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Participating in Yoga While Pregnant

When a woman is pregnant, there are certain activities that should be avoided for the safety of the baby. She should avoid strenuous activity, use the elevator rather than the stairs, and in general she should not engage in a lot of physical activity.

Doctors advise the mother to rest to prepare for the birth of the child. In order to stay physically fit even during pregnancy, one exercise is possible and that is yoga.

Yoga can really help a lot during pregnancy. By doing the breathing exercises properly, it provides oxygen for the body and the growing baby. It has been shown that breathing exercises help relax the mother and reduce pre and postnatal depression.

Since the baby will grow bigger in the next nine months, yoga can help the expecting mother strengthen the neck and pelvic muscles. This is important since the woman will be carrying the baby inside until it is time to give birth and will have to care for it until it becomes a toddler.

Yoga should be done carefully during the nine months of pregnancy. During the first 3 months yoga exercise should be limited to light stretching. This is so that the body will not reject the pregnancy and toxins inside can be eliminated.

Studies have shown that doing yoga lessens the feelings of nausea. Should morning sickness be experience during this time, the person can either continue or stop the yoga exercises. It is advisable to eat well before class and have lots of liquids before, during and after the session.

In the second trimester( months 4 to 6), the most important thing to monitor is the temperature in the room. Since the stomach of the woman has grown bigger, regular yoga positions can’t be done. Alternative forms are available which the instructor can teach during this time. Having water nearby and not sweating too much is advisable during this stage in the pregnancy.

In the third trimester (the last three months 6 to 9), modified exercises that were done during the second trimester can be continued. Other exercises can also be taught by the instructor during this delicate part of the pregnancy.

There are some points to remoember if you decide to do yoga while being pregnant.
If you have been doing practicing yoga before getting pregnant, this should be continued but at a level lower than normal.

Should you need to bend, power should come from the hips and not the back.

Avoid any exercises that use the back since it could cut blood flow to the uterus. When standing, one hand should be on the wall or on a chair to keep your balance at all times. The pelvis should always be kept upright when stretching the chest and the front of the thighs.

No jumping or rolling must be done. If the person needs to move, it should be done by crawling and stepping instead.

Yoga is a low impact exercise that can also be beneficial to anyone who is pregnant. Consult your doctor to be sure it is OK to participate in yoga classes. Yoga will help you keep fit and stay in shape both before and after pregnancy. By practicing yoga regularly, you will also improve both your spiritual and physical well being.

 

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