Yoga During Pregnancy: Is it Safe & What are Benefits?

By Patricia | December 10, 2008
Yoga To Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles

How Much Yoga Is Safe For 11 Weeks Pregnant Women

Yoga is not only safe but very beneficial for you if you are pregnant. Pregnancy is a time of changes - right from your hormones to you body, there are changes to accommodate the growing baby. Yoga with its unique postures, breath work, spirituality and meditation, is well-suited for helping a woman adjust to the change and maintain her physical and emotional well-being.

Yoga is a gentle as well as a safe way for pregnant women to remain flexible, active and get ready for childbirth. Research has shown that women who do yoga during their pregnancy have fewer chances of premature babies and their babies have higher birth weight than babies of women who did not do pre-natal yoga. Even the labor of women who did yoga regularly was less painful.

Some More Benefits Of Practicing Yoga During pregnancy:

  • Yoga improves breath control, which finally helps in labor.
  • The stretching and strengthening postures of yoga make the pelvic floor and the muscles of the abdomen strong.
  • It is a good way of coping with stress and anxiety.
  • Yoga is a good mood-booster. In fact, exercise is said to release endorphins, often known as “happy hormones.” And this gentle form of exercise, best suited to pregnant women, does just that.
  • Yoga can help you deal with morning sickness.
  • It works wonders on digestion.
  • Yoga postures reduce constipation.
  • This exercise helps to reduce fluid retention.

Doing Yoga In The First Trimester: You can practice yoga throughout the first trimester and even through your pregnancy. Though, you must take care not to do the rigorous poses and avoid inverted postures. In your first trimester, you may experience tiredness, morning sickness and nausea. Yoga postures help the mommy-to-be to cope with the physical changes and remain mentally balanced.
If yoga is done right from the beginning of the pregnancy, it will prepare the body for natural childbirth by lubricating the hip joints and pelvic floor; strengthening the abdominal muscles; and, loosen up stiff joints.

If you’ve never done yoga before, then you should begin with simple poses and pranayama. A yoga teacher will be able to guide you through a set of suitable poses. While looking for a good yoga studio to join, look for a good yoga instructor. The teacher should have the experience of working with pregnant women and should be able to guide you through a set of exercises suitable for you.
Also, choose a slow form of yoga instead of a rigorous one. Hatha yoga is more suitable for pregnant women.

When you join a class, begin with slower poses, keep yourself hydrated and avoid exercising in a hot and humid room.

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