9 Incredible Pregnancy Yoga Benefits You Need to Know

As pregnant women we go through a number of changes which can be quite stressful, both physically and mentally.

Luckily, there are many great way's to stay healthy during pregnancy. One of my personal favourites being prenatal yoga.

Why?

The best yoga exercises for pregnancy are all super rewarding and can be made simple to do!

Is it Safe to do Yoga during Pregnancy?

Absolutely!

Prenatal yoga poses are perfectly safe as long as you know which positions to avoid.

In fact, yoga poses can keep you strong and healthy throughout pregnancy. As well as improving pain and stress management, sequences can help you to prepare for a better birth.

9 Benefits of Yoga Exercise during Pregnancy

Pregnancy yoga poses can dramatically reduce common pregnancy aches and pains, especially in the lower back and pelvic region. Whilst hip opening exercises can help you and your baby prepare for labour. Poses can also help:

• Reduce stress
• Improve sleep
• Minimise lower back pain
• Decrease nausea
• Lessen headaches
• Increase flexibility, strength and endurance
• Reduce hip and pelvic discomfort
• Ease pelvic girdle pain, SI joint pain, SPD 
• Prevent sciatica

And of course, you could always try yoga classes specific for pregnancy. Yoga in groups gives you a chance to bond with other expecting mum's, this can lower your stress and anxiety levels, helping an easier labour and childbirth.

When Can You Start Pregnancy Yoga?

You can start yoga when pregnant as early as your first trimester. Prenatal yoga is a great way to stay active and to target certain strength and flexibility exercises, that can be of real benefit to you and your baby during pregnancy and labour.

If you're newbie, just take extra care until your familiar with certain poses and sequences.

First Trimester

During your first trimester, yoga can help ease early aches and pains caused by an increase in special pregnancy hormones and heightened by inactivity. It's also a great way to prevent too much baby weight to soon.

Second Trimester

The second trimester is a great time to master specific pregnancy yoga poses that open up the hips and pelvic area. As your baby weight shifts forward, you need all the help you can get. Sequences targeting the hips and pelvic area are also really beneficial when preparing for a smoother and an easier labour.

Third Trimester

With yoga during your third pregnancy trimester, begin to focus on breathing techniques and meditation in particular to promote feelings of calmness and relaxation.

Learning to control breathing will really pay off in a huge way during labour and when it’s time to give birth.

And remember if you are a yoga pro, a ball can help you to modify and extend your routine right through to the end of your third trimester!

6 Yoga Positions to Avoid During Pregnancy

Although most yoga poses are perfectly safe to perform during pregnancy, there are some positions you will want to avoid.

Some prenatal positions should be avoided as they can interfere with normal blood circulation, cause nausea and dizziness, and in some cases, unnecessary pregnancy complications. This includes:

• Yoga exercises where you have to lie on your back
• Movements and poses that involve heavy abdominal work, strong twists and back bends
• Positions that require taking short and forceful breaths or where you’re asked to hold your breath
• Difficult positions that demand extra high flexibility and strength
• Inversions (upside-down poses)
• Hot yoga and pregnancy yoga done outdoors on a warm and humid day.

Remember – whether you break a sweat or not – always keep a water bottle with you to stay well-hydrated throughout.

Can Ball Exercises Make Yoga Easier during Pregnancy?

For those who may not be familiar with yoga, or who are finding poses a little tricky in pregnancy, stretches and exercises with a yoga ball can make striking those lovely yoga poses easier and still give a multitude of benefits such as:

• Comfortable support for the knees and ankles as you transition between pregnancy yoga poses
• Relief from spinal pressure and lower back stress
• Act as a counter-pressure to the perineum (area between the anus and vulva) and thighs
• Open up and relax the pelvic muscles to better facilitate the baby’s descent into the birth canal
• Position the baby in an optimal foetal position for a more comfortable and smoother birth

And remember if you are a yoga pro, a ball can help you to modify and extend your routine right through to the end of your third trimester!