It is a common problem of many women that they lose their fitness while being pregnant and put on loads of weight. The common reason of this weight gain is that the change of eating habits and lack of exercise. According to many, exercising during pregnancy can be harmful for the baby. But a major group of doctors have proved that exercising yoga during pregnancy boosts up the body and mind of the would be mother and helps the mother to make her journey of pregnancy smooth and hassle-free.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient part of Indian exercise and it tackles the well being of the total body and mind of a person. Yoga consists of several asanas which help a person to relieve from the stresses and to become more centered as well as tones his/her body.How does Yoga helps in pregnancy?
The habit of exercising Yoga plays a great role during pregnancy. Yoga can help the women by reducing their discomforts during pregnancy. It also helps in the delivery and post delivery stages and make the would be mothers healthier from both body and mind. Yoga makes their body more flexible which helps to adopt them in various positions during the labor. The ligaments increase their elasticity, thus result in less labor pain..
Besides, Yoga helps in the fluid retention and boosts the circulation. The stretching exercises reduces the pains and aches.
Another benefits of prenatal Yoga is that it helps to improve the posture of the would be mothers, encourages the body and breath awareness, teaches the women to adapt new situations. It also eases the back problems which happen during pregnancy. It is proved that the women who exercise Yoga during their pregnancy and after giving birth to the baby, come back in shape faster than their counter parts.
How to practice Yoga?
To practice Yoga, you can join a Yoga class to learn the different poses under an expert's supervision. But in case if you are familiar with the Yoga poses, you can practice it at home. You can also follow the guidelines mentioned in the popular Yoga videos and books.Poses that are good for the would be mothers:
There are some Yoga poses which are beneficial for the pregnant women. These poses include:
- Butterfly stretch
- Cobra
- Cat-Cow
- Seated forward bend
- Standing forward bend
- Side angle pose
- Triangle pose
Safety guidelines an would be mother should follow while practicing Yoga:
Practicing Yoga is more or less like practicing exercise. So, if you are new in this field, start in a slow pace and with light exercises. Consult with your doctor to learn which poses are better for you to start practicing Yoga. While practicing, if you feel uncomfortable in any pose, left that pose there. Avoid poses like:
- Back bends
- Camel
- Balancing poses on one leg
- Head and hand stands
- Upward bow
You also need to remember some other factors while doing the Yoga. These are:
- After the first trimester, avoid any asanas which needs to do on your back It decrease the level of blood flow to the uterus.
- From the second trimester of your pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts. In this time, to stay away from losing balance, always take the support of a wall or a chair while performing any standing Yoga pose.
- Stay far away from any kind of “hot” yoga poses. It can stop the growth of the fetus
- Avoid the poses that stretches your muscles, specially the abdominal muscles. It also increases the risk of getting muscle pulls or strains or any other kind of injury.
Practicing Yoga reduces the nausea or any type of pain in the body and it relaxes the muscles. But if you are feeling any kind of pain after practicing Yoga, stop exercising and contact with your gynecologist as soon as possible.
