Start 2011 with a healthy mind & body for you and your baby!

Dec 31, 2010 by Jennifer More (Wolfe)

Choose to make healthy choices for you and your baby by including Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga into your New Years Resolution!

Now that the gift giving and parties of 2010 are coming to a close, your attention can turn from the needs and desires of your family and friends, back to your own health and happiness as well as the needs of your body and your baby….

Enter Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga …

This New Years is special because you or some one you love is pregnant and what they do over the next several months can have a huge impact on their lives and health during this precious time and for years to come.

Here’s why adding prenatal yoga to your new years resolution is a must:

Doing prenatal yoga can help prepare your body for giving birth!

Childbirth is one of the most physically demanding activities a woman will ever go through. Even if you are not planning natural childbirth, it has been my observation that women who are strong and flexible have the mental and physical abilities to handle the challenges of birth are more likely to need less pain medication and therefore fewer interventions in childbirth.

Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga can increase your energy levels and release endorphins or “feel good hormones”!

Many women I have worked with have less fatigue by doing as little as 15-30 minutes of prenatal yoga 3-4 times a week. The endorphins released by doing prenatal yoga are great stress relievers as well as energy boosters! Yoga is different from many other forms of exercise in that you learn how to relax your body and mind while using your muscles and moving through poses. This makes Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga the perfect way to prepare mentally and physically for childbirth and motherhood!

Alleviate aches and pains!

I am continually getting messages from women who use Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga telling me that they no longer suffer from the aches and pains they were experiencing in their pregnant bodies before they started yoga and that they feel great on the days they practice. Many women who work at desks all day feel relief from sciatica and upper and lower back pain when they add prenatal yoga to their day.

RECOVERY FROM PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH!

I cannot stress this one enough (as evidenced by the bold, all caps title:))! We spend so much time while pregnant focusing on preparing for the day (or days) of birthing the baby and not much time thinking about what happens after.

Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga can help you recover faster by keeping you strong and flexible during pregnancy, so that after your baby is born, you have the centeredness and stamina to deal with sleepless nights and crying babies. Doing Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga while pregnant helps to provide you with a tool and motivation to resume your fitness practice postpartum. Integrating yoga into your life can help you learn to stay present in your body, encouraging patience and relaxation which helps your baby have a peaceful transition into his/her new world. Taking care of your mind and body after giving birth is one of the keys to enjoying this precious newborn stage of life.

OK…this sounds great right? But HOW do you make Prenatal Yoga part of your busy life and how do you stay with it?

The answer is to set realistic short term goals. For just ONE week do 15 -30 minutes of yoga 3 times. For example you might pick 9am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or maybe noon time Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday…whatever works for you. Make it the same time each day and commit to it for just one week. Once you do it a few times you’ll realize how easy it is to fit into your day AND more importantly, how great it makes you feel the rest of your day and your week.