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Exercising when you’re pregnant comes highly recommended (in an uncomplicated pregnancy) even if you were completely inactive before pregnancy .  In fact, The Canadian Guidelines for Exercise in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period recommend that all women participate in aerobic and strength conditioning exercises as part of a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga is an excellent form of strength training for expectant moms because it targets key areas of a woman’s body that come into play in childbirth like the pelvic floor and hips.  Yoga postures like squats, the standing pelvic tilt and sitting meditation using kegels help prepare the cervix to open easily during the first phase of labour.

Learning to breathe is also key to a relaxed and calm labour experience.  In kundalini yoga, the breath is linked to each exercise as you inhale in one position and exhale in a counter position. For example, in a spinal twist, you would inhale as you twist left and exhale as you twist right. This breathing pattern helps keep the mind still because with each movement the mind has something to focus on.

During childbirth, the slower, deeper and more powerfully a woman can breathe the more in control she will feel of her body and mind.  The benefit of starting yoga early in pregnancy is that a woman can apply breathing techniques taught in class, such as long, deep breathing, and use the breath as an anchor during daily stress-inducing situations.  Experiencing the benefits of stress-reduction well in advance of labour helps build a woman’s confidence in her own abilities to manage the waves of sensation during labour.

Although many women are fine to begin yoga classes as soon as they find out they are pregnant, some women find the best time to start a movement program is in the second trimester, when nausea, morning sickness, and extreme fatigue have passed .

Cardio is also highly recommended during pregnancy so long as women keep their heart rate in a specified range and maintain exertion levels between fairly light to somewhat hard . Remember to always consult your health practitioner before starting a new exercise program, especially a higher impact one.

Women should stop exercising and seek medical attention if they experience any of the symptoms below :
•    Excessive shortness of breath
•    Chest pain
•    Lightheadedness, muscular weakness and feeling faint
•    Painful uterine contractions
•    Leakage of amniotic fluid
•    Vaginal bleeding

The good news is the benefits far outweigh the risks of exercising while pregnant.  Being physically active during pregnancy is extremely beneficial for a woman’s health and actually helps prevent :
•    Loss of muscular and cardiovascular fitness
•    Excessive maternal weight gain
•    Risk of gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced hypertension
•    Development of varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis
•    Shortness of breath
•    Low back pain
•    Poor physical adjustment to the physical changes of pregnancy

So even if you’re new to fitness, pregnancy is the ideal time to commit to a practice of self nurturing like yoga and meditation.  Yoga Goddess offers a unique combination of childbirth education plus prenatal yoga and meditation helping you prepare physically, mentally and spiritually for the birth of your baby.

Zahra Haji is a prenatal educator and yoga teacher in Toronto.
To learn more about prenatal yoga classes in Toronto please visit:
http://www.yogagoddess.ca/Prenatal-Yoga-Toronto.html

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