Yoga for pregnant women: can we practice during pregnancy?
Is there a special yoga for pregnant women ? Which yoga to practice during pregnancy? Discover prenatal yoga! Pregnancy is a physically and mentally demanding period for women. It can be accompanied by the practice of a particular form of yoga: prenatal yoga.
This discipline is designed to keep the body and mind of the mother-to-be healthy and to prepare her serenely for what is the most worrying phase of the reproductive process, childbirth.
This is possible thanks to body and breathing exercises adapted to the pregnant woman, developed by veteran yogis, midwives and doctors.
I guess I’m not telling you anything if I tell you that yoga for pregnant women is reserved… for pregnant women. But can all future mothers practice this discipline?
1/ An accessible sport
Whether or not you have practiced yoga in the past, you can practice yoga during your pregnancy. It is even possible for women experienced in this sport to continue practicing traditional yoga during their first trimester.
There are several ways to learn about this discipline, either by yourself through articles and online videos or through group or individual classes, during which the teachers will teach you everything you need to know in order to perform prenatal yoga well.
However, it is important to know that theagreement of the obstetrician gynecologist is mandatory to practice prenatal yoga. Indeed, this discipline can present risks for some pregnant women.
2/ EXCEPTIONS
Nevertheless, there are cases in which it is not recommended to practice prenatal yoga. These cases are as follows:
- Heart or blood circulation problems( especiallyhypertension ) in the fertilizing woman
- Person with a history of miscarriage
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Women who are too old (from 35 years of age, the pregnancy is said to be “at risk”)
If this form of yoga is so recommended, it is for a very simple reason, it has many benefits. These benefits can be of two different natures, physical or psychological.
1/ Physical benefits
From the point of view of the body of the mother-to-be, prenatal yoga allows :
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Relieve feelings of nausea and heavy legs
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Improve the elasticity of the perineum
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Soothe lower back pain
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Avoiding pregnancy-related diabetes (gestational diabetes)
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Activate blood circulation and oxygenation of cellular tissues
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Develop pelvic mobility to facilitate childbirth
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Tone your muscles
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Store pain-relieving hormones (endorphins) in preparation for childbirth
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Work on flexibility and balance
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Get back to a flat stomach more quickly after childbirth
2/ Psychological benefits
From the point of view of the mother-to-be, prenatal yoga allows her to :
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Preparing mentallyfor childbirth
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To relax, to free oneself from stress
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Share a special moment with your baby
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Improve understanding of your body
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Understanding and controlling your breathing
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Strengthening the bond between mother and baby
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Adapting to changes in your body
POSTURES NOT TO BE USED WHEN PREGNANT
1 / Dangerous postures for pregnant women
Long postures on the back, such as Shavasana, are dangerous for the fertilizing woman. Indeed, unless the feet are elevated, staying more than 3 minutes on the back results in a compression of the vena cava nerve and can cause discomfort, dizziness and even fainting. However, these positions can be realized on the side.
Curved postures (such as camel) and bending can also cause dizziness.
2/ Dangerous postures for the baby
Although it is physically very complicated for a pregnant woman to perform belly postures at the end of pregnancy (when the belly is very round), it is feasible at the beginning of the gestation period, but very strongly discouraged because it is dangerous for the baby.
Also, postures that affect the abdominal muscles should not be performed during pregnancy. This is to avoid encroaching on the vital space that the baby needs during the abdominal contraction. Positions where the body is twisted are also not adapted to the good development of the baby, as well as inverted postures such as the Sirsasana posture and the dog posture.
THE BEST YOGA POSITIONS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
Due to the more fragile nature of the body during pregnancy and the risks to the baby if the movement is too abrupt, the pregnant woman cannot perform all the traditional yoga positions, as we have seen in the previous section. Our goal here is to present you simple positions to perform, not taking too much of your time and especially adapted for a pregnant woman.
1/ FIRST POSTURE (1 MINUTE)
Steps to follow:
1: Sit cross-legged
2: Put your hands on your knees
3: Draw circles with your chest (your buttocks must constantly touch the ground)
4: Breathe in and out deeply and change the direction of rotation after 30 seconds
2/ SECOND POSTURE (1 MINUTE)
Steps to follow:
1: Sit cross-legged
2: Extend your right arm to the right and your left arm to the left, symmetrically to your body.
3: Take a deep breath and lean your body to the right, then rest your forearm (right arm) on the floor.
4: Stretch your left arm over your head
5: Exhale and repeat on the other side
6: Alternate (6 movements per side)
3/ Third posture (1 minute)
Steps to follow:
1: Sit cross-legged
2: Relax your right leg diagonally to your body, toes should be up
3: Lean into the line drawn by your leg
4: Touch with your right hand the furthest point on your leg that you can reach
5: Hold your hand in this position
6: Stretch your left arm over your head
7: Breathe in and out deeply (3 inhalations and 3 exhalations)
8: Perform the same process on the other side
4/ Fourth posture (1 min)
Steps to follow:
1: Get on all fours, hands and shoulders should be in line with the ground and knees should be at the same distance (knees and hands should form a rectangle)
2: Inhale, arch your back and tilt your head so that you are looking at the ceiling
3: Exhale, bring the chin to the chest and arch the back
4: Repeat this sequence 6 times
5/ Fifth posture (1 min)
Steps to follow:
1: Get on all fours
2: Sit on your heels
3: Stretch your arms out in front of you (if it pulls too much, you can place your hands under your head to form a cushion)
4: Breathe in and out for 45 seconds (stop before if it’s too much)
5: Pull your body up by uncoiling your spine slowly
6/ Sixth posture (1 min)
Steps to follow:
1: Stand with your arms at your sides and spread your feet very slightly.
2: Fix a point on the ground
3: Distribute all your weight on your left foot
4: Raise your right leg and place your right foot on your left knee
5: Put your hands together (as if praying), facing your chest
6: Inhale as you raise your arms to the ceiling
7: Exhale on the way down
8: Repeat, distributing all your weight on your right leg this time
With the exception of the last one, all the positions presented here involve sitting, lying down or crawling, which are not very comfortable positions on the floor, especially for a woman weakened by her pregnancy. That’s why YOGOM is now going to make a list of essential equipment for every yogi.
1/ A comfortable and natural yoga mat
Belonging to the YOGOM Softness Range , this ecological wool mat will be perfect for you to practice prenatal yoga while preserving your body!
Its large size (200 x 75 cm) is ideal and does not make it cumbersome. Indeed, it is rollable and cotton ties for easy transport are integrated in the order!
It is made of wool in Europe and is Oeko-Tex certified, which means that it is not harmful to the skin and health.
2/ Accessories to secure the practice
The closer the mother-to-be gets to giving birth, the slower and gentler her movements must be in order to avoid damaging her fragile body and to avoid rushing the baby. To this end, YOGOM offers stretching straps that allow you to gain flexibility and considerably reduce the risk of injury!
Acting as an extension of your arms or as a support for your body, mainly during workouts, having yoga bricks is very useful to practice serenely. YOGOM offers 100% EVA bricks (recyclable material) by the unit or in batches of 2 at a discount. It is strongly recommended to get 2 bricks, the body parts supported by them usually going in pairs (arms, knees…etc)
3/ The Bolster: the best ally of yoga for pregnant women
Cylindrical cushion placed under the spine, the wool bolster from YOGOM is extremely comfortable and a must-have for relaxation.
This object allows, in addition to its main function which is to relax its user, to find energy and facilitate digestion, while strengthening the metabolism .
Allowing you toadjust your position during yoga exercises without hurting yourself, it is perfectly adapted to this practice. It is also easily transportable and washable.
For people who want to do their own padding, YOGOM also offers a bolster cover to fill (with unused clothes for example).
TO SUMMARIZE:
There is therefore a form of YOGA adapted to pregnant women, prenatal yoga ! This practice, which can be taught via the internet or in group classes, presents many benefits for the mother-to-be, such as a better understanding of one’s body and breathing as well as a strengthening the link with her child. Some positions are not adapted for this practice and it is essential to have adequate equipment, equipment that can be found on the YOGOM website!
Want to do a prenatal yoga training? Go to the Parisian Amazons website here !
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