Yoga and Pregnancy

Probably no joy imaginable compares to the joy of bringing a new life into this world. Pregnancy is a wonderful, magical time, a time of looking up baby names, of decorating nurseries, of sharing with friends and relatives the coming of your new baby. Unfortunately, pregnancy can also be a time of tiredness, of higher than normal weight gain, and of a whole host of new aches and pains as your body provides for the life growing inside of it.

In the past, pregnant women were advised to take it easy and avoid exercising as much as possible. Modern science has shown, however, that in most pregnancies, exercise has a beneficial effect. Mild to moderate exercise during pregnancy can help keep energy levels up, stabilize weight gain so that it appropriate but not excessive, alleviate some of the pain associated with pregnancy, and even make the delivery process easier. Yoga is the ideal form of exercise during pregnancy for many reasons.

Important! Please check with your physician before beginning or continuing any exercise program during pregnancy. The information in this article is not intended to be a substitute for medical advise.

One of the reasons the practice of yoga is so ideal during pregnancy is because it is completely non-impact. With the exception of swimming, yoga offers the only aerobic workout for the pregnant woman with absolutely no jarring of the joints or the spine. A low to no-impact workout is particularly beneficial to pregnant women, even those who have previously practiced running or aerobics, because during pregnancy, the joints have a tendency to swell and become easily sore. Yoga eliminates impact on the joints, thus preventing any further aggravation due to physical exercise. Furthermore, many pregnant women, especially during the later stages of pregnancy, experience lower back pain. Practicing yoga not only avoids exacerbating this pain due to impact, but also helps alleviate lower back pain with gentle stretching of the lower back muscles.

Yoga is also the ideal form of exercise during pregnancy because it is easily adapted to the level of the individual practioner and the pregnant woman can set her own pace according to how she is feeling that day. Yoga is a completely non-competitive form of exercise. Each practitioner does the exercises to the best of their ability and is free to skip or modify those which they are unable to do, particularly in the late stages of pregnancy. A good yoga instructor always offers variations of the different asanas for differing ability levels in her class and should also be aware of the way to properly modify the postures for pregnant class members.

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