In Chicago we have many choices for prenatal and postnatal fitness classes. We have asked our community, researched and compiled a list of wonderful classes that will keep you healthy and strong in pregnancy and after baby.
One perk that is often over looked is the amazing community that forms when in classes tailored for pregnancy and postpartum. While finding fitness you may also find lifetime friends!
Alternative Fitness Studio in collaboration with Chicago Family Doulas (Oak Park)
Mommy and Me Pilates: This class offers you special time with your baby and allows you to gain back your strength and reconnect with your body. In this unique small group setting you will feel yourself becoming stronger with each class, while making a stronger connection with your baby and your neighbors. The instructor, Andrea Andrade, is also the owner of the studio and offers private and semi private classes.
This studio offers a wide variety of classes including; prenatal and postnatal yoga, barre and pilates, Zumba, Cardio/weights interval class and yoga sculpt.
There is also a slew of mommy and me classes doing yoga, dance, and this one looks super fun:
Mommy and me Baby bjorn class: this fun energizing class for both baby and mom! We start out with the babies in the carriers and we do a low impact aerobics, but high intensity. After we get our sweat on we do strength exercises for upper body and abs. All the babies go in the middle for a fun little play date
Nicole is the owner and is also a personal trainer specializing in postnatal fitness. She teaches two classes for new moms, After-Baby Bootcamp at Balance Fitness Studio and Mama & Baby Fit at Musikgarten of Oak Park.
Beverly Yoga Center (South side)
This yoga studio invites yogis looking for prenatal yoga classes to join any of these classes:
Restorative Yin, Mindful yoga, Gentle Yoga, Restorative Flow, Meditation
Fit4Mom (multiple north side locations city and suburbs)
Fit4Baby Prenatal: Fit4Baby is a prenatal fitness program that teaches women how to exercise safely and effectively throughout their pregnancy.
Body Back: Body Back Transformation is an 8-week, results-based, high-intensity workout and nutrition program designed by and for moms.
Stroller Strides: Stroller Strides is a total fitness program that moms can do with their babies. It includes power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller and the environment.
Stroller Barre: Stroller Barre® is a unique blend of ballet, Pilates, barre, yoga and stroller-based exercises designed to help moms build strength and muscle tone and improve posture.
BirthFit Chicago (multiple locations in Chicago and suburbs)
BirthFit offers a variety of classes for pregnancy and postpartum women. They are unique in the ways they incorporate a four pillar approach. Their trainer often have a unique background in health, wellness, nutrition and more.
Their program is based on the following pillars.
BIRTHFIT is physical movement. BIRTHFIT is mental movement. BIRTHFIT is spiritual movement. BIRTHFIT is a revolutionary movement that is empowering women around the world and changing the course of the future
This studio offers an array of classes in prenatal yoga, resistance training and cardio. They have postnatal Barre, as well as Mommy and Me workouts. One of our favorites is:
The Final Push-toning for labor: The Final Push incorporates exercises to prepare you for labor. It is extremely safe and effective for all women who want to strengthen their bodies for a shorter labor time and a quicker recovery. The exercises in this class combine aerobic training, resistance training and yoga and teach you to focus on relaxing and tightening the appropriate abdominal and pelvic muscles for effective pushing and centering yourself mentally during childbirth.
Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Mat: Pilates works to keep your core and pelvic floor muscles strong throughout your pregnancy and keep all your joints flexible and mobile. This type of strength should ease delivery as well as your comeback!
Prenatal yoga: this class has provided many women with a supplement to their childbirth education and preparation, and many babies with happier, healthier moms!
In this class you will learn techniques to support your changing body and prepare you for childbirth
Postnatal Yoga: This class will go over practices for realigning and re-balancing the sacrum and hips. Techniques for re-discovering your core muscles. Postures for relieving neck and shoulder tension, stretching arms and hands. Practices to calm you down, center your mind and deeply rest
Dailey method (Various Locations)
Class will focus on the core strength you need during labor, specifically the transverse abdominal muscles, and modifications to keep you safe during TDM classes. The classes will concentrate on the pelvic floor and exercises that will help increase stamina, strength and endurance for all the changes that your body will endure during pregnancy and after. After class, the instructors will educate you on muscles needed during labor, tips for the big push and best practices to look and feel great post-baby!
Just can’t make it out to one of these classes or if you are looking for a more personal touch and need one on one instruction, then many places offer private lessons.
Alternative Fitness Studio (Oak Park)
Owner, Andrea Andrade has owned and operated Alternative Fitness Pilates Studio for over 20 years. She has an amazing reputation and she teaches small group, semi-private and private classes. She is also Birth and Postpartum Doula. She can help you stay fit in pregnancy and feel strong again postpartum.
Jennifer is a Birth Doula and Yoga instructor dedicated to nurturing and supporting families during their pregnancy. She is available for private prenatal and postnatal yoga sessions designed to address individual client’s needs.
Each of these classes comes to us recommended by actual participants
(Safety in prenatal and post-natal exercise is of the utmost importance we stress that you work only with instructors specifically trained for the prenatal and post natal time period)
All class information taken directly from the company’s websites
