Gone are the days when pregnant women were supposed to sit with their feet up all day and avoid exercise during their pregnancy. Today, people realize that exercise can have a positive impact on you and your baby during pregnancy. Yoga is a particularly good exercise while you are pregnant because it can prepare you physically for the birth as well as keeping you relaxed.

Prenatal Class

The best way to do yoga while pregnant is to sign up for a prenatal yoga class because the instructor tailors the exercises to suit a pregnant woman. If you don’t have a class like that near you, make sure you tell your yoga instructor that you are pregnant. If you had already been doing yoga before you became pregnant, modify some of your positions, such as exercising on your back, especially the further along you get in your pregnancy. If you are new to yoga, listen to your body. If you feel pain, ask the instructor whether you can do an alternative pose.

Best Exercises

A sitting pose, called the Cobbler’s pose, is good to open your pelvis. Sit up with your back against the wall and the soles of your feet touching. Gently press your knees to the ground. Sit this way as long as you are comfortable. The pelvic tilt helps with back pain. Get on your hands and knees; tuck your butt under and round your back. Breathe out while putting your back in a neutral position. Repeat. Squatting helps the pelvis and upper legs. Hold a chair for support if you need to when doing squats. Stand with your feet wider than your hips, toes pointed out, chest up and shoulders relaxed. Pretend you are going to sit in a chair as you slowly lower yourself. Exhale as you stand. You can also do standing positions, such as Warrior and Tree.

Precautions

You should avoid some types of yoga poses while you are pregnant. Do not attempt any poses where you lie flat on your back in your third trimester because that position can reduce the blood flow to your baby. Don’t do exercises that pull your abs, either. When you are pregnant, you are more susceptible to strains and injuries, and the abdominal area is a particularly bad area to injure while you are pregnant. Don’t attempt a headstand for your first time while you are pregnant.

Considerations

Your balance is off when you are in your second trimester on. You can still do standing yoga poses, but have a chair near you for support or stand with your heel to a wall. Don’t hold your poses for a long time. It’s better to keep moving. Pregnancy is not a time to do hot yoga, where you work out in a room that is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more, because being overheated can harm your baby. When you exercise, keep your belly in mind, and don’t put too much pressure there. For example, use your shoulders and back when doing twists rather than your waist. If any yoga position hurts, stop doing it immediately.

Rest and Relax

When you are done exercising, relax by lying on your left side (the left side is usually better for blood circulation for the baby), head resting on a pillow. Put a pillow between your thighs, too. Do some yoga breathing exercises in this position, relax, enjoy yourself, and listen to your body. Do this for 20 minutes. You need to learn how to relax and rest while you are pregnant.