For a woman, there is nothing as blissful as being a mother. It is a nine-month long journey that is exciting, overwhelming, stressful, and emotional. Each day brings in a cocktail of physical, psychological, emotional, and hormonal changes. Every day of this beautiful journey is about new issues and concerns.
To help moms maintain a healthy body and mindset during pregnancy, prenatal yoga is designed. Prenatal yoga poses work to increase physical and mental strength, resilience, and flexibility of expecting moms.
Prenatal Yoga Poses:
- Firelog Pose (Agnistambha): Start in a seated position. Cross the legs and stack left leg over the right one. Keep the hands in Anjali Mudra. Take deep breaths.
- Reclining Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana): Place two yoga blocks to support mid-back and the upper head. Lower yourself to the blocks. Once comfortable, fold the legs in Baddha Konasana and open the arms to the sides.
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand upright on the floor. Keep the head in a front direction. Raise the arms up and join the palms together.
7 Health Benefits Of Prenatal Yoga
- Decreased Back Pain: Back pain is common during pregnancy. It is more significant in the later stages of pregnancy because the bellies grow and center of gravity changes. Due to weak abdominal muscles, the lower back have to overwork causing pain and strain in the lumbar region. Prenatal yoga poses like cat-cow stretch strengthen abdominal muscles and aids in pain reduction.
- Supports Body Changes: “Our bodies are always changing” — Jane Austin. But, in pregnancy, the body undergoes an escalated pace of alteration. Prenatal yoga is designed to support body changes during pregnancy and help moms adjust. Prenatal yoga offers moms a safe space to stretch and strength their bodies, especially the lower body to ease the process of supporting a growing abdomen.
- Toned Muscle Groups: Thehealth benefits of prenatal yoga include toned muscle groups. The pelvic floor, hip, and abdominal core muscles are toned during the practice of prenatal yoga poses. Maintaining toned muscle during pregnancy is of utmost importance because it can assist in reducing aches and pains for nine months. And, a strong pelvic floor helps a mother carry the baby comfortably.
- Healthy Feet: The feet are often neglected, and pregnancy is no exception. As the center of gravity moves within the nine months, it is crucial to pay attention and care to the feet. Change in the center of gravity results in pressure on the feet. Owing to this, women experience pain in the heel, leg cramps, varicose veins, etc. With prenatal yoga, maintain healthy feet and balance.
- Calms the Body and Mind: Prenatal yoga includes breathing and meditation exercises. Deep breathing is an important aspect of the labor process, and delivery, it helps keep the body relaxed and mind away from the pain. Learning the art of deep breathing allows you to get more oxygen into the body and use the power of breath to remain calm and strong during labor.
- Healthy Hips and Back: Prenatal yoga promotes flexibility of the back and bone structures in the hips. Hormonal discharge during pregnancy softens joints and cartilage between bones of the pelvis to facilitate easier childbirth. Lunges are great for hip flexors. A good degree of flexibility is required for moms so that they can open legs during delivery without strain and can perform other leg movements easily to assist with childbirth. Stretching and flexibility health benefits of prenatal yoga make positions easier during labor.
- Connection With The Baby: Prenatal yoga once a week is a chance for the would-be moms to create a strong bond with the baby. It is an important determinant of the extent to which a mother bonds with her child after birth. It is associated with better development of the baby.
Other Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
- Improvement in sleep
- A decrease in nausea, stress, and anxiety
- Increase in strength, flexibility, and endurance
- Reduction in carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, shortness of breath
Yoga is great for both moms-to-be and moms. Keep your bodies moving with yoga.
