It’s a given that pregnancy can leave you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Looking after yourself and your unborn child can sometimes be more difficult than it sounds. There’s not only your diet to consider but your general mental well-being. Keeping stress levels to a minimum will help both you and your baby in the long run.
Exercise is popular with women everywhere because of its numerous benefits during pregnancy. Keeping a lid on stress is often a very important part of carrying a child, and yoga is the perfect way to help keep stress levels to a minimum. This is because it can help you achieve the balance you need between body and mind.
The deep breathing exercises that are such a fundamental part of this practice will also help you focus your mind, and during periods of stress, give you the skills to control your breathing which often becomes erratic when your body and mind are unhappy. The breathing techniques will also come in extremely handy when you start labour! Prenatal yoga is also a great way to stay in shape during your pregnancy as it helps you maintain limber body, tones your muscles, and improves your balance and circulation – all without placing any additional impact stress on your joints.
Make sure your chosen yoga teacher is trained in pregnancy yoga. Inform them of your situation and don’t be afraid to ask for help if there are any positions you’re not sure about. Avoid any type of yoga where you really work up a sweat.
Concentrate on safe poses like the butterfly stretch, cat-cow, cobra, seated forward bend, side angle pose and the standing forward bend. In your second and third trimester, check with your teacher that these are still safe to perform. If you end up tiring yourself out, or you feel like your blood pressure might be increasing, then don’t continue. Overdoing it won’t benefit you or your baby. The body has to work very hard to simply keep mother and baby healthy during pregnancy, so make sure you listen to your body and take as much time out as you need.
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