Can pregnant women do yoga, and are there any contraindications to the practice?

Exercises

Before you start practicing yoga, read the important rules:

1. Get your doctor's approval. Specify the degree and type of possible load corresponding to your current condition.
2. Avoid overexertion. Once you become pregnant, your body begins to produce a hormone called relaxin, which, as the name suggests, helps relax the ligaments, thereby allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal. This affects not only the pelvic area, but your entire body.
3. Warn the instructor. If you have already practiced yoga before pregnancy, notify your instructor (who should adapt the practice based on your condition) or go to a specialized prenatal yoga class. If you practice on your own at home, carefully study all the instructions regarding practices for pregnant women.
4. Be sure to drink water. Hydration is especially important during pregnancy, as dehydration can have dangerous consequences for you and your unborn baby.
5. If you do not practice at home, but in yoga classes (especially general, non-specialized ones), try to be closer to the exit so that you can leave the class at the right time.

Note that during different periods of pregnancy, the female body experiences different needs for physical activity and rest.

For example, in the first trimester (yoga for pregnant women 1st trimester), a pregnant woman needs to be provided with complete rest and relaxation, so it is better to devote time to pranayama and meditation, as well as light yoga asanas.

During the second trimester (yoga for pregnant women 2nd trimester), pregnant women need to move as much as possible, strengthen the body and back, and develop the hip joints, so more attention is paid to asanas aimed at achieving these goals.

Starting from the third trimester (yoga for pregnant women 3rd trimester), it may be more difficult for a pregnant woman to practice asanas that are already familiar to her, therefore, to support the body during practice, they use auxiliary equipment or improvised materials (pillows, bolsters, blankets, etc.), paired yoga is also recommended.

In this article we will look at general recommendations and prohibitions for performing certain groups of asanas. Specific recommendations for trimesters are given in separate articles on our website.

Yoga for pregnant women - why is it needed?

Physical and mental health

Exercising during pregnancy, even at home, will help you keep fit and promote the production of endorphins. Yoga for pregnant women will help you get rid of sudden mood swings, and in return it will give you more energy - you will no longer feel lethargic, tired, and tense.

Preparing for childbirth

Yoga for pregnant women is not only gentle exercise. This also includes special breathing exercises (pranayama) and work with the pelvic floor muscles.

Pranayama trains the heart and lungs, and also develops the skill of proper breathing (this will be useful during childbirth). Training the pelvic floor muscles, even at home, reduces the likelihood of perineal rupture and prolapse of internal organs.

Good physical form

Do you want to quickly return to your previous shape after giving birth? And this is where yoga classes for pregnant women will help you! Moderate physical activity will help keep your muscles toned during this delicate period. And they will prepare your body for childbirth and further child care.

Recommended Yoga Poses

General recommendations

• during pregnancy, any asanas are performed slowly and smoothly, without sudden movements, without excessive load;
• focus on static positions, thanks to which blood circulates better in the pelvic organs, strengthens the spine and muscles;
• inverted poses are useful for the unborn baby, thanks to which it is more correctly positioned in the womb;
• Pay attention to stretching exercises for the lower extremities - the risk of injury during childbirth is reduced.

3 useful poses

• Viparita Karani Mudra (half-bent candle pose) is an asana that can and should be done throughout pregnancy.
• Baddha Konasana and Supta Baddha Konasana are Butterfly Pose and Reclining Butterfly Pose, respectively. Thanks to them, there is more free space between the pelvis and the diaphragm. Breathing becomes easier, as does your general well-being.

  However, the Butterfly pose lying down from the second trimester is done with support on the back, half-lying or half-sitting.

• Malasana (garland pose) perfectly opens the pelvic area.

For detailed descriptions of practice recommendations specific to individual periods of pregnancy (1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters), read the relevant articles.

What are the benefits of yoga during pregnancy?

Prenatal yoga is safe and has many benefits for the expectant mother and her baby:

• improves sleep;
• reduces stress and anxiety;
• increases muscle strength, flexibility and endurance, which is useful during childbirth;
• reduces lower back pain, nausea, shortness of breath and headaches.

Thanks to group classes, you will be able to meet other pregnant women, communicate with them regularly and share experiences. Research also shows that regular yoga practice can help manage postpartum depression. Scientists believe that this practice is an excellent alternative to antidepressants and psychotherapy.

Group and home yoga for pregnant women provide all these benefits thanks to the special structure of the exercises. A typical activity might include:

• Breathing
  . The instructor will probably ask you to focus on inhaling and exhaling, and will also teach you how to take deep breaths in and out through your nose. Breathing techniques, which are used in different areas of yoga, will help reduce or completely overcome shortness of breath, and will also teach you how to breathe during contractions.
• Slow stretching
  . You will gently move all parts of your body through their entire range of motion, allowing you to gently stretch your muscles.
• Poses
  . By performing exercises lying, sitting and standing, you will move your body into different positions aimed at developing strength, flexibility and balance.
• Cooling down and relaxation
  . Yoga during pregnancy involves an obligatory part of the complex, during which women can cool down, relax their muscles, restore their heart rate and breathing rhythm. This is similar to meditation, which also increases awareness and teaches you to observe sensations in the body, as well as thoughts and emotions.

Can't do

If you have not done yoga before, then you need to approach your training with special care so as not to create additional stress for the body. In any case, the load is increased gradually. Pregnancy progresses individually for everyone, and no instructor or recommendations can foresee everything. Therefore, if the slightest pain occurs during practice, stop the exercise.

General prohibitions and restrictions:

• Bikram yoga (hot yoga) is prohibited;
• Do not lie on your stomach or perform exercises that strain the abdominal wall;
• jumps and dynamic transitions are excluded from the complexes;
• when performing standing balances, be sure to lean on a wall or chair;
• if the asana involves legs joined together, as in Dandasana (staff pose), then an amendment is made: the feet are spread apart to the width of the pelvis;
• in the second and third trimester, they do not bend deeply forward, replacing them by stretching upward from a sitting position;
• The dead man's pose (Shavasana), performed at the end of each practical lesson, is performed lying not on the back, but on the left side.

Prohibited for any period:

• Shalabhasana and other similar backbends from a lying position on the stomach and requiring holding the pose using the core muscles;
• Marichiasana 3 and 4 and other similar deep twists;
• Uttanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana and other deep forward bends;
• Paripurna Navasana and similar positions that require strong tension in the abdominal muscles;
• standing balances, complex sitting balances.

For detailed descriptions of practice restrictions specific to certain periods of pregnancy (1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters), read the relevant articles.

Subject to adjustment or replacement

• Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose) – as pregnancy progresses, joints and ligaments become softer and more pliable, which can lead to instability in this pose, increasing the risk of injury;
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog pose) – as the size of the fetus increases, the center of gravity changes and such poses can cause dizziness or nausea;
• Savasana (dead man's pose) - performed lying on your left side.

Remember that during the entire pregnancy and after childbirth you need to spare the body, adjusted for hormonal changes. Do not strive to achieve rapid progress in practice in a short period of time, because the goal of yoga during pregnancy is not to become “stronger and faster,” but to prepare for motherhood and contribute to the health of your child.

Is it possible to do yoga during pregnancy?

The answer to the question: is it possible to do yoga during pregnancy can only be given by a gynecologist who monitors a woman in labor during pregnancy and a qualified yoga trainer, taking into account the entire structure of the patient’s body, her state of health and existing contraindications.

In particular, there are restrictions such as:

• problems with the respiratory system and heart,
• anemia and diagnosed polyhydramnios in a pregnant woman or oligohydramnios,
• fetal presentation and established multiple births,
• pronounced varicose veins,
• hypertension and threat of miscarriage,
• You should treat yoga with caution in case of vaginal bleeding and late toxicosis, uterine hypertonicity,
• with other contraindications established by the doctor.

It is worth noting that if yoga was practiced while planning pregnancy, then such consequences most likely should not occur.

Yoga for pregnant women in pictures:

Features of exercises depending on the period

Each trimester of pregnancy has its own characteristics, which are important to consider when practicing yoga. Any qualified trainer knows which exercise is suitable for a woman and which one should be avoided.

First trimester of pregnancy

During the first trimester, women often experience discomfort associated with ongoing hormonal changes and bouts of toxicosis. Performing exercises can reduce the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms, reduce headaches and nausea. Among other things, regular exercise helps normalize the functioning of the nervous system. Sleep improves, but at the same time, during the daytime, pregnant women become more active and feel less tired.

However, it is very important to understand that the first trimester is an extremely important period during which a woman must be very careful. With the first appearance of a tummy, you must immediately abandon asanas performed on the stomach. You should also avoid sudden movements, twisting, stress on the abdominal muscles and bending of the torso.

Video: yoga classes in the first trimester of pregnancy

Second trimester of pregnancy

During the second trimester, a woman’s health usually improves significantly. Toxicosis, as a rule, recedes, and all experiences associated with changes in the body pass. During this period, the abdomen begins to increase significantly and it is important to prepare the woman’s spine for ever-increasing loads.

One of the problems that begins to plague expectant mothers during this period is the risk of varicose veins. Weight gain negatively affects the condition of the legs, they swell and become heavy by the end of the day. In the second trimester, inverted poses are especially useful, in which there is an outflow of blood and lymph from the lower extremities.

Also, this period is remembered by some women for frequent attacks of heartburn. Poses in which the pregnant woman is in a sitting position and fully straightens her chest, eliminating tightness, help to cope well with them.

As in the first trimester, postures lying on the stomach, twisting the abdominal area, as well as breathing exercises in which the breath is held for a long time are excluded.

Video: yoga in the second trimester of pregnancy

Third trimester of pregnancy

The third trimester is the final and very important one, as the body begins to actively prepare for childbirth. If there are no contraindications, you can continue to practice yoga.

Since the abdomen is already quite large and has considerable weight, it is worth excluding positions lying on the back: they contribute to compression of a large vein, which can lead to the development of fetal hypoxia. Exercises in a standing position are allowed, but you should not abuse them, because the lower limbs already experience increased stress during this period. During classes, you can lean on the wall. Asanas with strong body bending and twisting are completely excluded. Of course, lying on your stomach is also unacceptable, although they are already practically impossible in the later stages of pregnancy.

Starting from the seventh month, you should avoid inverted poses, as this can harm the baby. Be sure to use special yoga equipment: bolsters, stands, mats. They will help you maintain balance and train more comfortably.

During pregnancy, it is better to use special yoga equipment that will help you perform the exercises.

During the third trimester, a woman should prepare for the upcoming birth. A lot of attention is paid to relaxation, emotional state, and breathing exercises. A competent trainer will be able to prepare the expectant mother and tell her how to behave correctly, breathe and control muscles so that the birth of the baby is as easy as possible.

Regular training will help relieve the load on the spine, reduce the load on the lower limbs, and also prepare the ligaments and muscles of the pelvic floor for childbirth.

Video: yoga classes with an instructor in the third trimester of pregnancy

Types of yoga suitable for pregnant women

During pregnancy, it is very important to choose the direction that is suitable for a particular woman expecting a baby. There are many types of yoga that can help you feel better and prepare for childbirth.

Kundalini yoga

This type of yoga is one of the most ancient and is especially popular. A lot of attention is paid to breathing techniques, relaxation techniques and meditation, which is very important for women at any stage of pregnancy. The point of practicing this type of practice is to restore the full circulation of energy from the base of the spine to the crown of all chakras. It is believed that this helps to develop creative potential and even get rid of diseases that are caused by impaired circulation of energy flow. One of the main poses here is Halasana, which helps strengthen the back muscles and improve the flexibility of the spine. People who practice kundalini yoga are encouraged to free themselves from negative thoughts, which is very important for pregnant women who experience many fears in connection with the upcoming birth.

Kundalini yoga is aimed at normalizing energy balance and getting rid of negative thoughts

Aqua yoga

Aqua yoga classes are held in the swimming pool. This type is very suitable for women during pregnancy, as being in the water helps to relax and relieve stress from the legs and spine. The training is suitable for both professionals and beginners. The abdominal and back muscles are strengthened very gently. Movements in water are a kind of massage that has a beneficial effect on the condition of the legs, eliminating swelling and improving blood microcirculation. Many visitors note improved sleep and emotional background after classes.

Video: aqua aerobics and aqua yoga during pregnancy

Yoga on the ball

This direction is not exactly traditional yoga, but many stretches and poses are borrowed from ancient practices. The exercises are performed on a special large ball - a fitball. There are some peculiarities that take into account the trimester of pregnancy. The classes place great emphasis on proper breathing and unloading the spine.

Yoga on a ball allows you to work even the deepest muscles and at the same time reduce the load on the spine

Hatha yoga

This type of yoga was founded back in the tenth century and currently allows you to heal the body, improve the emotional state of a woman and eliminate increased anxiety. Much attention is paid to deep and correct diaphragmatic breathing. Performing exercises can reduce toxicosis, reduce pain, and normalize sleep.

Hatha yoga is an ancient teaching aimed at the harmonious development of man

Yoga Iyengar

Iyengar yoga is one of the varieties of Hatha yoga. It was founded relatively recently, only in 1975. Exercises are aimed at improving the health of the whole body and getting rid of diseases. The main attention is paid to correct body position. In each pose, you need to learn to relax as much as possible and try to experience comfort. The use of special rollers, blocks and other equipment is common, which helps pregnant women who already have a fairly rounded tummy.

During Iyengar yoga classes, it is customary to use various auxiliary devices.

During pregnancy, you should avoid vigorous types of yoga, which can be harmful and lead to undesirable consequences not only for the child, but also for the mother. The following types of yoga are prohibited:

• Ashtanga Vinyasa;
• power;
• bikram;
• aerial yoga.