From the very first moment when you get to know that you are pregnant; you start to prepare for the difficult-yet-sweet journey ahead. You start with regular visits to the doctors to take advice and to prepare yourself for issues related to health due to pregnancy, you start to take care of yourself more as a healthy mother is a host for the yet to be born baby. You quit smoking and alcohol as it can hamper the growth of the baby and even cut caffeine as it creates problems during the childbirth. You start to eat healthy in order to have a healthy baby. Pulling yourself away from your regular habits and going through a lot of body changes become very difficult. Lack of sleep, unbalanced emotions and much more are just some experiences of pregnancy.
So, it is advised to maintain some physical activities and to perform prenatal yoga during pregnancy. This has huge health benefits and helps the body for the childbirth. Like many other activities a woman does to for peace; prenatal yoga also helps in getting relaxed. Prenatal yoga is getting acknowledged more and more as it has proven effective in many ways like
- Improves health
- Improves sleep
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Increases the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
- Decreases lower back pain, nausea, headaches and shortness of breath
Even many big Bollywood celebrities were seen performing prenatal yoga as an effective way to prepare themselves for the delivery. Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “Practicing mind-body wellness, especially while you are pregnant is extremely essential. Yoga has helped me develop a heightened awareness of my body and to be honest, I just feel so much better when I do yoga.”
Prenatal yoga helps you prepare your body and calm you down with its effective breathing techniques as it encourages you to focus on slow in and out of your breath.
Anushka Sharma also posted a picture while she was pregnant performing prenatal yoga. She recently gave birth to a baby girl.
On the picture, she wrote: “This exercise is ‘hands-down’ (and legs up) the most difficult one. #throwback. P.S. – As yoga is a big part of my life, my doctor recommended that I can do all such asanas that I was doing before I was pregnant (after a certain stage) barring twists & extreme-forward bends, but of course with the appropriate and required support. For the Shirshasana, which I have been doing for many years, I ensured that I used the wall for support and also my very able husband supporting me balance, to be extra safe. This was also done under the supervision of my yoga teacher, who was virtually with me through this session. I’m so glad I could continue my practice through my pregnancy.”
Prenatal yoga is easy to perform but be careful and avoid overdoing it. It is advised to perform prenatal yoga under the guidance of an instructor as it will be more effective.
