Risks of Yoga during Pregnancy

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Yoga is considered to be one of the most effective ways of exercising the body. Similar exercises during the period of pregnancy are considered to be beneficial for both the mother as well as the child. However, we highly recommend to take on a form of Yoga which is specifically aimed at Pregnancy as General Yoga is not without its risks. Although simple yogic exercises can be attempted at home, yoga during pregnancy needs to be done with extreme caution in order to avoid harming the baby. It is important to take professional advice specifically for Pregnancy especially if you are trying to combat weight gain as well as the various unpleasant effects of hormonal changes by resorting to yoga. Going through the Prenatal DVDs and videos depicting prenatal yoga exercises will help you to learn the right techniques. You do have to be careful about adopting certain postures which may in fact be harmful to you. The commonest risks of Yoga in Pregnancy are the following:-

It is a well known fact that the body releases relaxin, a hormone in order to make additional room for the growing embryo. Presence of this hormone within the body actually softens up the tougher structures like the bones and ligaments. Stretching your limbs to the extreme limits while attempting yoga during pregnancy may cause injury to the joints and ligaments thereof. Injuries occurring due to stretching and bending while trying out yoga postures may take a long time to heal during pregnancy.

The twists and turns most commonly associated with yoga should be avoided completely during the prenatal stages. However, you can certainly try to incorporate a much gentler twist originating from the shoulders instead of the belly while attempting prenatal yoga. Trying to twist towards the open side which is beneficial, given a sense of expansion instead of the compression that you would experience with a standard deep twist yoga. This is commonly known as an open twist and is believed to be more beneficial.

The jumps that are an essential part of yogic postures should be eliminated completely during pregnancy as any form of fast pace dynamic yoga style. This is not the time for this type of practice and may be detrimental to the Mums and the baby.

Pranayama is a deep breathing exercise which is an essential part of yoga. Breathing exercises are recommended as along as you do not hold your breath and do not experience any shortness of breath. Preferably, aim to practice breathing techniques that are usefull during labour, seek specialist advice for this.

Backbends and complete inversions are not recommended during any stages of pregnancy. However, you may be able to practice open chest supported postures which are great postured to open the body and enjoy relaxation. Forward bend should only be practiced half way with no compression of your bump.

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