Did you know yoga exercises for pregnancy can have greats benefits for you and your child?
According to a study, if a mother keeps practicing Yoga in pregnancy, it will be easier for her to adapt to the changing body shape and weight gain.
Research conducted on pregnant women concluded that women who participated in a six-week yoga program were more positive, felt stronger, and displayed better overall well-being.
Before we get into some of the best pregnant yoga poses, let's find out what is prenatal Yoga.
What is Prenatal Yoga?
Prenatal Yoga is a form of exercise and meditation for a pregnant woman that helps her connect her mind, body, and spirit for motherhood. Yoga for pregnant women is designed to support the changes in a pregnant body. It also prepares you for labor and delivery.
Since it is explicitly practiced for a pregnant woman at different trimesters, prenatal Yoga is known. Unlike regular Yoga, prenatal Yoga is more focused on relaxing and uses props to help support your body as it goes through bodily changes and grows.
But, Why is Yoga Important During Pregnancy?
Yoga asanas for pregnancy contribute significantly to preparing your body for birth and stimulate mental and emotional well-being throughout the process. So, when you practice prenatal Yoga at home-
- It increases the flexibility, strength, and endurance of muscles needed during childbirth.
- It alleviates your stress level, anxiety and improves sleep.
- Stabilizes your mood and decreases prenatal depression.
- It gives you the natural pregnancy glow.
- Reduces your back pain and strengthen your abdominal muscles
- Teaches you the right breathing habits
- Decreases the risk of premature labor and other complications
Thus, there are innumerable prenatal yoga benefits that not only help with common pregnancy pains and aches but keep your body in shape even after delivery.
Which are the Best Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women?
Bhujangasana- The Safest Yoga Pose for Pregnant Women
Bhujangasana is the simplest and safest yoga pose during pregnancy. It would help if you lay on your stomach with your feet apart and your forehead facing the floor.
Keep your elbows close to your body, and breathe in when you level up your body and gradually breathe out when lowering down. Do 4 to 5 repetitions, especially during the first trimester.
Vajrasana- The First Trimester Yoga Pose for Pregnant Women
Vajrasana during pregnancy in the first trimester is very useful. Kneel on your yoga mat, put your ankles and knees together. Start to breathe in and breathe out.
Position your palms down on your thighs and relax your arm for 20 minutes. Make sure that your back and head should be straight. This aids in digestion and strengthens pelvic muscles.
Baddha Konasana- Yoga Pose for Pregnant Women
This is also known as a full butterfly, where you need to sit on the floor and bring the soles of the feet close together, keeping your back straight. Hold your feet soles with your palms and press your legs down. Repeat this for 2-3 minutes.
Paschimottanasana- The Second Trimester Yoga Pose for Pregnant Women
This is an ideal prenatal yoga pose for women in the second trimester, where you need to sit on a mat and spread your legs. Now try to bend your back forward and touch the toes. Keep your spine erect. Repeat this for ten counts.
Bridge Pose for Pregnant Women
Use a stack of a pillow under your lower back and lift your body upwards. Rest on the yoga mat and elevate your hips with your hands touching the ground. Here, you must bend your legs and ground the soles and perform the cycle of leveling the body up and down. Repeat this three to five times during the third trimesters.
Precautionary Steps To Take While Prenatal Yoga Poses
A mother's and her baby's health is of paramount importance, and therefore, there is a need to take these precautionary steps, especially when practicing pregnant yoga poses.
Pace yourself. Take Rest While Performing Yoga
If you are running out of breath and gasping too heavily that you can't even speak, then certainly you are going too hard. This can be harmful to you and your baby. Practice yoga only within your comfort zone. Don't push too hard.
While Performing Yoga Avoid Twists, Deep Abdominal Work, and Backbends.
When you practice inversions, intense abdominal work, and backbends, it regulates the blood pressure, and typically, blood may blow out of the uterus. Also, during pregnancy, your joints are loose, and with twists and abdominal work, they can dislocate.
Skip hot Yoga as a Precaution
Pregnant yoga poses are different from regular Yoga. It would help if you skipped hot Yoga during the fragile time because exposure to excessive heat may make you feel dizzy and nauseous.
Tips for Prenatal Yoga
Experts recommend that it is good to keep your body healthy and active for at least 30 minutes. Here we have discussed a few tips specific to the different trimesters.
Yoga for First Trimesters
This is the starting stage of your embryo, where you should take ample breaks and focus more on body postures, alignments, bends, and stretches.
Yoga for Second Trimesters
It would help if you practiced some stretching moves like squats and side stretching. This will open up your hips and tone your pelvic area.
Yoga for Third Trimesters
This is one of the most critical stages, where you need to practice meditation and breathing techniques. Just calm your heart rate and mind and avoid stressing over any situation.
The Final Words
Thus, Yoga during pregnancy is a powerful exercise that every pregnant woman should do. It transforms the entire pregnancy experience and brings your body back to shape. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before following these pregnancy yoga poses.
Sources
https://www.sampoornayoga.com/pregnancy-yoga-second-trimester/
https://greatist.com/move/prenatal-yoga-poses#back-pain
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0894318413509706
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323377173_YOGA_IN_PREGNANCY_A_BOON_TO_MOTHERHOOD
