Yoga for pregnant women: benefits, exercises

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Yoga for pregnant women is useful, but there are still restrictions for pregnant women. Is it possible to perform yoga exercises for a woman in a position, the doctor observing the pregnancy decides, given the condition. If there are no contraindications, asanas will bring both pleasure and benefit.

Benefits and harms

The benefit of yoga for pregnant women is that it allows women to achieve relaxation, improves well-being. A set of special asanas for expectant mothers has been developed to help prepare the body for childbirth. Regular exercises reduce the manifestations of toxicosis, save from fatigue. Specially selected exercises will serve as a prevention of varicose veins, edema, make the muscles of the pelvis and abdomen stronger.

Yoga practice strengthens the immune system, breaks down body fat. Breathing asanas enrich the blood with oxygen, improve the functioning of the lungs.

Yoga for pregnant women is prohibited if available:

• bleeding;
• threatened miscarriage;
• severe toxicosis;
• pressure surges;
• polyhydramnios.

Also, before childbirth, one should refrain from asanas in which there is pressure on the abdominal cavity, internal organs are compressed, or a woman may fall. Poses are recommended to change smoothly, withoutsudden movements.

The best option is exercises performed while sitting on the floor or lying on your side. Consider the types of yoga during pregnancy.

Ancient types of yoga

Yoga techniques from ancient times:

• Hatha yoga - yoga, known since the tenth century AD. In this form, attention is focused on working with the body. It is recommended for beginners. The result of use is the rejuvenation and healing of the body.
• Kriya Yoga – This type of yoga has been mentioned since the 19th century. Her technique is aimed at opening the chakras, cleansing the mind and body.
• Kundalini yoga - designed to raise the energy level in the body.

Modern trends

Modern yoga techniques:

• Ashtanga yoga is an effective technique that consists in following the recommendations for proper breathing and a set of movements. It is recommended for use only in the first trimester of pregnancy and in the second, if there is physical fitness. Aimed at developing flexibility and strengthening the body.
• Sivananda yoga - combines both static and dynamic postures. More often this variety is practiced in eastern countries, for example in India.
• Iyengar Yoga is a yoga that is recommended at any stage of pregnancy, including those without proper physical fitness.

Great attention is paid to posture.

Features of yoga during gestation

Yoga during gestation is used at any time. Helps to copeboth with current discomfort and in the postpartum period.

Yoga is effective for swelling and back pain. It also allows you to get rid of severe symptoms of severe mood variability.

Features of therapeutic exercises depend on the period of pregnancy.

The nuances of yoga in the first trimester of pregnancy practically do not differ from the complex performed before pregnancy. Only the use of those exercises that are performed on the stomach and involve all sorts of twists is prohibited.

The subtleties of yoga in the second trimester are also not much different from the above. In this trimester, the body is weakening, and you need to listen to your body, choosing one or another asana.

If you feel that your body does not like this exercise and there is pain at the place of loading, then do not practice the performed asana. In this trimester, you should completely abandon yoga if the doctor finds a weakness of the cervix, which can cause a miscarriage.

Yoga in the third trimester must be approached with responsibility. It is necessary to completely abandon exercises on the back to avoid squeezing large veins, and one should not overuse standing poses so as not to overload the legs.

Standing at different elevations is good for standing postures.

By the seventh month, it is necessary to completely eliminate exercises that involve all sorts of inclinations. In general, in this period, yoga should be aimed at calming and relaxing the body.

Practicing yoga, a woman will perfectly prepare her body forupcoming childbirth, as well as improve mood and well-being.

Yoga for pregnant women in the 1st trimester

Yoga during the first trimester can be quite challenging. It is worth choosing the simplest poses that will help you relax and will not cause discomfort. Before starting classes, you should do a little warm-up and breathing exercises.

1st trimester classes

So, yoga classes for pregnant women include a few simple postures:

1. Table pose. We get on all fours. Extend the left arm and right leg. This pose helps women strengthen their muscles and learn to balance. It is best to start classes from this position.
2. Puppy pose. In order to take this 1st trimester pregnancy yoga pose, you need to kneel, lie down with your body and stretch your arms forward, as puppies do. Thanks to this position, pain in the uterus is removed, and nausea also disappears.
3. The bolt pose. Leaning on the left knee, the right leg is extended to the side. We put the right hand on the knee of the outstretched leg, the left hand rises above the head. This pose stimulates a surge of energy as the chest opens up, which helps the body to be saturated with oxygen.
4. Cat pose. It is performed as follows: we kneel, firmly resting our hands on the floor. The back slowly bends and lingers in this position for 10 seconds. Repeat after the exercise. The pose helps to relieve pain in the uterus and reduce the urge to nausea.

It is contraindicated to give immediatelybig loads. Especially if you don't have yoga experience before. If possible, do not experiment, it is better to sign up with a good instructor than to try to exercise at home, with unpleasant consequences as a result.

Also, you can not exercise immediately after eating and put pressure on the stomach. In general, yoga will have a very beneficial effect on he alth, as it will help prepare you physically and mentally for childbirth.

2nd trimester

During this period, choose the correct yoga position. Do not do asanas with an anguish of the abdomen. Do exercises for the second trimester while standing on your head. During pregnancy, during yoga classes, control your condition.

If it hurts, don't stand it. Do what you can. Practice 15 minutes a day. In this way, you will relieve stress, and you will also feel much better. If a woman considers herself prepared, then during the period of expectation of a child, the performance of asanas should be reduced.

Combining yoga with other sports will improve your mood. Do yoga for 9 months. You don't have to train constantly. The maximum heart rate should be 120 beats per minute.

2nd trimester exercise

The second trimester is the best stage of learning experience. Everyone knows this. Sleep can be improved through exercise. To perform yoga for pregnant women in the 2nd trimester, try to do asanas such as:

• Virasana is the best method for varicose veins.
• Tadasana - Helps to keep well.
• "Cat" - when doneget rid of the pain.

3rd trimester

Practicing yoga during pregnancy, you can not only influence your own physical well-being, but also regulate your mental state. Yoga classes in the third trimester of pregnancy will be useful for both experienced yogis and beginners.

The only caveat: you need to start under the supervision of an experienced yoga instructor. This should be a specialist with experience, it is better if it is a woman who has already given birth to a baby while doing yoga.

Often the third trimester of pregnancy becomes a difficult test for a woman's body. For example, the weight increases rapidly and quite significantly, the center of gravity of the body shifts. Consequently, physical activity is already more difficult. However, by continuing to exercise during gestation, a woman not only maintains physical fitness, but also increases her chances of returning to her original parameters after the birth of a child. The main rule for the third trimester is to focus on your own well-being during classes. You can not do exercises through strength, overcoming yourself.

Asanas of the third trimester

Classes should bring joy to mom and baby. A feature of yoga for pregnant women is the development of the skill of calm and deep breathing, as well as the development of the muscles of the pelvic floor. The acquired skills will be useful to the expectant mother during childbirth. Moola bandha and Ashwini exercises will do. It is also important to learn how to control blood circulation.

Majariasana stimulates fluid circulation andhas a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system. Dvipad Pithasana, Virasana will also be useful. Pelvic rotation exercises effectively prepare the body for the birth of a child.

Are inverted asanas necessary in the 3rd trimester?

Definitely they should not be used by women prone to hypertension and those who have never had them before pregnancy. Inverted poses restore the hormonal and endocrine system.

Backward traction trains the abdominal muscles, prevents stretch marks and reduces the likelihood of displacement and prolapse of organs. If a woman is very tired, then she practices the same asanas as before, but in a pose, lying with a pillow under her waist, for free access of oxygen. Baddha konasana relieves pain, relieves tension in the spine and pelvis. Savasana completely relaxes the body.

Exercises that are carried out in the complex

Not everyone has the opportunity to attend yoga classes for pregnant women. In order not to start the state to a sad one, let's consider what exercises women in position can do.

The following is a yoga set for pregnant women:

1. Relaxation. The first is to lie on your back. If you feel discomfort in the deflection of the lower back, then put a mat under it. Change the position of the body until the body relaxes, if it doesn’t work out, then turn on your side, while pulling your knees to your stomach. Mentally counting the number of breaths will help you relax and forget.
2. Extension and tension. Occupylying position, pull your hands up, and try to push your heels down. On the inhale we put more effort, and on the exhale we hold the tension. Then, returning the arms along the body, we raise the right arm and the right leg and hold until the tone in the muscles appears.
3. Hands to the sides, legs up. We direct our hands to the sides, pressing them to the floor, and try to reach the surrounding objects, while raising our legs up, making a turn in the foot with each foot.
4. Triangle. Legs point up and spread wide. At the same time, we try not to strain the muscles too much.
5. Butterfly. We sit on the floor, bring the feet closer to the buttocks, spreading the knees, connect the feet. You can contract and relax your muscles during this pose.
6. Half bridge. We lie down on our back, connect our knees, and put our feet parallel to the ground and move closer to the buttocks. We tear off the pelvis from the floor. Hands remain along the body on the floor.
7. Butterfly vertical. After warming up the body with the above exercises, we sit down. We move the feet towards us, while not tearing them off, we try to put our knees on the ground.
8. Balance. We take hold of the big toes, while rolling on the bones of the seat, without taking our hands off our fingers, we stretch our legs. If you can't do the exercise with even legs, then bend your knees.
9. Cat. We get up on all fours. It is important not to bend at the waist. On the exhale we round the lower back, and on the inhale we restore the starting position.
10. Planck. Leaning on the wrists, pushing the legs, we stand on our toes. In a simple version, we do not take our knees off the ground, but in a complex one, we completely remove the contact between them.

After completing the selected complex, it can be useful to lie on your back and relax. Yoga exercises for pregnant women will help keep muscles in good shape, while not forcing a body already weakened by pregnancy, which will have a beneficial effect on the quality of childbirth.