At some point in your pregnancy I’m sure you’ve heard about the importance of staying active. Maybe a healthcare professional or friend has mentioned that exercise has great benefits and is highly recommended. But perhaps this has left you wondering what that means exactly, and how to make space for it.
You may be struggling through a variety of different pregnancy side effects or adjusting to your new and ever-changing body as your baby continues to grow. Finding time to be active may seem like a distant and blurry idea that only super-moms can achieve. Or maybe you’re feeling extremely motivated to stay active, but unsure of how to do that safely, for both you and baby, over the next nine months. And perhaps that tension has left you frustrated, with more questions than answers.
Cue prenatal yoga.
Whether you are an active yogi, have only tried yoga a handful of times, or have never tried it at all - read on for 3 reasons why pregnancy is a great time to start a yoga practice of your own.
- Active and Gentle- Prenatal yoga is both active enough and gentle enough for you to safely participate in throughout your entire pregnancy. You can gain all the benefits of staying active within the safe boundaries of prenatal yoga. Not only can prenatal yoga help ease the discomforts of pregnancy, it can also help prepare your body for the demands of labor, and the unknowns of postpartum recovery. Other forms of exercise may be safe to practice at varying times during your pregnancy, but prenatal yoga can provide you with a consistent practice throughout your entire nine months. This also means that you can try prenatal yoga today no matter what stage of pregnancy you are in, it’s never too late to start.
- Anywhere, Anytime, With Little Time to Spend- Prenatal yoga can be practiced just about anywhere, anytime, and can fit into a short opening within your schedule if that’s all you have available. You don’t need any fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships. Morning, noon, or night, if you’ve got yourself, and enough space to sit or lay down comfortably- you’ve got all you need. In the time it takes you to brush your teeth and check your email you could be increasing the endurance of your muscles needed for birth and postpartum recovery, reducing stress and anxiety, improving blood circulation throughout the body for you and baby, learning how to use your breath in supportive ways, decreasing swelling and alleviating pregnancy pain...just to name a few.
- No Experience Necessary- If you’re hesitant to try prenatal yoga because you’re afraid you won't know the postures, you are in luck. Prenatal yoga relies heavily on verbal cuing. Not sure what a downward dog looks like? Can’t picture a Savasana...and wonder what language that even is? The constant cuing of the instructor will solve those dilemmas for you. Throughout your time the teacher will continually guide you to place your body carefully into each pose, literally step by step. They will also instruct you on how to use your breath to gain the most benefit out of each movement. The simplicity of the practice is something anyone can master, even if you’ve never stepped foot in a yoga studio before.
Beyond these three reasons, prenatal yoga offers a discipline of stillness and self care that can become your greatest benefit of all as you navigate through the physical, emotional, and mental waters of pregnancy.
Ready to give it a try? Check back on the StorkAdvisor site over the coming weeks as we will be uploading videos for you to practice with me!
I’ll meet you on your mat!
*Always talk to your doctor first before participating in any yoga practice especially if your pregnancy is high risk, if you are having twins, if your baby is breech, or if you have other medical concerns.
