1.

Pain Reduction – Eighty percent of women have pain during or after pregnancy. In fact, it is often considered a “normal” part of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. BUT, there are ways to address and minimize the pain you’re feeling, so you can continue to move and be active. Many women are told, “Just wait and it will get better once you're…[fill in the blank with a pregnancy milestone].” But why wait? A physical therapist can assess the source of the pain and give you guidance about how to address it. The less pain we have, the more we want to move!

2.

Provide an Exercise Program – Do you ever feel like working out, but you’re out of ideas of what to do. Or maybe you just don’t know what to do that would be best for your body? A physical therapist is trained in therapeutic exercise and can create a program tailored for you that gets you stronger and makes you feel great. A good exercise program has a variety of exercises, be specific to goals and will gradually become more challenging the stronger you get. 

3.

Exercise Modification and Guidance – Exercise programs are great, but what about just keeping up with your normal routine? That’s great too! As your body changes, an expert can help you modify the activity so that you can continue to live life on your terms. Whether it’s jogging, spinning, yoga, pilates, etc, a PT can help figure out how to keep doing the things you love while pregnant!

4.

Education – A PT can teach you things to look for to ensure you’re exercising safely for you and your baby. The more confidence you have while exercising, the more you’ll want to do it!

5.

Birth Specific Exercises – And while we’re at it, a PT can teach you specific birth prep exercises to help improve your delivery and postpartum recovery. Working on exercises specifically designed for this can be very motivating and productive. It’s a great way to stay active during pregnancy.