattern and I give clients homework to do because, unfortunately, you need to be consistent. As far as pelvic floor issues, again it comes down to the breath and being able to visualize certain queues to help you reconnect down there. It’s definitely possible. You have to use that breath for each move in Pilates so it will get very strong again!
Why was it important for you to create pre/postnatal videos for Core Club? What do you hope people will get out of the series?
I am so lucky to wake up every day and do what I love. I’m so passionate about how Pilates can help you through your whole life, at any stage. Pregnancy challenged me as a teacher because I had to see for myself how Pilates could help me. I felt my absolute best when I was filing those Core Club prenatal videos. I couldn’t believe how great I felt AT HOME getting the same benefits from the reformer and I felt like I had to tell people about it, which is why I launched Core Club. You can get the same results and feeling from the comfort of your own home. For me, staying fit at home made me feel safe that I wasn’t going to potentially get COVID or any other illness, but I could still get a good workout in. I also planned routines that were short for days that you don’t have a lot of energy. Also, for your first workout back, I have a great video that lets you focus on breath and safely connecting to your core again. I hope you enjoy!