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Benefits of prenatal yoga
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Prenatal yoga can lead you through a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery
If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably been told by doctors and friends who have been pregnant before that you should try prenatal yoga. You know it’s supposed to be good for you, but what’s so special about it? Here are the top ten reasons:
Yoga alleviates many common discomforts of pregnancy. Postures in prenatal yoga are designed specifically to relieve back pain and other aches, and the movement helps improve circulation and reduce swelling in the hands and feet. Yoga is a breath focused practice, so it also relieves the feeling of being constantly short of breath.
Yoga is a good low impact exercise during pregnancy. Whether you are backing off of your normal activities like running, biking or skiing, or you want to introduce exercise into your lifestyle, yoga is a whole body work out that will keep you strong and healthy without risking injury to you or the baby.
Yoga teaches breathing and relaxation techniques helpful in labor. The more you can practice using your breath to relax through physical challenges, the easier it will be to apply the same relaxation techniques in the delivery room.
Yoga helps alleviate stress. Studies have proven that the less negative stress you have during pregnancy, the less likely you are to develop complications like high blood pressure, and can in turn have a happier baby.
Yoga can help with a faster postpartum recovery. Postures help strengthen the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, helping to keep your muscles strong after baby comes.
Yoga creates body awareness essential to giving birth. Learning how to move in ways that make your body feel good and how to work only where you need to can lead to a more comfortable and enjoyable labor and delivery.
Yoga creates community. Being surrounded by other women experiencing similar things can be comforting. You can never have too much support when you’re pregnant, and few can understand better than other pregnant women.
Yoga allows you to embrace your changing body. Pregnancy is a time of huge transformation, and yoga encourages you to be fully present in your experience. Yoga embraces all body types and walks of life, and welcomes you into a setting without judgment.
Yoga allows you to connect with your baby in the womb. It’s never too early to have a relationship with your baby. Yoga reminds you that you are moving and breathing for two people, and helps you to get to know your baby before birth.
Yoga helps you mentally prepare for motherhood. It’s a way for you to focus on yourself and embrace the change that’s coming. It also teaches techniques to cope with stress and calm the nervous system, which can help prevent post-partum depression.
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