Doing yoga is a great way to both tone your body and promote relaxation. The exercises (more commonly referred to as poses) are so varied that just about anyone can do it. Yoga for pregnant women can be effective and helpful throughout all stages of the pregnancy, but like any exercise regimen, it may not be a good fit for everyone.Look at the overall benefits versus the factors that you will need to take into consideration before deciding if it will work for you. Remember, it is very important that you talk to your doctor or midwife before beginning any new exercise during your pregnancy regimen.
The Benefits of Yoga for Pregnant Women
- One of the primary goals of yoga is improving your posture, as good posture allows your energies to flow more freely. Good posture can also help support your increasingly expanding belly, allowing you to maintain your balance a little better.
- Yoga helps tone your muscles or keep them in good shape, which can also help support your growing midsection.
- Aside from toning and strengthening your body, the exercises are designed to help promote a more relaxing state of mind, something that can benefit all pregnant women.
- Classes focusing on yoga for pregnant women may be especially beneficial because the poses are tailored to your specific needs during this time.
- Yoga may make your delivery a little easier because it gives you the tools you need to relax and breathe deeply.
- A study performed by the Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation in Bangalore, India concluded that, when performed correctly, yoga for pregnant women improved birth weight and decreased the length of labor.
Yoga for Pregnant Women: Important Factors to Consider
- Avoid very complicated or strenuous poses, such as back bends, poses that require you to stand on your hands or head, and those designed to really stretch the abdominal muscles.
- If you are new to yoga, start out slowly and stick to the basic poses. These poses will still help you learn to relax and breathe deeply, but will not put a strain on your body.
- Once your midsection starts to expand. typically around the second trimester, it is best to skip the poses that require a significant amount of balance. If you do want to use these poses, make sure you lean on a chair, wall, or another person.
- If you start to feel uncomfortable or your muscles feel strained, stop. Even in specific yoga for pregnant women classes, it is possible to overdo it and injure yourself.
If you’re planning to do prenatal yoga, following along with a video may help! Check this one out to get started!
I’ve always wanted to try yoga!
I did yoga at the very end of my pregnancy, it really helped to stretch out my back, which was always in pain.
I did a little yoga early in my pregnancy but I am not flexible at all! I love the idea behind it but as soon as I had a bit of a bump, I was done with that! :) If it can shorten labor, I should definitely try it with the next baby!