After you've had a baby, yoga can be the perfect exercise to help you feel better, get some of your pre-baby shape back, and feel more relaxed and balanced. Although you should always talk to your doctor at your six-week check up before resuming any physical exercise after having a baby, once you have the go ahead, yoga can be a good way to center yourself at the end of the day or energize yourself at the start. Learn a few basic postpartum yoga poses to get started.
Step 1
Gather together all that you need in a quiet, serene room in the house. Yoga should be done with focus on the mind and body, so it helps if you have a place set aside for yoga. At the end of a hectic day with your family and caring for a newborn, sneaking in some time for yoga in a quiet and peaceful place may help you to feel less stressed. An article by Harvard health Publications noted that yoga does have an effect on stress, making it less severe--an ideal solution for anxious new moms.
Step 2
Learn about the poses before you attempt them. You could rent a postpartum yoga video from the library, or take a sample class at a nearby yoga studio. Nailing down some of the common postpartum yoga exercises can help you become more confident in practicing on your own.
Step 3
Try the cobra pose to help relieve tension in the back, as well as relieve stress. Lie with your belly to the floor and your face down. Plant your palms on the floor near your shoulders. Take a deep breath and push up on your pals as you slide them up, bringing your chest off of the floor. Hold the pose, breathing in and out for 10 seconds before releasing and sliding back down to the floor.
Step 4
Use a pillow to complete the Vipariti Karini pose to relieve stress in the back, help reposition the uterus and relieve postpartum leg cramps. Position the pillow about five inches from a wall. Sit on the pillow, with your left shoulder touching the wall. Take a deep breath and lay down on the pillow, sliding your legs up and along the wall. Your bottom should be touching the wall while your legs lay straight against it. Hold the pose for 10 seconds before releasing back down.
Step 5
Try the classic downward facing dog pose for stretching your spine. Baby website BabyZone.com also claims that this pose can help relieve mild depression, a must for those women suffering from mild postpartum depression. Get on the floor on your hands and knees with your hands at shoulder width apart. Spread your fingers and feet wide, and raise your hips and bottom to the ceiling, so that you make an inverted 'v' shape with your body. Hold the pose for 10 seconds before releasing.
Step 6
Complete postpartum yoga exercises daily to help restore mind, body and spirit, while improving flexibility, circulation and stress management.
Things You'll Need
- Yoga mat
- Yoga DVD
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