News September 2020
September 4, 2020
Exercising in Pregnancy – Why yoga is a good choice
Ok, so for a lot of us, our energy levels are considerably lower while pregnant than when not!
But if you can muster up the strength and roll out your mat, your body will thank you for it.
A study carried out by a Dr. B Pierce in 2012 (http://www.bradleypricemd.com/documents/exercise_in_pregnancy.pdf) found that women who exercised regularly during their pregnancy (i.e. pregnancy yoga) were 4 times less lightly to get gestational diabetes and less likely to have an unscheduled c-section.
Another study that was carried out in Spain revealed that exercising during pregnancy meant women were less likely to have larger babies (over 9 pounds)! Having a heavier baby can lead to complications for both mother and baby during delivery.
Prenatal yoga not only helps with the physical side of pregnancy but is also wonderful for mental well being. Being pregnant is actually a time when a women is at a higher risk of anxiety and depression. Yoga can reduce the chance of depression by releasing endorphins and encouraging a feeling of wellness and calmness.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25652267)
Also most people agree that the get a better night’s sleep after their yoga practice.
Exercising during pregnancy is also advised to help keep weight gain in check. Gaining too many kgs will increase your chances of pregnancy complications. Getting onto you your yoga mat, gets you active. Most of our classes start with breath awareness and finish with a relaxation but in between, you get a work out! Some yoga poses such as Warrior 1/2 and Downward Dog really help with building strength and stamina. This is going to help with energy levels during pregnancy and also help with getting through labour.
So even if you’re not feeling at your most energetic, get onto your mat and do a little yoga. Your body, mind and baby will thank you for it!
