Pilates for pregnancy is a wonderful relaxing way of keeping your body in balance through all the stages of pregnancy. Note: Pregnancy pilates, should only be undertaken with a professional trained specifically in the field.

Pilates during pregnancy will specifically concentrate on pelvic floor exercises, to make sure your pelvic floor is strengthened so that you have less issues after the birth. During pregnancy, as the baby gets larger, the pelvic floor comes under a lot of pressure. Not doing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy, could result in a week bladder after pregnancy. Practising pilates on a regular basis through pregnancy, is the best way to ensure an easier birth and faster recovery after the birth.

Pilates during pregnancy also concentrates on birthing positions and strengthening muscles used in the delivery process, as well as breathing techniques to help in relaxation.

Pregnancy pilates can be performed as standard floor exercises, or on specialist equipment like a fitness ball.

We have many pregnancy pilates dvds and books available in our store from many of our preferred suppliers. That way you can soon be enjoying the benefits of pilates for pregnancy in the comfort of your own home.

Pilates floor routines are aimed at using your own body weight and resistance exercise, to build muscle and core strength. Some accessories can be used as well, like a fitness ball, resistance bands etc, however the main aim is to teach you exercises that can be done easily from home or in the office, by simply being on a pilates mat, or the floor.

You can find many videos online for practising various pilates floor routines, or you may like to take a look through our extensive range of books and dvds on Pilates and Yoga, or use the store search to find books, dvds and other products related to Pilates Floor Routines.

There are floor routines in pilates for beginners, core strength, upper body workouts, inner thigh exercises and much more. Some of the routines you can find on the internet are just descriptions of the workouts and don’t include videos, but the instructions are easy to follow.

For a pilates floor routine, you simply need to wear comfortable clothing and have a yoga/pilates mat available to lay on.

Developed by Joseph Pilates in Germany, pilates is a gentle form of exercise that concentrates on breathing, control, concentration, precision, flexibility and centering of the body.

Pilates exercises can be used by a wide range of people including atheletes to develop fitness, muscle and flexibility, post injury to aid in rehabilitation, seniors to aid in movement, muscle strength and injury prevention, pregnant woman to help build birthing strength and pelvic floor strength, or just everyday people wanting a relaxing but affective way to lose weight, get toned and prevent injury.

Stamina Area Pilates Home Equipment Machine

Pilates can be practiced with a floor routine, by simply using a soft pilates or yoga mat and perhaps some additional pilates accessories, along with your own body weight, or it can be done also with the aid of specialised pilates machines.

The aim of pilates is to build strength, without building muscle bulk. It was initially used as a technique for rehabilitation, but is now practiced around the world for basic health, fitness and injury prevention.

The pilates exercises center around six basic principles which are the foundation for the program. The principles are:

1) Centering
2) Concentration
3) Control
4) Precision
5) Breathing
6) Flowing movement