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| The Benefits of prenatal yoga
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Prenatal yoga has many benefits when you're expecting a baby, including helping you feel better,
keeping your body strong and preparing you for labor. What's more, prenatal yoga is gentle
enough to practice during pregnancy because the poses have already been modified, so there's
no need to worry about what's safe and what's not. Here's what you need to know about the
benefits of prenatal yoga, including which poses are best and which ones you should avoid.
Benefits of prenatal yoga?
Because practicing yoga regulates the autonomic nervous system, it can reduce stress, as well as
help improve your quality of life and social relationships. Obviously, reducing stress an anxiety
will make you feel your best, but it's also worth considering that high levels of maternal stress
can affect fetal development.
Practicing yoga can also help you sleep better and can ease lower back pain associated with
pregnancy. There are even studies that show yoga can help prevent urinary incontinence. Yoga
can also be linked to making labor easier, allowing you to experience a more comfortable birth
over a shorter period of time.
Is it safe to practice yoga during pregnancy?
Some expectant parents choose to attend prenatal yoga classes that are designed to meet the
needs of the pregnant woman. By practicing prenatal yoga, you can be assured that all exercises
are safe and directly tailored to your needs.
"Yoga is generally considered safe during pregnancy. The breathing, movement and meditation
can be beneficial for both the pregnant woman and their baby,"
But there are some yoga poses that should be avoided or modified during pregnancy for the
safety of both you and your baby. In addition to your own research, always let your instructor
know if you are pregnant and let them know what trimester you are in.
"Yoga during pregnancyis safe, but some moves will be difficult to perform in the third
trimester," .
- The best forms of yoga for pregnant women are prenatal yoga, hatha yoga, and restorative
yoga."
What poses are unsafe during pregnancy?
For safety reasons, some yoga poses should not be performed during pregnancy. Consequently,
it is unlikely that you will see these poses in a prenatal yoga class. But it's important to be aware
of them if you regularly attend yoga classes so that you don't do anything that could harm you or
your developing baby.
"The main categories of poses to avoid include deep backbends, twists, arm balances, lying
down poses, and some abdominal abs work,".
Postures that are performed while lying down, such as twists, bicycles and shavasana, should
also be avoided later in pregnancy. In addition, lying on your back during pregnancy can also be
problematic because of the strain on the vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from the lower
body back to the heart. Performing this pose can cause complications for both mother and baby.
Meanwhile, balance poses such as crow's pose or handstand carry a risk of falling, which can
put the baby at risk, while poses that tense the abdominal muscles can lead to or aggravate
diastis recti, a partial or complete separation of the abdominal muscles.
Should I switch to prenatal yoga?
If you're perfectly happy with your regular yoga classes, you don't have to stop attending
(unless they're intense yoga classes, in which case they're not safe during pregnancy, especially
in the first trimester). But if you want to attend classes customized to your needs throughout
your pregnancy, you may prefer prenatal yoga.
Prenatal yoga classes are also more likely to eliminate typical discomfort during pregnancy and
help support the changes in a pregnant woman's body."
Another reason why you may prefer prenatal yoga over regular yoga is that the poses are tailored
specifically to support pregnancy and labor. Moreover, prenatal yoga is designed to strengthen
the core muscles that are crucial during pregnancy and labor.
What are prenatal yoga classes like?
Prenatal yoga classes are gentle and at a slow pace. The exact structure of classes can vary from
instructor to instructor, but there are some common elements you are likely to see in a prenatal
yoga class.
Often classes begin with a meditation sequence to ground you and bring clarity to your mind,
followed by some gentle stretches such as hip and shoulder warm-ups to ease stiffness. Next
you may see standing poses such as Warrior II to develop strength, balance and stability, as well
as squats to support the pelvic floor and prepare your body for labor.
There will likely be modified planks to protect and strengthen your abdominal muscles and
open-knee baby pose to ease lower back pain and allow for deep relaxation. And, as with any
yoga class, the last pose will be a modified version of Shavasana (corpse pose). This pose will
be performed with a pillow that keeps you on your side instead of on your back.
Benefits depending on the trimester
Prenatal yoga benefits each trimester in unique ways. For example, some of the more intense
exercises are best done in the first and second trimester, but "stretching and relaxation exercises
can be beneficial at any time," says Dr. Langdon. Throughout pregnancy, both guided meditation
and strengthening and stretching poses can help prepare your body for labor.
Poses with the most benefit
Prenatal yoga poses are gentle enough to practice during pregnancy, but they also allow you to
build up your strength. Some of the finest postures to undertake during pregnancy incorporate:
1- Ankle to knee pose
To do the ankle to knee pose, sit down and place one shin on top of the other so that they are
parallel to the wall. Hold for many breaths some time recently rehashing on the other side. This
gentle hip exerciser helps reduce lower back pain and tight hips associated with pregnancy.
2- Malasana (squat)
Begin standing together with your feet somewhat more extensive than hip-width separated.
Slowly bend into a squat. If you need to stretch more, fold your hands in a prayer in front of you
and press your elbows on the inside of your thighs. This pose helps ease tightness in your hips
and prepares your body for labor by strengthening the muscles used in the pushing stage.
3- Low Lunge
From a lying down doggy-style position, step one foot forward between your palms. Your front
knee should form a right angle and your back leg should be extended behind you. You can lower
your back knee if this pose is too strenuous. The low lunge improves mental concentration and
strengthens the lower body.
4- Pigeon pose
Starting from a doggy-style lying position, place one leg forward between your palms so that
your shin is parallel to the wall. Slowly lower the back leg and, if you can, lower your head and
torso in front of you. Stay in this position for as long as you like and after that switch sides.
Pigeon pose opens your hips and relieves tension in your lower back, which can be bothersome
during pregnancy.
5- Standing forward bend
In this pose, stand with your feet hip-width apart and slowly bend to dangle on your toes. As
your baby belly continues to grow, its weight puts pressure on your lower back, causing
discomfort, so this pose relieves that tension, bringing relief.
6- Child's pose with knees wide apart
Child's pose is a relaxing pose that reduces lower back pain, but it can be difficult to get into
with a pregnant belly. By keeping your heels together but spreading your knees apart, you can
create a comfortable space in your abdominal area to fill. This pose also revitalizes your entire
body and mind.
When you're pregnant, your body goes through a number of changes that can cause you
emotional and physical stress. But prenatal yoga can help you cope with these changes by
keeping you fit, flexible and strong in mind.
Prenatal yoga can also help you improve the breathing and relaxation skills you'll need during
labor. Just be sure to talk to your doctor before starting a prenatal yoga program.