Pregnancy Yoga
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Spotlight on:
How can pregnancy yoga help you?
Are there any drawbacks to pregnancy yoga?
What are the dos and don’ts of yoga in pregnancy?
Pregnancy yoga or pregnancy Pilates?
Pregnancy yoga tends to be one of the first forms of exercise that springs to a woman's mind when they discover that they are expecting a baby.
But what exactly is it?
What are the benefits of yoga in pregnancy, what are the dos and don’ts, and is pregnancy yoga really the “must-do” pregnancy exercise for mums-to-be? Read on to find out more, and make sure that you download your FREE guide on how to keep exercise safe in pregnancy, with 15 top tips that you can put into practice today. (See the 'Pregnancy Exercise' download on the top right of this page).
Download your FREE guide
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What is pregnancy yoga?
Yoga focuses holistically on the body – physical exercises, breathing techniques, meditation and relaxation – rather than on physical exercises alone, and it is this emphasis on breathing and relaxation for labour which makes pregnancy yoga such a popular form of exercise amongst mums-to-be.
How can pregnancy yoga help you?
With its emphasis on relaxation techniques, correct breathing and meditation, pregnancy yoga certainly has something very valuable to offer busy mums-to-be, especially in today’s fast paced society where work dominates and work-life balance is frequently out of kilter. In addition, with posture being greatly affected by a growing bump, pregnancy yoga’s focus on spinal alignment is also very helpful.
Are there any drawbacks to pregnancy yoga?
Yoga is a form of exercise which focuses very much on stretching the body and taking these stretches to their limit. Whilst strong stretches can be very helpful for the general population given our sedentary, desk-bound society, this needs to be approached with great caution in pregnancy. During pregnancy we have high levels of the hormone relaxin in our body, and the effect of this is to make our ligaments more stretchy than usual to aid childbirth. However, it is very important not to over-stretch the ligaments in pregnancy and post pregnancy exercise as this can lead to joint instability, exacerbation of pelvic girdle pain and of lower back pain, and accompanying joint pain elsewhere in the body. So those who choose to take up pregnancy yoga should bear this in mind at all times and never hold stretches for more than 10 seconds, and these should be positions that only produce a very gentle stretch. Be sure to arm yourself with knowledge - my FREE Pregnancy Exercise Guide is ideal - so that you are aware of what you can and can't do when it comes to exercising during this delicate period in your life. (See the 'Pregnancy Exercise' download on the top right of this page).
Download your FREE guide
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What are the dos and don’ts of yoga in pregnancy?
The dos of pregnancy yoga:
- Always attend specialist pregnancy yoga with a teacher who is fully qualified to work with pregnant women. This ensures that you are getting yoga which is specifically adapted for pregnancy. The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors provides a list of qualified pre/postnatal fitness instructors across the country.
- If you are new to yoga, then wait to start your pregnancy yoga course at around 14 weeks into your pregnancy.
- Remember to hold gentle stretches for a maximum of 10 seconds.
- Do grab a copy of my FREE Pregnancy Exercise Guide with 15 top tips on keeping pregnancy exercises safe. (See the 'Pregnancy Exercise' download on the top right of this page).
Download your FREE guide
in the top right hand corner
The don’ts of yoga in pregnancy:
- Don’t go to any Bikram yoga classes (hot yoga) as overheating can be detrimental to the wellbeing and development of your baby.
- Don’t go to mainstream yoga classes unless the teacher is qualified to work with prenatal women and is able to adapt the moves accordingly.
- Don’t do any moves or get into any positions which take stretches to the point of discomfort.
- Don’t overstretch.
- Don’t do any exercises which open out the pelvis if you are suffering from pelvic girdle pain (PGP, also known as pubis symphasis diastasis) e.g. wide squats, sitting cross legged, the Triangle or Warrior positions etc.
- Be very careful of any exercises which stretch the lower back if you suffer from lower back pain or are aware of a problem with your sacroiliac joint which pre-dates pregnancy.
- Don't delay downloading that FREE Pregnancy Exercise Guide.... you might forget (baby brain's the technical term, I think). So get it now and make sure that when you exercise tomorrow you are doing all the right things for you and your baby. (See the 'Pregnancy Exercise' download on the top right of this page).
Download your FREE guide
in the top right hand corner
Pregnancy yoga or pregnancy Pilates?
My online week-by-week pregnancy Pilates programme offers tailored, mum-to-be Pilates to keep you fit, strong and ache-free throughout pregnancy and beyond.
Want to give it a FREE try?
