Many woman look for a way to relax and stay fit during pregnancy. The age-old practice of yoga can keep you limber, tone your muscles, and improve your balance and circulation with little, if any, impact on your joints.
A typical prenatal yoga class focuses on practicing different breathing techniques as well as gentle stretching of different areas of your body such as the neck and arms.
Below are five benefits that a woman can receive from taking prenatal yoga classes.
Strengthen & Tone
Research has found prenatal yoga can be a safe, gentle way to tone, stretch, and strengthen your body during every stage of pregnancy. Some of the health benefits of prenatal yoga are improved posture and circulation.
Reduce Stress
You will learn to help your body deal with stress by slowing your heart and breathing rates and lowering blood pressure. This can help with sleep and can also benefit new moms after the baby is born.
Relieve Pressure
In prenatal yoga, you can improve your balance, circulation, and flexibility, all of which can help ease any discomfort you may experience as your baby grows. Poses that open the shoulder and open and support the wrists can help alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome, a common complaint among pregnant women. Other poses can help ease back pain and even heartburn.
Prepare for the Birth
Prenatal yoga classes are designed to help you work on specific muscle groups that will aid in the birthing process. Yoga is also beneficial because it helps you learn to breathe deeply and relax, which will come in handy as you face the physical demands of labor, birth, and motherhood. In fact, one of the first things you learn in a yoga class is how to breathe fully.
Emotional Support
The benefits of prenatal yoga aren’t limited to your physical well-being. A prenatal yoga class is a great way to meet other pregnant women. The class will give you the opportunity to bond with other women who understand the ups and downs of pregnancy. Practicing prenatal yoga can help you form a support network that may ease postpartum blues and help you connect with your growing baby.
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates offers an 8-week prenatal yoga class that meets once a week for 1 ½ hours. Click here to find a class near you.