Most Effective Yoga Poses And Exercises To Practice During Pregnancy
Exercise is considered safe during Pregnancy when the mother is healthy, not too far along.
She gets approval from her healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise regimen. It should be enjoyable so that the expectant mother will continue to do it after birth.
The routine for Yoga for pregnant women combines a series of Yoga poses with breathing exercises to bring mental peace and physical well-being.
The pregnant woman becomes more flexible, tones her muscles, increases her energy levels, diminishes nausea, stress, fatigue & backaches and increases blood circulation in the body, especially in the abdominal area.
It is advisable to do the exercises during Pregnancy under an experienced yoga teacher who has a thorough knowledge of yogic practices and their safety measures, especially during Pregnancy.
Yoga teachers can help pregnant women learn Yoga poses safely and understand which pose is more beneficial for them in specific trimesters, what modifications can be applied to make the pose more comfortable and less strenuous, what to avoid during each Trimester, when it is advisable to stop practising specific poses for brevity etc.
Yoga Poses To Do During Pregnancy
Prenatal Yoga Exercises & Poses To Be Done During 1st Trimester
During the First Trimester, many women complain of fatigue and nausea. So exercise and Yoga during Pregnancy should help relax and rejuvenate you. These include:
- Cat-Cow stretch in Yoga
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose) in Yoga
- Padmasana (Lotus pose) in Yoga
- Marjariasana (Cat-Cow Stretch) in Yoga
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose) in Yoga
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) in Yoga
- Matsyasana (Fish pose) in Yoga
- Malasana (Garland Pose) in Yoga
- Siddhasana (Bound Angle Pose) in Yoga
- Virasana (Hero Pose) in Yoga
- Bidalasana (Cat pose with spine stretch) in Yoga
Pregnancy Yoga Exercises And Poses To Be Done During 2nd Trimester
By the end of the First Trimester, you will notice that the woman looks visibly pregnant as the baby starts growing.
During the Second Trimester, discomfort and discomfort will start to decrease, and you can do various exercises and yoga poses.
Here are some of the best poses for Yoga for pregnant women during the 2nd Trimester.
- Trikonasana (Triangle pose) in Yoga
- Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Upward Extended Feet Pose) in Yoga
- Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle Pose) in Yoga
- Purvottanasana (Intense East Stretch Pose) in Yoga
- Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2 ) in Yoga
- Parvatasana (Mountain pose) in Yoga
Pregnancy Yoga Exercises To Be Done During The 3rd Trimester:
By the end of the second Trimester, the belly is visibly bulging. The mother’s body has slowly become accustomed to Pregnancy.
So it would help if you started doing exercises that include mild stretching and strengthening exercises and some breathing techniques to prepare for labour.
One can also practice all the poses for yoga classes online during the first and second Trimester.
But if you feel any discomfort, stop immediately and consult your doctor/yoga instructor for guidance.
- Kunjalasana (Seated spinal twist pose) in Yoga
Pregnancy Yoga And Exercises For Labour
Yoga exercises during the last Trimester mainly aim to prepare the mother’s body for labour.
The breathing techniques learned earlier will help relax and prepare mentally for the momentous event.
It also helps to increase the elasticity of muscles so that they do not tear during the birthing process.
Yoga during Pregnancy can significantly reduce labour pain as well. Here are some of the top exercises to practice.
- Ardha Chandrasana (Half moon pose) in Yoga
- Teriyaki Tadasana (Palm Tree pose) in Yoga
- Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose) in Yoga
- Vajrayana (Rabbit Pose) in Yoga
- Bharadvajasana II (Lord of the Dance Pose) in Yoga
- Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle Pose) in Yoga
- Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend) in Yoga
Inverted Yoga Poses To Be Avoided During Pregnancy
It would help if you avoided inverted Yoga poses like headstands, shoulder stands and handstands during the First Trimester.
Inverted poses tend to cause bleeding in early pregnancy, so it is best to take it slowly at this point.
You can also do these poses but only under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor.
- Balasana (Child’s Pose) in Yoga
After the first trimester, your uterus is high enough to protect the baby from harm, and it becomes less likely that you’ll experience any bleeding.
So it is more likely that you can slowly try inverted poses as long as they feel comfortable and do not cause any discomfort.
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose) in Yoga
- Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) in Yoga
- Urdhva Hastasana (Raised Hands Pose) in Yoga
- Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2) in Yoga
- Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) in Yoga
- Baddha Hastasana (Bound Hands Pose) in Yoga
As the baby grows, discomfort levels will increase, and you should avoid all yoga poses that involve lying on the back, twisting the spine and stomach muscles.
These Yoga during pregnancy poses should be attempted only after the first Trimester because you will experience discomfort if you do them now.
- Parighasana (Gate Pose) in Yoga
- Sukhasana (Easy pose) in Yoga
- Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose) in Yoga
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) in Yoga
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes pose) in Yoga
- Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen Pose) in Yoga
Pregnancy And Forward Folds
Forward folds are great poses to help relieve backaches, reduce stress and increase concentration.
You can start doing them even in the first trimester, but it is best to avoid extreme versions of the pose by bending completely or going into a full split.
- Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose) in Yoga
- Bakasana (Crow Pose) in Yoga
- Natarajasana (King Dancer Pose) in Yoga
- Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2) in Yoga
- Trikonasana (Triangle pose) in Yoga
Conclusion
During Pregnancy, there is a tremendous demand for an extra amount of blood to nourish the foetus and sustain normal metabolic activities. These demands are met by increasing cardiac output, rise in basal cardiac frequency and peripheral vasodilation. Hence, a yogi mustn’t practice various asanas during Pregnancy without expert supervision. Yoga during Pregnancy is considered physiotherapy during the prenatal period to maintain a congenital health condition of mother and foetus.
