Knowing how to exercise during your pregnancy can be a tough. We are faced with so much conflicting advice about what mums-to-be should put their bodies through while they are carrying their babies, that fear can put you off exercising for the entirety of your pregnancy. At PramFit we understand these pressures. We know how bodies work, and we work to strengthen you with great advice and wholehearted support. That’s why we recommend Yoga to our mums.
With this in mind Pre and Post Natal Yoga is coming to Pramfit. We have our first taster class on the 13th March at Reflection at the Raylor Centre at 1830. Then drink after.
Now for the rest of the blog.
There is little dispute that Yoga benefits all bodies. Mums-to-be can exponentially benefit from regular, tailored practice. There are so many benefits we would be here all day if we told you them all, so here are our top 5:
1. Connecting with your breath
Breathing is essential to the birthing process. Learning and practising how to breath will help you during your birth, you will no doubt attend birthing classes where you are taught how to breathe during labour. Putting breath work into practice during your pregnancy will help to ease the aches and pains that occur as baby grows. It helps you to remain calm during busy parts of your daily life, as well as allowing you to remain calm during the birthing process. This will help to make the birth of your baby easier, no matter the circumstances.
Learning how to connect with your breath calms the body, which in turn calms the mind. Learning this practice during pregnancy will allow you to take into your life as a new mum. You can even practice this with baby when they arrive, creating a stronger bond, and shaping a calmer, more mindful child.
2. Calming the mind
Creating space for yourself in this mad crazy, sometimes overwhelming world is essential. For mums to be, your mind will be full of all of the things you are ‘expected’ to do, normal life stuff, looking after the house, working, seeing friends etc. on top of all of that, your mind will be running wild about the new life you are creating, the effects of that on your body, and the future of having this new miracle in your life.
Getting some quiet time may seem like a distant dream. Yoga can provide that space for you. A portion of your day where you have nothing to focus on except you. Your body. Your breath. Your baby. Yoga created the opportunity for you to slow down and achieve some mental space. This benefits you and will in turn benefit baby.
We know that what we eat and drink while pregnant directly affects baby, but have you thought about the effects of what you think. Your baby feels what you feel. When you are stressed, baby will pick that up, when you are calm, baby will be calm too. Bringing calmness to the body will also help you to sleep, which can become difficult certainly in the later stages of pregnancy when baby makes finding a comfortable position in bed more challenging.
3. Reducing back pain
By core, we mean not only the abdominal muscles, but also the back muscles, all of which support your spine, and enable you to maintain good posture. During pregnancy, the changing shape of your body will naturally change the way you hold yourself. The extra weight at the front of your body will shift your centre of gravity forward, potentially leading to lower back pain. Safely strengthening your core will reduce, and eventually alleviate this discomfort. It will also aid with recovery after birth and give you a strong foundation to build on postnatally (where we will also be on had to support you).
4. Opening and strengthening the hips
The hips are where we hold our emotions. During pregnancy, with the huge changes in your hormones, you may feel extreme highs and lows of emotion. Giving yourself space to release will help you to regulate these mood changes, and in turn will build strength through the hips which will help with your birth. Opening and strengthening your hips also helps with back pain. Having tight or uncomfortable hips again changes our posture. This can mean that you sit or stand in a way that is not good for your body, developing bad habits that might carry on even after birth.
5. Strengthening the Pelvic Floor
Your pelvic floor is essential in holding baby in place during pregnancy. It also takes a real hammering while you are carrying baby, due to the extra weight that is placed in it during this time. Strengthening it during pregnancy will help you to prevent leakage, will allow you to develop a stronger core, and will help with labour. Your pelvic floor also plays an important part in your sex life, so maintaining and building strength in this area will give you added bonuses in this area too.
Bonus Tip – Making friends for life.
At PramFit we base our ethos on community, and there is no better way to be involved in a community than through physical movement. Our sessions, both Yoga, and Fitness, are build specifically for mums, and mums to be. This means you will be surrounded by people just like you. They have the same aches, the same pains, the same questions, the same pressures, and we encourage you to talk, bond and make lifelong friends.
We are not just about the physical practice of any of our disciplines. Our coaches are passionate about giving you a safe environment to share your thoughts, to make sure you leave our sessions feeling as good as you possibly can, physically and mentally.