Pregnancy Exercise and Yoga Connect!

Exercise and Yoga can definitely benefit pregnant women by helping one adjust to the physical demands of pregnancy like labor, birth, and motherhood changes and deal with emotional changes. It can overall help to keep the body and mind healthy.

During the first trimester, both beginners and experienced women begin with a gentle practice (depending on how healthy is your pregnancy), as the fetus is still implanting and the risk of miscarriage is highest. But over a period of time, you can greatly benefit from achieving a normal and healthy pregnancy. Lets read to know more:

Benefits of yoga:

1. It helps to keep your body and mind young, active and supple.

2. Helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

3. Improves sleep

4. Helps to increase body’s flexibility and endurance.

5. It helps in easy labor and delivery by relieving stress and tension and helps in contraction of pelvis and cervix.

6. It helps in gradual weight gain and to stay in shape post pregnancy.

Avoid these yoga postures when you are pregnant:

1. Postures or relaxation techniques that require you to lie on your back

2. Postures that need lying on your back, as this can affect your blood circulation, which can cause dizziness, shortness of breath and nausea.

3. Postures that involve you lying on your tummy.

4. Positions that stretch your tummy muscles too much, such as deep forward and back bends.

5. Twisting poses, especially in the second trimester and third trimester.

6. Jumping or rolling.

7. Vigorous, aerobic or intense types of yoga.

Always listen to your body and how you feel. Start slow and avoid positions that are beyond your level of experience or comfort. If you experience any discomfort, stop it right away. Check with your gynecologist to continue pregnancy in a healthy way.

Seek out an instructor, who is specifically trained in prenatal yoga.