Namaste in bed? No way, mama. Get up and do some yoga. Bec Conant, a prenatal yoga teacher and doula, told Greatist that yoga's combination of stretching and strengthening exercises makes it a wise exercise to do while pregnant. Furthermore, she noted that practicing yoga during pregnancy can help you honor your changing physique. "It's a physical form of exercise that's also going to bring some mindfulness and awareness into how your body is changing," Conant said.
Additionally, Heidi Kristoffer, founder of CrossFlowX, told Greatist that yoga breathing alone makes it a worthy choice for expecting women. She suggested some specific poses to help relieve the common pains of pregnancy. To help alleviate belly weight, she likes "wide-knee child's pose" and "cat-cow pose." For an achy back, she advised doing simple hip-opening exercises like "ankle-to-knee pose," a seated position similar to sitting cross-legged.
If you are new to yoga, stick with a prenatal-specific practice. Experienced yogis, however, are generally able to keep up with more advanced poses, according to Verywell Fit; however, pregnant women should tell their yoga instructors about their pregnancy and should never perform poses that make them uncomfortable. No matter the experience level you have, you are going to need that zen frame of mind when your baby comes along.
