Postpartum Pilates: 42 Exercises to Strengthen and Tone
Pregnancy and childbirth can take a toll on a woman’s body, leaving her feeling weak, tired, and out of shape. The postpartum period is a critical time for mothers to focus on rebuilding their strength and toning their bodies. One highly effective way to achieve this is through postpartum Pilates.
Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that focuses on strengthening the core muscles, improving posture, and increasing flexibility. It is a perfect workout for new mothers as it not only helps with physical recovery but also promotes mental well-being. In this blog post, we will discuss 42 postpartum Pilates exercises that can help new moms regain their strength and tone their bodies.
1. Pelvic Tilts: This exercise involves lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Slowly tilt your pelvis upward, lifting your lower back off the ground, and then release. This exercise helps to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
2. Bridge: From the pelvic tilt position, lift your hips off the ground, and hold for a few seconds before lowering back to the ground. This exercise strengthens the glutes and hamstrings.
3. Kneeling Arm and Leg Reach: Get on your hands and knees, and extend one arm and the opposite leg at the same time. Hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. This exercise targets the core and improves balance.
4. Cat-Cow: Another great exercise for the core, the cat-cow involves moving from a rounded back (cat) to an arched back (cow) position. This movement helps to strengthen and stretch the core muscles.
5. Side Plank: This exercise is excellent for strengthening the obliques. Lie on your side, with your elbow and forearm on the ground, and lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to toe.
6. Leg Circles: Lie on your back with your legs extended, and make circular movements with your legs. This exercise helps to strengthen the hip flexors and improve flexibility.
7. Scissor Kicks: From the same position as leg circles, alternate lifting and lowering each leg. This exercise targets the lower abs and hip flexors.
8. Chest Lift: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and elbows out to the side. Lift your head and chest off the ground, engaging your core. This exercise helps to strengthen the upper abs.
9. Chest Expansion: Sit on your knees with your arms extended behind you and interlock your fingers. Slowly lift your arms off the ground, keeping your shoulder blades pulled down and back. This exercise helps to strengthen the upper back and improve posture.
10. Leg Pull Front: From a plank position, lift one leg off the ground and pull it towards your chest, engaging your core. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
11. Squats: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and lower your body as if you are sitting back into a chair. Make sure to engage your glutes and thighs as you come back to a standing position. Squats help to strengthen the lower body.
12. Calf Raises: Stand on the balls of your feet and slowly lift your heels off the ground, then lower them back down. This exercise targets the calf muscles.
13. Side Lunge: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a big step to the side, bending your knee and keeping the other leg straight. This exercise helps to strengthen the inner thighs.
14. Plie Squat: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes turned out. Lower your body into a squat position, engaging your inner thighs. This exercise helps to tone the inner thighs and glutes.
15. Single Leg Deadlift: Stand on one leg, keeping the other leg extended behind you. Slowly lower your upper body towards the ground, engaging the glutes and hamstrings. This exercise targets the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
16. Hip Hikes: Stand on a step or a curb with one foot and slowly lower and lift the other hip. This exercise helps to strengthen the glutes and improve balance.
17. Leg Lifts: Lie on your side and lift your top leg towards the ceiling, keeping your hips stacked. This exercise targets the outer thighs and glutes.
18. Inner Thigh Lifts: Lie on your side with your top leg resting on a step or a stack of pillows. Slowly lift and lower your bottom leg, targeting the inner thigh muscles.
19. Glute Bridge with Leg Extension: From the bridge position, lift one leg off the ground and hold for a few seconds before lowering it back down. This exercise targets the glutes and hamstrings.
20. Modified Push-Ups: Get on your hands and knees, and slowly lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body. This exercise strengthens the chest, shoulders, and arms.
Postpartum Pilates: 42 Exercises to Strengthen and Tone
21. Tricep Dips: Sit on a chair or a bench and place your hands behind you on the edge. Slowly lower your body towards the ground, using your arms to support your weight. This exercise targets the triceps.
22. Plank: Get into a push-up position, with your elbows on the ground and your body in a straight line. Hold this position for as long as you can to strengthen the core.
23. Mountain Climbers: From the plank position, alternate bringing your knees towards your chest and back. This exercise targets the entire core and improves cardiovascular endurance.
24. Squat with Overhead Press: Hold a weight or a resistance band above your head and lower into a squat position. As you come back up, press the weight or band overhead. This exercise targets the lower body and shoulders.
25. Pilates Push-Ups: From a plank position, lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body. As you come back up, lift your hips towards the ceiling, creating an inverted V shape. This exercise targets the entire core and arms.
26. Supermans: Lie on your stomach with your arms extended above your head. Slowly lift your arms and legs off the ground, engaging your back muscles. This exercise helps to strengthen the back and improve posture.
27. Seated Twist: Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and twist your upper body to one side, using your core muscles. This exercise targets the obliques and improves flexibility.
28. Side Bend: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended above your head. Slowly bend towards one side, engaging your core. This exercise targets the obliques and improves balance.
29. Swimming: Lie on your stomach with your arms extended above your head, and alternate lifting and lowering your arms and legs. This exercise targets the back and improves posture.
30. Reverse Plank: Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your hands behind your body. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to toe. This exercise targets the core and improves shoulder strength.
31. Boat Pose: Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your arms extended above your head. Slowly lift your legs and arms off the ground, engaging your core. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
32. Pilates Teaser: Lie on your back with your arms extended above your head and your legs extended in front of you. Slowly lift your upper body and legs off the ground, creating a V shape. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
33. Roll-Ups: Lie on your back with your legs extended and your arms above your head. Slowly roll up, one vertebra at a time, engaging your core. This exercise targets the entire core and improves flexibility.
34. Side Plank with Rotation: From the side plank position, extend your top arm towards the ceiling and then rotate your body towards the ground. This exercise targets the obliques and improves balance.
35. Side Plank with Hip Drop: From the side plank position, lower and lift your hips towards the ground. This exercise targets the obliques and improves balance.
36. Russian Twists: Sit on the ground with your legs bent and your feet off the ground. Slowly twist your upper body from side to side, using your core muscles. This exercise targets the obliques and improves balance.
37. Bicycle Crunches: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and alternate bringing your elbow towards the opposite knee. This exercise targets the entire core and improves flexibility.
38. Leg Pulls: Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your hands behind your body. Lift your hips off the ground and hold, engaging your core. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
39. Leg Circles with Resistance Band: Lie on your back with a resistance band around your ankles and make circular movements with your legs. This exercise targets the hip flexors and improves flexibility.
40. Side-Lying Leg Lifts with Resistance Band: Lie on your side with a resistance band around your ankles and lift and lower your top leg. This exercise targets the outer thighs and glutes.
41. Front Plank with Hip Extension: From a plank position, lift one leg off the ground and hold for a few seconds before switching legs. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
42. Front Plank with Arm and Leg Lift: From a plank position, lift one arm and the opposite leg off the ground and hold for a few seconds before switching sides. This exercise targets the entire core and improves balance.
Summary:
Pilates is an excellent form of exercise for new mothers as it helps to strengthen the core, improve posture, and increase flexibility. In this blog post, we discussed 42 postpartum Pilates exercises that can help new moms regain their strength and tone their bodies. These exercises