Health-care providers and fitness experts with pregnant patients or clients almost always recommend walking, swimming and prenatal yoga as the three safest ways to maintain or gently improve fitness during pregnancy. Group prenatal yoga classes are specifically designed to accommodate the physiological changes of each trimester, and eliminate all contraindicated poses. If you’ve recently become pregnant, talk with your obstetrician or midwife before you start a prenatal yoga program. Certain conditions, including a history of preterm labor or chronic back problems, might preclude you from partaking in the workout.
Physiological Changes
Your first trimester begins with egg fertilization and implantation and finishes with your 13th week of pregnancy. During this time, your body places new demands on your energy system, which can result in constant fatigue. Increases in estrogen and progesterone can cause swollen, tender breasts, and you might experience frequent urination early on because your larger uterus crowds your bladder before it rises out of your pelvis. Nausea and vomiting are common first trimester symptoms that can occur at any time of day or night, despite having been titled “morning sickness.” Depending on the symptoms you experience during your first trimester, you might not feel like exercising.
Prenatal Yoga Benefits
If you feel good throughout your first trimester -- or just for random blocks of time -- attending group prenatal yoga classes is an ideal way to maintain your level of fitness, relieve stress, alleviate common pregnancy aches and pains and prepare your body for labor. Unlike power, vinyasa flow, ashtanga and Bikram yoga, prenatal yoga is a pregnancy-specific workout. Prenatal yoga instructors are specially trained to understand the physiological changes your body goes through as your pregnancy progresses. They know which poses provide relief for lower back pain, tight chest muscles and sore hips, and don’t include positions that put you or your developing baby at risk of injury.
Recommended Poses
Cat-Cow, or yoga’s version of a pelvic tilt performed on your hands and knees, helps alleviate lower back pain and is beneficial in all three trimesters, as well as during labor. Standing poses, such as Tree and Warrior I, II and III, improve your balance and stabilize your joints. Tailor’s pose is a classic hip-opener. Your instructor will use blocks, straps or blankets to help you modify any uncomfortable positions.
Side-lying Corpse pose teaches rest and relaxation, two of the most important components of prenatal yoga. In early pregnancy, fatigue is your signal to slow down and listen to your body. The ability to relax carries its benefits throughout your pregnancy and onto the delivery table.
Considerations
If your fitness facility doesn’t offer prenatal yoga classes, consider looking for a yoga studio to see what’s offered. Having an instructor who understands pregnancy and provides a safe, effective workout is healthier for you and your baby than attending yoga classes geared toward the general population. If you don’t have the option of attending a prenatal class, seek out a hatha class, or another gentle yoga format. Let your instructor know that you’re pregnant, and ask her if she’s certified to teach pregnant women. Listen to your body, stay hydrated and don’t work outside of your comfort zone no matter how good you feel.
References
- “Healthy Moms Perinatal Fitness Instructor Training Manual”; Sheila Watkins; 2007
- Yoga Journal: Tools for Teaching Prenatal Yoga — The First Trimester
- MayoClinic.com: Prenatal Yoga: What You Need to Know
- BabyCenter: Great Pregnancy Exercise: Prenatal Yoga
