New moms know, it’s tough getting your abs back in shape after having a baby.

Enter Kelley Watson.

She teaches Pilates to pregnant women and new mothers out of Reid Street studio, Horizon Health.

The 56-year-old had great success with classes she taught in Chicago, until she moved here last month.

“What Pilates does is it strengthens pelvic floor muscles which helps in the delivery and also strengthens the core muscles after,” she said.

“One of the big benefits of Pilates is it helps prevent swelling, which is very common in pregnancy. It helps promote blood flow, helps with back issues and helps the immune system as well.”

Mrs Watson started practising Pilates while still a young mother.

She’d quit her job in residential real estate investment and urban planning, to take care of her children.

“It was an 8am to 6pm job. My job consumed more than 50 hours of my week and I had two children almost back to back and at that point there was no way I could go back to work,” she said.

“I had no family helping me. It didn’t work for me to return to corporate America.

“I thought to myself, ‘What can I do to earn money and still work that combines all the skills I have?’ My aunt, my late mother’s twin sister, said, ‘Why don’t you try Pilates?’. I had never done it but she said I could make my own schedule, get really fit and be an example to other moms. I just jumped right in. I was probably 45 years old.”

Figure skating, swimming and tennis had kept Mrs Watson fit but she struggled to keep up in her first Pilates class.

“I couldn’t believe how hard it was,” she said. “I was dying during my first mat class and could barely do it.

“I thought to myself, ‘I’m a skater. I can flip in the air and land on one foot. I should be able to do this.’ But like most people I’d never worked my core. I had worked on everything else. I was so sore after this class and couldn’t walk up the stairs.”

It took several months before her body was able to adapt to the new moves.

“I really grew to love it, and got the workout of my life,” she said. “I felt fantastic. My body was totally stretched and looser and all my muscle groups were getting worked. I’ve stuck with it ever since.”

Mrs Watson is certified with the Pilates Method Alliance, the “gold standard” for accreditation in her industry.

“In order to sit for the test you have to have 650 hours of Pilates under your belt. You have to know anatomy, physiology and how the muscles work together. You have to know how to cater to people who have different problems — whether that be a back injury or hip replacement — and you have to be able to assess this person in front of you.”

Mrs Watson said she was looking for a change of scenery when she applied for the job in Bermuda.

“I was thinking I really have to do something cool with my life. I wanted a change and was sick of teaching Pilates in Chicago. I knew everyone. I had lived in Chicago for 20 years and found no one was really receptive to my ideas for the Pilates programmes I wanted to implement.

“I thought maybe I just need to get out of the States to do these things. I went online and saw some Pilates job postings. I clicked on the international tab and there were two jobs I was interested in. One was in Cannes in France; I’m bilingual so I thought that would be good.

“The other was in Bermuda. I sent all my information into Bermuda and Caroline [Tee Troncossi, owner of Horizon Health] called back that day. I had never been to Bermuda, but decided to come out here to see what it was like.”

The rest is history as they say.

Mrs Watson also offers one-on-one Pilates sessions and group classes.

She recently introduced the Pink Ribbon Pilates programme, which helps cancer patients and survivors improve flexibility, circulation, strength and mobility.

For more information contact: horizonhealth78@gmail.com or 293-1687.