Pre-natal Yoga

Last Friday I did a barre class at the gym and when we were on our mats doing core work, I raised up and strained something that felt like what could have been a muscle tear in my lower right abdomen. The pain lasted a few minutes and definitely took my breath away. Of course just then I decided to stop and rest and didn’t continue on with that particular exercise. The pain lasted for most of that day. Even trying to walk the dog later I had to turn around because it was too painful. I never had this experience with my first pregnancy.  I worked the following night and it still felt heavy and sore in that lower right quadrant.  I decided it was most likely a strain that would subside. I did yoga the next day and that seemed to help a lot. I definitely go by the motto to listen to your body while exercising. If it’s too sore, stop. The baby has been kicking like usual and everything else seems just fine but I really don’t want to feel that pain again. 

Yoga in pregnancy is a great form of exercise. I joined a prenatal yoga class in my first pregnancy and loved it. Having a toddler this time around has made fitting in an exercise regime a bit tougher-- especially because many yoga studios do not have childcare options. I do subscribe to a yoga website called Yogaglo that has online classes of every type of yoga with different durations and levels. They have prenatal and postpartum yoga classes that I need to take more advantage of. It’s a pretty reasonable monthly price of $18 and it’s unlimited. The beauty is you can do it in the comfort of your own home and when your other children are asleep! I need to start making it part of my daily routine. It not only helps keep you in physical shape but it has huge benefits mentally and spiritually. The breath is your saving grace in labor. It helps get you through. If you practice breathing techniques in your pregnancy and during exercise it will only prove beneficial when it comes time to give birth.  Go out and try a class today. NAMASTE!