Prenatal yoga is a form of gentle yoga that is designed to complement the growing needs of a pregnant body during all three trimesters. The focus is on restorative poses that keep you safe while practicing movement, stretching, deep breathing, and mental centering.
Are there any health benefits?
Mind-body practices such as prenatal yoga can be extremely beneficial during pregnancy, especially for addressing the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of this critical time.
Here are nine health benefits of practicing prenatal yoga...
Keeps the body active. Stabilizes your mood. Helps with mental centering. Reduces overall symptom burden of pregnancy. Focuses on pelvic floor muscles. Encourages breathing exercises. Prepares the body for childbirth. Increased well-being in young pregnant women.Encourages community support.
Who should practice?
In general, prenatal yoga is good for anyone cleared by their doctor to exercise. Since the practice is designed to address the unique needs of a pregnant body, prenatal yoga might be one of the safest and most effective forms of exercise an expecting mother can do.
Not only do prenatal yoga classes support you during the pregnancy, but they are also great for those who want preparation for childbirth. “Physically, prenatal yoga can support your body by strengthening the abdominals and pelvic floor that are used while pushing baby through the birth canal,” says Zoe Courneya, Life Time’s National Yoga Education Manager.
