When I found out I was pregnant earlier this year, I assumed it'd have zero impact on my motivation to stay active and keep my body moving. I'm a fitness-loving Shopping Editor, you see, who regularly tests fit kit for Marie Claire UK. That said - boy, did I get a serious reality check. Being pregnant has been a blessing, but I've struggled with both fatigue and nausea both of which have made me really slow down over the past six months. That’s why, when I started reading up on the benefits of low-impact, do-from-home pregnancy Pilates, I was keen to give it a go.
Pilates has soared into popularity recently and I'd been a huge fan of the practice pre-pregnancy. That was in part thanks to the many benefits of Pilates, from boosting your endorphins, to relieving stress, to improving muscle tone. There are also numerous studies pointing to the positive effects of prenatal Pilates on both mother and baby’s health, or so says Paola Di Lanzo, OG wellness guru and founder of Paola’s Body Barre. Case in point: one study, published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, found that women who engaged in regular prenatal exercise experienced fewer complications during childbirth and recovered more quickly postpartum.
