Yoga has numerous benefits. For instance, yoga will help lower your anxiety and stress levels, encourage relaxation and rest, improve flexibility and circulation, as well as strengthen joints and muscles in a safe, gentle and effective way, according to WomensHealthCareTopics.com. In addition, yoga can help reduce insomnia and indigestion associated with pregnancy and teach you how to relax and breathe for labor. The practice can also help prepare you for the physical and mental demands of being a mother. There are many pregnancy yoga classes available, but if you'd rather learn yoga in the comfort of your home, try some pregnancy yoga videos.
"Prenatal Yoga by Shiva Rea"
This video, by Shiva Rea, allows you to practice yoga based on your development. Rea takes you through stretches and poses ideal for your first trimester but features two pregnant women, one in her second trimester and one in her third, to show how to modify poses to meet the larger developments of your baby. Poses and stretches include chairs or sturdy benches for support. Afterward, Rea and the assistants walk you through 16 yoga floor poses modified for pregnancy safety, including the child's pose, lunge pose and plank pose. You'll end with a relaxation exercise, with examples of how to alter this exercise based on your baby's development.
"Sara Holliday's Prenatal Yoga Series"
This series categorizes the yoga into the pregnancy trimesters. For the first trimester, you'll spend 45 minutes using poses and stretches to tone and strengthen your muscles. FitnessBeginnings.com notes that this section is also good to use as a post-natal yoga workout. For the second trimester, Holliday presents a 35-minute yoga workout that focuses on eliminating back and leg pain that has resulted from the pregnancy. The third section, a 37-minute exercise program for the third trimester, provides breathing exercises to help prepare you for labor and posture exercises to make delivery easier.
"Pregnant, Fit & Relaxed"
"Pregnant, Fit & Relaxed" is designed for mothers-to-be who are 14 weeks along and beyond. Created by yoga instructor and mother of five Paddy O'Brian, this video supplies you with 75 minutes of numerous poses, exercises and gentle stretches to help you at this pregnancy stage and beyond. The video is separated into several sections, including Deep Breathing Rhythms, How to Stay Supple and Pliable, Positions During Labor, Abdominal Breathing for Contractions, Relaxation, Serenity and Flowing, Gentle Stretching and Correct Posture and Balance.
Considerations
If you have practiced yoga before your pregnancy, you should find it easy to adapt to a prenatal yoga video program. However, if you haven't practiced yoga, you may want to practice with a class. A yoga instructor will help you keep your posture aligned during poses and help you perform all poses safely and properly for maximum benefits. The instructor can also provide helpful information for poses not to do at home, because some poses can inhibit blood flow to the uterus or put you at risk for injury.
Member Comments