Pilates is a great exercise for everyone, including pregnant women. Prenatal Pilates might not seem like a great business model because a pregnancy only lasts nine months, but the truth is that it’s a great way to bring in new long-term clients– if done correctly. 

In this article, we will break down why prenatal Pilates is a great studio offering for pulling in new, long-term business. 

How Pilates Helps During Pregnancy

Pilates is especially great as a prenatal exercise because it does good for both you and your baby. The following are benefits to prenatal Pilates that gives expectant mothers solid reasoning to come into your studio:

• Strengthens abdominal and gluteal muscles which helps reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling, and also help with labor
• Strengthens your pelvic floor muscles which reduces the chance of incontinence during or after pregnancy
• Teaches how to control your breathing which is useful through labor
• Improves posture and balance which reduces back pain
• Improves the quality of sleep and increases energy levels
• Teaches how to reduce body strain when getting in and out of bed
• Helps you maintain a healthy weight
• Improves mood due to increased endorphins and oxygen flow throughout the body
• Speeds up recovery postpartum
  

By educating pregnant mothers in your area about the above benefits Pilates can bring them, you will be able to build a base of prenatal clients. They may only be around for the duration of their pregnancy (or less), but if you provide value through your classes and offer programs to incentivize they stay at your studio after birth, you can also offer postnatal yoga.

Postnatal Pilates

Prenatal Pilates helps prepare the body to give birth, but childbirth still leaves the body in need of recovery. Our culture, unfortunately, puts pressure on women to bounce back quickly after having a baby and return to their normal body and stress load from before the pregnancy. But the postpartum body needs time to heal and regain strength– and postnatal exercise is important in that process. 

Postnatal Pilates is a great segue for new mothers who are looking for that postpartum exercise, and even better if they’re already your client from prenatal Pilates! The following are some unique benefits to postnatal Pilates that have new mothers interested:

• Repairs abdominal muscles which can separate during childbirth (diastasis rectus) by bringing them together with Pilates core exercises
• Strengthens pelvic floor muscles which greatly weaken after childbirth and can create bladder challenges when sneezing, laughing, or coughing (urinary incontinence)
• Builds a stronger back with better posture and alleviates back pain from baby
• Helps relieve postpartum depression through the release of endorphins and improved confidence and strength
• Healthily rebuilds muscle strength and body awareness
  

By educating new mothers about these benefits and offering postnatal Pilates programs that help them achieve these benefits, you are explaining why they should continue (or begin) to be your client and stick with your studio. Postnatal Pilates is just another opportunity to offer real value to new mothers and to also nurture your clientele.

Turning a New Mom Into Regular Pilates Students

You may be wondering: “But what happens when the new mothers regain their strength and feel confident in their bodies again? Won’t they leave?” Sure, some of your prenatal and postnatal clients will leave after they’ve achieved their goals– because their goals in your studio might be aligned with just getting through pregnancy and its after-effects.

That’s why the success of converting prenatal and postnatal students into long-term students is dependent on understanding the goals of your students and educating them about how Pilates can help them with their goals. 

If a new mother feels understood and can also understand why Pilates will continue to help her beyond postpartum, they will be more inclined to stay in your classes. It’s even better if you’ve built a relationship with a mother through her prenatal and postnatal Pilates days in your studio. That knowledge, plus trusting your expertise and liking your studio will convert short-term prenatal and postnatal clients into long-term clients.

Conclusion

Prenatal Pilates is a great offering not only for expectant mothers, but it presents an opportunity to create a more long-term business. By funneling your prenatal clients into postnatal clients, and your postnatal clients into students with long-term memberships, you have a business model that serves a needed niche while also serving business growth.