Yoga for pregnant women

What are the benefits? Can you do it? Are there any risks?

Photos of pregnant women showing their bellies. All these women have been practsing yoga.

Natalie from Springfield, Illinois, who became pregnant recently is curious about yoga for pregnant women. "I have heard that it is the hottest trend in Hollywood. But for a regular expectant mom like me, would you recommend it?" she asks.

Yoga is no doubt a very relaxing exercise, but it is also physically demanding. It gives great flexibility to the body and increases muscle strength. Yoga also helps to practice good breathing and calming techniques. At the same time, it puts you in touch with your body. These are some of the reasons why yoga is great during pregnancy. (Related article: Birth control choices for women)

No wonder then that Yoga is very popular in Hollywood among famous actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Cindy Crawford and Reese Witherspoon. These busy moms have practiced yoga prior to getting pregnant and continued the practice during and after pregnancy. (Related link: Yoga retreat)

Yoga has reportedly helped skinny Reese Witherspoon to stay fit during pregnancy and recover her figure after that. Reese took classes with Gurmukh, the famous kundalini yoga teacher and creator of the yoga for pregnancy technique called “The Khalsa Way.”

Cindy Crawford also took classes with Gurmukh during pregnancy. One of her labors lasted 17 hours. Cindy has declared that yoga helped her to recover her figure after the pregnancy. It is said that Gwyneth Paltrow practices 90 minutes of yoga a day. Gwyneth also practiced yoga while pregnant.

Should you also do Yoga if you are pregnant?

While yoga is popular, it is not quiet mainstream as yet. However, many people have the misconception that yoga is boring, too quiet, linked to eastern religions and many other myths. Yoga is quieter than heart pumping aerobics with rock music in the background. While Yoga started in ancient India and was an integral part of Hinduism, most practitioners of Yoga can choose to practice the secular version. It does not have to be linked to any religion. You do not even have to be a religious person to practice Yoga. (Related article: Yoga helps prevent waist size increase during middle age)

We also do not think it is boring. It has a lot of postures and breathing exercises that make it different, but if you do not enjoy exercises that require concentration, perhaps Yoga is not for you. There are many types of yoga and some can be extremely challenging.

Can you practice yoga during pregnancy if you have never done Yoga before?

You have to ask your doctor and check in your area for yoga studios that offer yoga for pregnant women. Generally speaking, you can practice yoga during pregnancy even if you have never practiced it before. There will be positions that maybe to challenging for you and your instructor will give you instructions, but still you can benefit from the breathing exercises and positions to increase flexibility and stamina.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with us