Week 2- Exercise: Yoga for You and Baby

The most frequent question I am asked as a prenatal yoga teacher is whether it is safe to begin yoga during pregnancy even if one has never done yoga before. Yes, if one receives the thumbs up from their doctor or midwife that it is okay to do exercise while pregnant Prenatal Yoga is not only safe but a wonderful form of exercise throughout one’s pregnancy. It is a great way to strengthen and tone your body to prepare for childbirth, a great way to stay fit during your pregnancy, and a wonderful way to connect with your body and your growing baby inside you. If you are new to yoga stay away from non-prenatal yoga classes and if you have had a deep practice for years continue doing what feels comfortable for you,modifying the Asanas over time. Prenatal yoga is nurturing and a modality of exercise that has been designed for your changing body and getting into a class is a wonderful way to connect with other pregnant women who are going through similar changes as you. If you can’t find a class near you I encourage you to pick up my yoga dvd , Anna Getty’s Pre and Post Natal Yoga Workout. It includes a disc designed for all stages of your pregnancy and a second disc with 9 short post baby workouts. If yoga is not for you find something else that feels good like Pilates, swimming,pregnancy belly dancing, or hiking. The most important thing is to keep your body moving.

Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 by Anna Getty

« Go Back

8 comments (Add your own)

1. Fanny wrote:: Hello and congratulations on the PAM project! I think it's a wonderful idea.
I am in my 18th week of pregnancy and I have been practicing yoga for 7 years. I have recently bought your pre and post natal yoga DVD (yesterday I did my first session, and it was great!). I have some questions about exercise in pregnancy. I go to the gym every day to do some walking (30 min.), cycling (30 min.)and a bit of weight-lifting (15 min.) with low weights (just for the arms, shoulders, back and pectorals). I would like to know if it is adequate to work out your pectorals and abdominal muscles during pregnancy. I have seen two web pages about some sit-ups specially designed for pregnant women, but so far I haven't dared to do them. Do you think it is safe to work out muscles so close to the belly? The web pages where these exercises are:

http://tiny.cc/yGt4X
http://tiny.cc/3KtGG

Thank you very much in advance for your help and my best wishes for the rest of the PAM events.

Fanny.
May 14, 2009 @ 9:07 AM
2. Anna Getty wrote:: Congratulations Fanny on your pregnancy. In the Khalsa Way prenatal yoga philosophy we never do any abdominal exercises. Although there are trainers who say it is safe (and it probably is early on) we believe this area should be left alone to do it's job, growing a baby, especially after 16-18 weeks. I think it is fine to continue with the pectoral, back and shoulder weight lifting and the walking and cycling. Over time you may choose to phase out the cycling. I encourage prenatal yoga as often as is possible and walking 3-5 miles 4-5 days a week. They say when one does that "the baby comes flying out." It is important to keep your heart rate under 160 beats per minute. You may also consider trying swimming, belly dancing or Pilates. Most importantly listen to your body and your baby. They will both tell you what feels right. Be well and be sure to write in if you have any other questions.
Anna
May 16, 2009 @ 10:51 PM
3. Fanny wrote:: Dear Anna, thank you very much for your answer. I am delighted to read it! I'm glad I haven't started any abdominal exercises. I think I'm definitely going to leave them aside until the end of the pregnancy.
I am curious about the meaning of "the baby comes flying out". Does that mean that prenatal yoga and walking regularly promote a quick or an early delivery? (I am not a native speaker of English). I know that in the very last stages of the pregnancy it is better not to do much exercise because that can encourage a premature birth.
The thing is that I am going to be 38 this month and it is my first pregnancy and I am quite concerned about getting too big --or enormous, in fact. Then I read about Nicole Kidman doing spinning classes to keep fit and I thought that moderate exercise could be key to control excess weight and have a healthy pregnancy. Last week I had my last medical revision and the gynaecologist said she was glad I was not putting on as much weight as in the previous revision, a month ago. I measure 1.70 and now I weigh 62.60 kg.
By the way, I saw you in a recent picture in the internet and you looked radiant! Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Best wishes,
Fanny.
May 18, 2009 @ 2:26 AM
4. Anna Getty wrote:: Even with your age, as long as you are healthy and have a low risk pregnancy doing moderate exercise up till the end of your pregnancy is fine. 38 is still a very healthy age to have a great pregnancy and graceful birth. I did yoga and walked 5 miles (2.5 km) the day I went into labor with my first child. The term "flying out" means the delivery will be easy than without having done the exercise. It is a saying. Of course nothing can guarantee an easy labor and birth but doing exercise will help keep you strong and healthy to help you during labor and make post-partum recovery easier.

Age and weight gain are not necessarily associated. The most important is to eat healthfully and do moderate exercise. Weight gain varies pregnancy to pregnancy and much of it depends on genetics. Exercise will not necessarily control excess weight gain. Making sure to stay away from sugar, refined flour and fatty foods with low nutritional value I believe will make a difference. I have a friend doing spinning while she is pregnant. If it feels good keep doing it. Just see how you feel as your pregnancy moves along.

Thanks for the good wishes.
Anna
May 18, 2009 @ 11:00 AM
5. Fanny wrote:: Thank you again for your recommendations. I think they are very valuable. Yes, I try to have a healthy nutrition, with lots of healthy low-fat protein, vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy products and the rest of it. I also take the prenatal vitamins recommended by my gynaecologist and the omega 3 recommended by homeopath. I have a book entitled "The Complete Pregnancy Cookbook" by Fiona Wilcock. You can have a look at it in Amazon. It has many interesting recommendations and recipes.
Changing the topic, I am also interested in the possibility of having a hypotherapist with me during labour and delivery to reduce the pain. I have already had a first appointment with her last week. However, the "hypnosis" she practiced on me was really similar to the relaxation part at the end of a yoga session.
Have you considered the possibility of undergoing hypnosis during labour? They say it really works. Yesterday I asked my homeopath about this, and he told me about a Spanish doctor called Dr. Escudero (dr.escudero.com), who specialises in operations, caesareans and natural deliveries with no anaesthetic at all. I have just had a look at his web page and they sell a book and some audio materials (both in Spanish and English) to prepare yourself during pregnancy.

Best wishes,

Fanny.
May 19, 2009 @ 10:08 AM
6. Dentist Abilene wrote:: Nice write-up. Yoga works great for pregnancy. that’s wonderful and TRUE. Yoga has 5 vital tools for pregnancy. when followed together, they work wonders on your health and your capability to have a smooth pregnancy. Smooth pregnancy and a natural childbirth are just some of the benefits of yoga. But more importantly, yoga does wonders on the physical and mental development of the fetus. ensuring a healthy baby is every woman’s dream and yoga helps you do just that.
December 6, 2009 @ 9:58 PM
7. sustanon wrote:: Although there are trainers who say it is safe (and it probably is early on) we believe this area should be left alone to do it's job, growing a baby, especially after 16-18 weeks. I think it is fine to continue with the pectoral, back and shoulder weight lifting and the walking and cycling.
May 18, 2010 @ 9:23 AM
8. sportboy wrote:: Thanks for the info. I appreciated all these Post
Buy Anabolic Steroids
August 17, 2010 @ 3:42 AM

Add a New Comment

Your Name:

Your Email/URL (Optional):

Your Comment:

Enter the code you see below:
code

Comment Guidelines: No HTML is allowed. Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be edited or deleted. Thanks.