Yoga for pregnant women is useful, but there are still restrictions for women who have a baby. Is it possible to perform yoga exercises for a woman in a position, the doctor observing the pregnancy decides, given the condition. If there are no contraindications, asanas will bring both pleasure and benefit.
Benefit and harm
The benefit of yoga for pregnant women is that it allows women to achieve relaxation, improves well-being. A complex of special asanas for expectant mothers has been developed to help prepare the body for childbirth. Regular exercises reduce the manifestations of toxicosis, save from fatigue. Specially selected exercises will prevent varicose veins, edema, make the pelvic and abdominal muscles stronger.
The practice of yoga strengthens the immune system, breaks down fat deposits. Respiratory asanas enrich the blood with oxygen, improve lung function.
Pregnant yoga is prohibited if:
- bleeding
- threats of miscarriage;
- severe toxicosis;
- pressure surges;
- polyhydramnios.
Also, before childbirth, you should refrain from asanas, in which there is pressure on the abdominal cavity, internal organs are compressed, or a woman may fall. Poses are recommended to be changed smoothly, without sudden movements.
The best option is exercises performed sitting on the floor or lying on your side. Consider the types of yoga during pregnancy.
Ancient types of yoga
Yoga techniques from ancient times:
- Hatha Yoga - Yoga, known since the tenth century AD. In this form, focus on working with the body. It is recommended for beginners. The consequence of use is the rejuvenation and healing of the body.
- Kriya Yoga - mentions of this type of yoga have been going on since the 19th century. Her technique is aimed at opening the chakras, cleansing the mind and body.
- Kundalini Yoga - designed to raise the level of energy in the body.
Modern destinations
Modern yoga techniques:
- Ashtanga yoga is an effective technique, which consists in the implementation of recommendations for proper breathing and a complex of movements. It is recommended for use only in the first trimester of pregnancy and in the second, if there is physical training. It is aimed at developing flexibility and strengthening the body.
- Sivananda Yoga - combines both static and dynamic poses. More often this variety is practiced in eastern countries, for example, in India.
- Iyengar Yoga - yoga that is recommended at any stage of pregnancy, including without proper physical preparation.
Much attention is paid to posture.
Features of yoga when carrying
Yoga for bearing is used at any time. Helps to cope with both current discomfort and the postpartum period.
Yoga is effective for swelling and back pain. It also allows you to get rid of the pronounced symptoms of a sharp change in mood.
Features of therapeutic exercises depend on the period of pregnancy.
The nuances of yoga in the first trimester of pregnancy practically do not differ from the performed complex before pregnancy. It is forbidden only to use those exercises that are performed on the stomach and involve all sorts of twisting.
The subtleties of yoga in the second trimester are also not very different from the above. In this trimester, the body weakens, and you need to listen to your body, choosing one or another asana.
If you feel that your body does not like this exercise and there is pain in the place of loading, then do not practice the asana performed. In this trimester, it is worth completely abandoning yoga if the doctor has discovered weakness of the cervix, which can cause a miscarriage.
Yoga in the third trimester must be approached with responsibility. It is necessary to completely abandon exercises on the back in order to avoid squeezing large veins, and one should not excessively use standing poses so as not to overload the legs.
When standing, it is useful to adhere to different elevations.
By the seventh month, it is necessary to completely exclude exercises that involve all kinds of inclinations. In general, during this period, yoga should be aimed at calming and relaxing the body.
Practicing yoga, a woman will perfectly prepare her body for the upcoming birth, as well as improve her mood and well-being.
Yoga for pregnant women in the 1st trimester
Yoga during the first trimester can be quite difficult. It is worth choosing the simplest poses that will help you relax and will not cause discomfort. Before starting classes, do a little warm-up and breathing exercises.
Classes in the 1st trimester
So, yoga classes for pregnant women include a few simple poses:
- Table pose We get on all fours. We extend the left arm and right leg. This posture helps women strengthen their muscles and learn to balance. It is best to start classes with this pose.
- Pose of a puppy. In order to take this yoga posture for pregnant women 1 trimester, you need to kneel down, lie down with the body and stretch your arms forward, as puppies do. Thanks to this pose, pain in the uterus is relieved, and nausea disappears.
- Hasp pose. Leaning on the left knee, the right leg is pulled to the side. We put the right hand on the knee of the outstretched leg, the left hand rises above the head. This pose stimulates a surge of strength, as the chest opens, which helps the body to be saturated with oxygen.
- Cat pose It is carried out like this: we kneel, resting our hands firmly on the floor. The back slowly bends and lingers in this position for 10 seconds. After the exercise is repeated. The pose helps to relieve pain in the uterus and reduce the urge to nausea.
It is contraindicated to give large loads immediately. Especially without prior yoga experience. If possible, do not experiment, it’s better to sign up with a good instructor than try to exercise at home, resulting in unpleasant consequences.
Also, you can not do it right after eating and put pressure on your stomach. In general, yoga will have a very beneficial effect on the state of health, as it will help to prepare physically and mentally for childbirth.
2nd trimester
During this period, choose the correct yoga position. Do not do asanas with a tear of the abdomen. Do exercises for the second trimester, standing on your head. During pregnancy, during yoga, control your condition.
If it hurts - do not tolerate. Do what you can. Exercise 15 minutes a day. In this way, you will release tension, and you will also feel much better. If a woman considers herself prepared, then during the period of expectation of the child, the performance of asanas must be reduced.
When combining yoga with other sports, your mood will improve. Do yoga for 9 months. No need to train constantly. The maximum rhythm frequency should be 120 beats per minute.
2nd trimester exercises
The second trimester is the best stage of learning experience. Everyone knows that. Through classes you can improve sleep. To perform yoga for pregnant women 2 trimesters, try to do such asanas, such as:
- Virasana is the best method for varicose veins.
- Tadasana - helps to stay well.
- "Cat" - get rid of pain during execution.
3rd trimester
Practicing yoga during pregnancy, you can not only influence your own physical well-being, but also regulate your mental state. Yoga classes in the third trimester of pregnancy will be useful for both experienced yogis and beginners.
The only caveat: you need to start under the supervision of an experienced yoga instructor. This should be a specialist with experience, it is better if it is a woman who has already given birth to a baby on the background of yoga classes.
Often the third trimester of pregnancy becomes a difficult test for a woman's body. For example, the weight rapidly and fairly significantly increases, the center of gravity of the body shifts. Therefore, physical activity is already more difficult. Nevertheless, continuing the exercises during gestation, the woman not only maintains physical fitness, but also increases her chances of returning to the original parameters after the birth of the baby. The main rule for the third trimester is to focus on your own well-being during class. You can not do exercises through strength, overcoming yourself.
Asanas of the third trimester
Classes should bring joy to mom and baby. A feature of yoga for pregnant women is the development of the skill of calm and deep breathing, as well as the study of the muscles of the pelvic floor. The acquired skills will be useful to the expectant mother during childbirth. Mula Bandha and Ashvini exercises will do. It is also important to learn how to control blood circulation.
Majariasana stimulates fluid circulation and positively affects the musculoskeletal system. Dvipada Pithasana, Virasana will also be useful. Exercises, including rotation of the pelvis, effectively prepare the body for the birth of a child.
Do you need inverted asanas in the 3rd trimester?
Definitely they can not be used for women prone to hypertension and those who have never done them before pregnancy. Inverted postures restore the hormonal and endocrine system.
Stretching back trains the abdominal muscles, is the prevention of stretch marks and reduces the likelihood of displacement and omission of organs. If a woman is very tired, then she practices the same asanas as before, but in a pose, lying with a pillow under the lower back, for free access of oxygen. Baddha konasana anesthetizes, relieves tension in the spine and pelvis. Shavasana completely relaxes the body.
Exercises that are held in the complex
Not everyone has the opportunity to attend yoga courses for pregnant women. In order not to start a sad state, we will consider what exercises can be done by women in position.
The following is a pregnant yoga complex:
- Relaxation. The first is to lie on your back. If you feel discomfort in the deflection of the lower back, then place a mat under it. Change the position of the body until the body relaxes, if it does not work, then turn on its side, while bending your knees to your stomach. A mental count of the number of breaths helps to relax and forget.
- Traction and tension. We occupy a prone position, arms are pulled up, and we are trying to push the heels down. We exert more effort on inspiration, and on exhalation we keep tension. Then, returning the arms along the body, raise the right arm and right leg and hold until muscle tone appears.
- Hands to the side, legs up. We direct our hands to the sides, pressing them to the floor, and try to reach the surrounding objects, while raising our legs up, making a turn in the foot with each foot.
- Triangle. Feet are directed upwards and widely bred. We try not to strain the muscles very much.
- Butterfly. We sit on the floor, bring the feet closer to the buttocks, spreading the knees, connect the feet. It is possible to contract and relax muscles during this pose.
- Half bridge. We lie down on our back, knees are joined, and we place our feet parallel to the ground and move closer to the buttocks. We take the pelvis off the floor. Hands remain along the body on the floor.
- The butterfly is vertical. After warming up the body with the above exercises, we sit down. We push our feet to ourselves, while not taking them off, we try to put our knees on the ground.
- Balance. We take up the big toes, while rolling on the bones of the seat, without taking our hands off the fingers, stretch our legs. If it does not go out to do the exercise with straight legs, then bend your knees.
- Cat. We rise to all fours. It is important not to bend in the lower back. On exhalation we round off the lower back, and on inspiration we restore the initial position.
- Strap. Leaning on the wrists, legs extended, we stand on socks. In the simple version, the knees are not taken off the ground, but in the complex one we completely remove the contact between them.
Having finished the selected complex, it is useful to lie on your back and relax. Yoga exercises for pregnant women will help to keep the muscles in good shape, while not raping the body, which is so weakened by pregnancy, that will beneficially affect the quality of childbirth.