Prenatal Yoga vs Prenatal Pilates - which one is right for you?
I'll preface this by saying that I am a Pilates instructor, not a yoga instructor, but have been an avid yoga student for over a decade (as long as I've been teaching Pilates). I adore yoga, but I teach Pilates because I find it to have more clinical applications than yoga, and find that I can offer the benefits of both yoga and Pilates, through the Pilates method.
I'll also say, there isn't one right answer for all bodies, but here is my professional opinion and some things for you to consider before diving in to either (or both). I’ll also go into a little about body types and how your body type may make one a better choice than the other.
Prenatal Pilates is great for:
Building strength to support the increase in flexibility which tends to make people unstable
Supporting functional alignment
Understanding how the core and pelvic floor muscles work
Preparing the body for the postnatal time
Prenatal Pilates is can problematic for
Over-toning the abs and pelvic floor before birth (this is highly dependent on the instructor)
Not supporting the Parasympathetic Nervous System as much as the Sympathetic Nervous System
Traditionally less breath variety training than in Yoga
Prenatal Yoga is great for:
Breath control
Supporting the Parasympathetic Nervous System (which you need for birth)
Building stamina in poses held for a long time
Connecting energetically with the baby
Prenatal Yoga can be problematic for:
Folks who are already very flexible
Alignment correction (this is highly dependent on the teacher but I find in yoga classes it can be hit or miss)
Helping teach functional everyday movements
Strengthening
The overarching point here is that I find yoga better suited to supporting the nervous system for birth, but I believe Pilates may be better for the physical aspect of pregnancy, birth and postpartum - if taught with in-depth birth knowledge.
Body Types
This is generalized, but I find that people who are already flexible tend to have more problems during pregnancy with stability which can cause a lot of discomfort during pregnancy (if you’ve ever had Symphasis Pubisis Dysfunciton you know what I’m talking about). For these folks, yoga can carry the risks of overstretching which can be difficult to recover from during the pregnancy. If you’re more on the flexible side, try a Pilates class and see how it makes you feel connected and strong!
People who tend to have less flexibility and a higher resting tone (build strength easily but flexibility is challenging can really benefit from the stretching in yoga. If you tend to build muscle easily but struggle with range of motion, try a yoga class and see how you feel more liber afterwards!
Ideally, I would say do both! The most important thing is that you work with someone who has a lot of knowledge about pregnancy, birth and postpartum. In the end, both Yoga and Pilates are tools to connect our bodies and minds in the journey of becoming a parent, and if you have an instructor who knows how to support that well, you’re in good hands.
Interested in trying Prenatal Pilates?
Tokyo Prenatal Center offers in-person and online classes and privates with Katie, Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and Pelvic Health Specialist.