Healthytalk8 Yoga for a healthy pregnancy or during is one of the safe, and most recommended exercises during pregnancy.
Continuous practice of yoga offers all kinds of mental, physical & spiritual benefits including:
- Improve flexibility
- reduce stress
- increase your feeling and well-being
- decrease labor pain
- breathing techniques bring relaxation and contraction of the uterus
However, certain yoga asanas should be avoided depending on the stage of pregnancy.
Maternal stress and anxiety during pregnancy are allied with a negative effect on the fetus and its development.
If you have not done any exercise before pregnancy, then it is a great time to incorporate yoga into this routine.
Make sure, to do yoga under the supervision of a professional, and follow the guidelines to prevent pregnancy complications.
Is Yoga Safe During Pregnancy?
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Yes, yoga is safe during pregnancy, however, in 1st trimester you don’t need yoga asanas, because during this time the body adjusts to the pregnancy.
But yoga is not an exercise, it is the management of the body and the mind, during pregnancy, changes in mood, and body occur, and they will not be able to adjust to their being.
If you want to do exercise or yoga, then you can do definitely it at an early stage of pregnancy.
So you can do yoga, and not all yoga is needed, simple pranayama (breathing technique) makes you relax and also adjust to your pregnancy.
But at 2nd and 3rd trimester means after the first 3 months of pregnancy, you can do yoga, but always under the vision of a professional.
Even will not eat food properly, due to excessive vomiting and nausea, women don’t like so much foodstuff.
Yoga During Each Trimester
Doing yoga during pregnancy also depends on the stage of pregnancy means – the trimester (1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester) is different from the others.
Where doing yoga and simple exercises can make a heavy impact on pregnancy.
NOTE: In early pregnancy (1st trimester), you can start with walking and continue to 2 km per day, which is enough by the 2nd trimester.
As the baby grows, you will tend to lose your balance, muscles, and ligaments become loose, might be challenging to follow the routine.
The First 3 months are very sensitive months which can even lead to miscarriage (most miscarriages about 80% happen in the 1st trimester of pregnancy).
So jerks, and lifting heavy weights should be avoided, and on regular daily work, you can continue.
Yoga During 2nd and 3rd Trimesters of Pregnancy
If you find yourself becoming breathless, having pelvic pain, chest pain, and leg swelling, then stop it immediately and talk to the doctor.
Here is the top 8 yoga that you can do in your 2nd and 3rd trimester, but make sure safety guidelines should be followed.
1. Bhadrasana (butterfly pose) – These asanas improve the flexibility of your shoulder and the neck, also relax your spine, and even tone the reproductive organs.
2. Shavasana (Corpse pose) – This asana is completely made to make you feel relaxed during pregnancy,
- Just lie down with your back on the surface.
- Relax your body, stretch your legs, and keep your legs away a little bit from each other, also keep your arms a little bit away from the body.
- Take a good position, and hold this position, for about 5 to 15 minutes.
There is some Related Relaxation Asana which include:
- Nispandha Bhav (Motionless state of your mind)
- Sukhasana (sitting in a comfortable position)
3. Vajrasana – You can do this during your whole pregnancy stage, but it can little difficult in 2nd and 3rd trimesters, due to growth, and a heavy stomach.
4. Paryankasana – During pregnancy swelling also occur on the legs, so you feel difficulty even in walking.
- Sleep straight on your back, and try or fold your one leg on your abdominal side from the knee.
- then do it with other legs.
- continue to maintain the posture, and breathe properly
It strengthens the abdominal and thigh muscles and gives gentle compression of the abdominal and urogenital systems.
5. Marjariasana (cat pose) – It stretches the neck and shoulder, keeps the spine flexible, alleviates stiffness, improves blood circulation, etc.
If you are not able to do that, then you can do it alternative called puppy pose, where you just do this on your elbows, instead of your hand.
6. Ustrasana (camel pose) – It is a very important posture, where you should start with sitting on bhadrasana, and then hold the ankles and lift your back backward.
7. Trikonasana (Triangle pose) – As your stomach grows, your center of gravity also shifts, so this is very excellent yoga.
It stretches the hips, and shoulders, and relieves back pain, as we know during 2nd and 3rd trimester it is difficult to touch your feet.
So put the block side to your feet to touch and more comfortable stretch. You can also wider the distance between the legs.
Use a wall or chair for support during standing or balancing asanas.
8. Balasana (Child pose) – This asana is best for migraine headaches, and also helps you to calm the brain nerve, relieve stress, and ease lower back pain.
- Sit in the Vajrasana position and then bend forward, and try and touch your head to the ground.
- Stretch your arms straight or keep your arms on the side, but feel totally relaxed.
- Bend forward, for some time and then come up breathing in.
If you feel discomfort in your knees or need more space for your belly, then widen your toe.
9. Alum velom – It provides relaxation by reducing stress, anxiety, and weakness, and by providing more oxygen to both mother and baby.
In addition, this asana is best for those who face sinus headaches.
- Sit on Dhyan mudra, close your eyes, and take a deep breath with your right nostril, during breath the left nostril should be closed with your finger.
- Then, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds, after that, breathe in with the left nose, during breath in, the right nose should be closed with fingers.
- Do this 5 to 8 times daily.
In 3rd trimester, you should first talk to your doctor, and once you have the green light from the doctor, then you look for prenatal yoga.
Benefits of Yoga During Pregnancy
Yoga during pregnancy is essential, pregnant women are often advised to perform yoga regularly to improve their posture.
It also avoids discomfort like back pain, vomiting, and weakness helps in relieving stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and other conditions.
Several studies have shown that yoga helps in:
- Alleviate fatigue
- improve sleep (3)
- stretched your muscles, flexibility
- decrease lower back pain, headache, nausea, difficulty in breathing, etc.
Apart from yoga during pregnancy, it brings other several benefits which include:
- could improve heart health
- improve flexibility and balance
- support joints
- helpful in depression
- boost self-confidence
- excellent anti-aging, which slows down the again process
- help in maintaining body weight and also help in losing excessive weight
- practicing yoga could help improve breathing
- boost sleep quality
There are other types of moderate exercises, which are the safest and most productive activities for a pregnant ladies include:
During pregnancy, you are going through lots of changes, so you should pay attention to your condition.
If you are a beginner, then on the first day of yoga you may feel fine, but the next day, it may lead to uncomfortable and pain.
What Yoga or Things Should Be Avoid During Pregnancy?
Each trimester of pregnancy is very important, where you maintain you’re physical and mental through diet and exercise.
During the 1st trimester, you keep in mind that you should be avoided this thing or yoga including:
- Intense and frequent backends, twists, and excessive forward
- immediate start abdominal yoga or exercises
- avoid lifting heavy weights and jerks
- hot yoga
The 2nd trimester you should avoid are:
- Avoid sleeping on the stomach
- hot yoga
- lifting heavy weight
- avoid a lot of anxiety which can increase the risk of premature birth, Preeclampsia, and low birth weight.
- more or less eating
- doing yoga or any pregnancy exercise without following guidelines
- jumping, running, hopping, bouncing
Avoid sleeping on the back Because the weight of the growing baby in the uterus begins to compress the main arteries and veins that run through the trunk of your baby.
During the 3rd trimester, you should avoid these:
- avoid gaining extra weight
- Lifting heavy weights, Adventures rides, Cycling, Doing low-impact exercises
- smoking and alcohol
- hot yoga
- caffeine
- carry excessive weight
Make sure to listen to your body, if you experience any discomfort or pain, then immediately avoid doing yoga, or exercise.
When To Stop Doing Yoga During Pregnancy?
Yoga is also an exercise so doing it the correct way cause healthy pregnancy, but doing it in excessive or hot yoga may lead to pregnancy issues.
So you stop practicing yoga if you:
- Feel pain or discomfort for several days
- overheat
- feel dehydrated or thirsty most of the time
- feel weakness or dizziness
- experience vaginal discharge, spots, and bleeding
- unusual swelling on the body
Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience, face, or feel any discomfort, it may trigger other health issues.
Down Line
Yoga for a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to relieve mental and physical woes and is not an exercise, it is the management of the body and the mind.
If you are new to yoga during pregnancy, then do yoga under the supervision of a professional, and follow the guidelines.
