Pilates for pregnancy

Roll down against wall
This warm-up exercise mobilises and places the spine in its correct alignment.

If you feel dizzy at any point during this exercise, stop immediately.

1. Stand 6-8 inches away from a wall with your knees slightly bent and feet hip-width apart, toes facing forwards. Measure out the length of your spine against the wall, with the head held high on a long neck and the shoulders relaxed. Your arms hang comfortably at your sides. Draw your navel gently to the spine.

2. Breathe in and, as you breathe out, pull up the muscles of the pelvic floor and drop your chin to your chest, feeling the stretch all the way through the neck and upper back. As you begin to mobilise the spine, the arms will move naturally - just let them hang, don't try to place them.

3. Let the curve deepen so that your back peels away from the wall in a long curve, head and arms hanging down until only the buttocks are touching the wall. Breathe naturally for a few moments as your body hangs upside down and relaxes into the stretch.

4. On the next out-breath, check that your navel is still drawn towards the spine and the pelvic floor muscles are pulled up and rotate from the pelvis to bring yourself back to a standing position, feeling your back touch the wall vertebra by vertebra. As your back unrolls, feel your shoulders drop down naturally. The head comes in line with the spine, last of all. Check that your back is long, your neck and shoulders are relaxed and your 'girdle of strength' is working. Repeat the whole exercise three times.