Is Pilates the best workout for busy parents? Well, yes and no.

It certainly can be with the right teacher. If you were to pick one type of exercise to do on a weekly basis, Pilates can be a great deal - you get strength, flexibility and stability all in one class! This can be helpful for parents; think of all the carrying, the lugging around, and the awkward positions you sit in for hours doing puzzles, homework, or feeding babies. Pilates can give you the base body knowledge to prevent injury, not just in functional, every day movement, but by helping you get the most out of any other type of physical workout you choose to do.

So, what is the no? If you are pregnant or postpartum, most traditional mat work is contraindicated for you. What's more, you can be considered postpartum up to one year after giving birth! So, what am I telling you? Be careful of the programs you select. Pilates mat work is intermediate in nature. The exercises are executed with precision to make certain you are moving from the deepest abdominal layer, the transverse abdominus. If you cannot access this muscle correctly, you will over engage the rectis abdominus and this is a no-no for pre- and postnatal woman. Think diastasis recti- the splitting of the outer abdominal muscles that occurs during pregnancy for a large percentage of women. Doing any abdominal work against gravity can increase the split at worse, and prolong recovery at best.

If you're looking for further explanation on this, check out Julie Tupler’s phenomenal book, Maternal Fitness. After looking at this, you may have an idea of what to look for in a class. If you don’t get a chance to read it, be sure that your instructor is properly trained in the anatomy and physiology of the pre- and postnatal woman.

Not pre- or postnatal? Here are some things to think about when looking for a class:

• Do I feel good while I am doing the exercises?


• Do I feel good the next day?


• Can the teacher adequately modify the exercises for those who need modifications?


• If you don’t understand something, can the teacher find other ways of helping you understand them?


• Are the exercises properly explained?


• Does the teacher do the exercises the whole time, or do they walk around the room and watch your body and correct?

A class should always feel good on the body. You should feel the muscles working, but the neck and back should never be strained. A good teacher will be able to use all kinds of analogies, props or visual cuing to help a student find the movement in the body.

You should always watch out for the "performer." Make sure the teacher is watching you, not vice versa. Yes, he or she may need to demonstrate, but should not be stationed in the front of the classroom. These classes are for you. Otherwise, you could just get a video. Take advantage of having a teacher and learn about your body and how to take care of it during the marathon of parenting!