Which yoga is suitable for pregnancy?
In general, yoga is a great exercise for expectant mothers. In order to prepare the body for the physical and psychological challenges of childbirth, yoga classes in Sydney can ease muscle tension, lessen stress and anxiety, relieve lower back pain, enhance sleep, and tone and strengthen the body. However, not every pose is secure for expectant mothers; regrettably, many teachers lack the necessary training to understand which poses to avoid or alter. You can even join the online yoga classes Australia to find out the ones that would fit you the best.
To help keep you and your unborn child safe, abide by the instructions on which poses to avoid or do with extreme caution while pregnant.
Belly-down posture
Avoid postures like the cobra or locust pose (salabhasana), which require lying down or putting pressure directly on your stomach (prone position), once pregnancy has been confirmed. Experts don’t want to compress your baby unnecessarily, even though they may only be the size of a pea. Instead, substitute a cow or sphinx position for the cobra pose (first trimester only). The ability to lay on your stomach will be completely unavailable as you enter your second and third trimesters.
Lying on your back
Pose on your back for longer than 90 seconds should be avoided once you are 20 weeks pregnant. The primary vein that returns blood from your lower body to your heart, the vena cava, is put under additional strain throughout the second and third trimesters as your baby and uterus expand. This can result in low blood pressure and lightheadedness during exercising. Modify poses like corpse position (savasana) by lying on your side or raising your back on bolsters supported by blocks.
Crunches
Crunches and the boat position (navasana), which compress the abdomen, have to be avoided throughout all three trimesters. You don’t have to avoid doing any core exercises, though. You can reduce lower back pain throughout pregnancy and increase your endurance for labour and delivery by developing a strong and stable core. Extended table, plank, forearm plank, and side forearm plank are examples of safe core exercises. To find out which core exercises you may practise safely if you have diastasis recti or suspect that you do, consult your doctor.
Forward fold with feet together
To accommodate your growing belly and safeguard your lower back as your pregnancy advances, you should alter deep forward folds like the standing forward bend (uttanasana) and the seated forward bend (paschimottanasana). To prevent diving too deep and straining your lower back, take a wider stance and practise standing forward curves with blocks under your palms rather than practising with your feet together.
Twisting postures
When pregnant, “closed” twists (twisting inward) should be discouraged since they strain the abdomen similarly to crunches. Avoid twisting poses like the chair twist, moon twist, triangle twist, half moon twist, and sitting twists. However, open twists are acceptable because they don’t constrict your child’s comfy nest.
Pretzel poses
The relaxin hormone that our bodies make during pregnancy helps to loosen the ligaments in the pelvis so that your baby can pass through. As a result, there’s a higher chance that certain poses will cause your ligaments to become overstretched, which can result in SI joint instability and lower-back pain. During your practise, be careful not to overextend yourself in any particular pose.
Deep backends
Avoid deep backbends like upward bow pose (also known as “wheel” or urdhva dhanurasana) unless you have been practising them comfortably and with any risks prior to pregnancy, as they can increase your risk for diastasis recti (abdominal separation). Gentle backbends can be highly soothing during pregnancy.
Inversions
The prevailing consensus is that now is not the time to begin an inversion practise if you didn’t have one prior to becoming pregnant. Toppling over is the most obvious risk, but there are other ones as well, such as squeezing your cervical spine (the little vertebrae in your neck) in poses like headstand since your body is now holding more weight than it is accustomed to.
Breath retention
Avoid using heated breathwork techniques like “breath of fire” (also known as kapalabhati). It is also advised to avoid breathing techniques like kumbhaka pranayama while pregnant. However, breathing techniques like ujayii breathing and diaphragmatic breathing (also known as belly breathing) are highly advised! These kinds of soothing, cooling breathing exercises are excellent to use throughout labour and delivery.
Can I hurt my baby doing yoga?
Yoga is a practise that emphasises both physical and mental health. It makes use of various breathing exercises and bodily positions, often known as postures.
Yoga is beneficial for both you and your unborn child when pregnant and a terrific way to stay active. Pregnancy-specific yoga poses are combined with breathing exercises and relaxation techniques in these programmes. Yoga has been demonstrated to lessen anxiety and aid in maintaining calm in expectant and labouring women. It may also help you sleep better. Numerous yoga breathing exercises might assist you in preparing for childbirth.
They will assist you in maintaining your composure and regular breathing during your contractions if you use them. Even less pain medication may be used after giving birth to your child if you practise yoga while pregnant. Find a yoga session designed exclusively for pregnant women if you’re a beginner. Your yoga instructor must to be able to modify their instruction to gently ease you in.
Why yoga is a good pregnancy exercise?
- Yoga can also teach you breathing methods that may ease the discomfort of labour contractions.
- Weekly prenatal yoga courses can aid in lowering antenatal anxiety and despair, according to latest research.
- Finding other pregnant ladies in your neighbourhood is easy by enrolling in a pregnancy yoga class.
- You might pick up some positions that will aid in positioning the baby during labour.
Some poses may be very unpleasant if you have symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), also known as pelvic girdle pain (PGP). Ask your yoga instructor to explain which positions can be helpful and which ones to avoid.