Prenatal yoga has become a popular way to exercise amongst pregnant women. Yoga may not be the only beneficial way to exercise during pregnancy, but “it provides great ways to maintain muscle tone, keep joints and muscles limber, and improve balance and blood circulation.”1 In fact, studies have suggested that prenatal yoga can:
- Improve sleep1
- Reduce stress and anxiety1
- Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth1
- Decrease lower back pain, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, and shortness of breath1
- Decrease the risk of preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension and intrauterine1 growth restriction — a condition that slows a baby's growth1
One of the main focuses in prenatal yoga is controlling one’s breathing techniques. This is important because it teaches a woman to stay calm and relaxed which is helpful during labor. “When the body is in pain, adrenalin is produced which may cause a decrease in the production of oxytocin, a hormone that progresses labor.”2 Therefore, by maintaining relaxed and controlled breathing, less adrenalin is produced, which allows oxytocin to do its job. Throughout a typical yoga session, a woman is taught different breathing techniques which are incorporated to help relax the body during labor and decrease shortness of breath. Stretching and posture is also taught in prenatal yoga, and at the end of each session, a nice cool down is used to relax and restore resting heart rate and rhythm.2 Before you get started in your prenatal yoga program, it is important to consider these safety precautions:
- Obtain approval from your health care provider
- Stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise
- Warm up and cool down properly
- Avoid lying on your back for more than a couple of minutes at a time
- Stay in your comfort and experience level
- Avoid “hot yoga” where room temperatures are above 90 degrees as this can cause hyperthermia
If you are pregnant and looking to stay fit, prenatal yoga classes are a great way to meet other pregnant women and be a part of something fun and healthy. If you and your doctor feel prenatal yoga is right for you, go for it! Make sure to find a class specified towards pregnancy and open to beginners. As stressful as preparing for motherhood can be, prenatal yoga is a great way to relax and improve the health of you and your baby.
1Great pregnancy exercise: Prenatal yoga. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2014, from
2Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013, January 13). Pregnancy week by week. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-yoga/art-20047193
I think that women who are pregnant and want to stay active, will benefit greatly by reading this blog.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that moving and stretching into different poses might not be good for a woman during pregnancy. It is interesting to read the contrary. A great read for all the expecting yoga women!
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