If you are pregnant and looking for ways to stay active and fit, or just to relax, prenatal yoga can be a great option. Whether at a yoga studio or home, prenatal yoga has some major benefits. But you should also be aware of just how prenatal yoga affects your body and could affect your pregnancy. That’s why we offer this list of some pros and cons of prenatal yoga.
Prenatal Yoga – Where Did This Come From?
Where every holistic wellness approach originated from – the Ayurveda. Identified in the late 1900s by an Indian Acharya prenatal yoga has since been believed to have benefits for women during pregnancy.
This form of yoga helps them stay active, relaxed and healthy in preparation for childbirth. It also focuses the movement on stretching breathing and strengthening exercises that can help ease the childbirth process. No matter if it’s normal delivery or C-section.
These movements, when done throughout the full term, will help the to-be-mother adapt to the changes. From stretching the muscles to strengthening the areas around the growing belly.
The pelvic floor, hip muscles and lower back are strengthened in this process which makes pregnancy comparatively comfortable.
So, what makes it suitable for pregnant women? Let’s find out:
Key Elements of Prenatal Yoga
What makes prenatal yoga suitable for pregnant women are the following elements:
- Breathwork or Pranayam: Focused breathing techniques that help increase oxygen intake and calm the nervous system at the core. You can practice breathwork through deep belly breathing which can come in handy when you are in labour. This element of prenatal yoga teaches pregnant women to manage pain and stress during labour.
- Pelvic floor exercises: Prenatal yoga has specific exercises thatargetts the pelvic flow muscles to increase support and strength during pregnancy. Women who practice prenatal yoga can also recover faster after childbirth. Eagle exercises are also a common part of the prenatal routine. For those unaware, Kegel exercises a great for pelvic floor health.
- Gentle poses or asanas: Prenatal yoga is all about modifying poses that safely stretch and friend in the muscles around the pelvic area lower back and hips. This pose helps alleviate discomfort during pregnancy. From back pain to soreness and poor flexibility, these poses help during childbirth.
- Mindfulness and relaxation: Another essential part of prenatal yoga is guided meditation and relaxation techniques. This helps expected mothers manage anxiety and have an emotional connection with their babies. These practices are also helpful in supporting a positive mental state by reducing stress.
- Body awareness: Renatal yoga is great for pregnant women as it helps them listen to their bodies. This practice encourages women to be self-aware and ensure their safety throughout their pregnancy. With the various poses and practices which form the fart of prenatal yoga for pregnant women, they improve their flexibility and overall lower body strength that can help them even beyond pregnancy and childbirth.
Thus, before we dive into the pros and cons of prenatal yoga you are aware that the practice is great for mental physical and emotional support for mothers-to-be.
The overall practice helps pregnant women prepare for childbirth and postpartum recovery.
Pros and Cons of Prenatal Yoga
Before you start practicing prenatal yoga, be aware of the possible pros and cons, and important safety tips.
What are the Pros of Prenatal Yoga?
Prenatal yoga is a source of exercise that encourages focused breathing, stretching and mental centring. This can be extremely beneficial during pregnancy as your hormones and body change. Research shows that prenatal yoga is generally safe and can have many benefits, or pros, such as:
- Improving sleep
- Reducing anxiety or stress
- Increasing strength and flexibility of muscles (these are important during childbirth)
- Decreasing headaches, lower back pain, nausea, and shortness of breath
Prenatal yoga also allows you to meet other women who are also pregnant. Often, long-term friendships are born during prenatal yoga classes.
What are the Cons of Prenatal Yoga?
There are only a few cons of prenatal yoga. Generally, there are some safety factors to consider, but these are handled case-by-case. Some of the cons that you may find directly related to prenatal yoga are:
- You may not be able to perform certain poses due to health risks
- If you are not used to yoga, you could experience some joint and muscle pain
- Due to pregnancy, you may not be able to practice or continue practising, Bikram or hot yoga.
Of course, the key to successful prenatal yoga practice is finding the right instructor for your needs.
Safety Tips for Prenatal Yoga
Everyone’s health is different, and every woman’s pregnancy is different. That’s why it is so important to talk to your doctor before you start prenatal yoga. Make sure that your and the baby’s health supports an active lifestyle. If you have certain medical conditions, it may not be safe for you to practice yoga.
Additional Safety Tips For Prenatal Yoga Include:
- Be realistic. As your pregnancy progresses, a safe amount of physical activity is generally around 30 minutes per day. Longer periods or more strenuous exercise may not be safe.
- Pace yourself. Start slow and make sure you can handle the routine. If you find yourself winded or not able to speak normally, you may be pushing yourself too hard.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids throughout your workout to keep yourself well-hydrated.
- Stay cool. Make sure wherever you are practising yoga is well-ventilated and cool enough so that you don’t overheat.
- Avoid dangerous postures. As mentioned before, there are some poses that may not be safe for you. Talk to your doctor and/or yoga instructor to make sure you are only doing poses that are safe.
- Pay attention to your body. If you start to feel bad, take a break. If you experience pain or vaginal bleeding, contractions, or decreased fetal movement, talk to your doctor right away.
Ultimately, prenatal yoga can be an excellent experience. But it is important to follow your doctor’s guidelines and make sure you and your baby are safe. Consider the pros and cons of prenatal yoga and talk to your doctor and a local yoga instructor to find out if prenatal yoga is right for you.
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