For those who wish to exercise during pregnancy, in Babies and more we recommend practicing yoga, one of the most appropriate exercises during this stage, and in fact a study found that It is the best exercise to do in pregnancyWell, it is more effective than walking or taking prenatal classes.
So if you want to start practicing yoga and you are at the beginning of your pregnancy, we share you seven asanas or yoga poses for pregnant women, recommended exercises for the first trimester.
We consulted with Melissa Aguilera, a certified prenatal yoga instructor at Namaste Yoga to give us some advice about the yoga postures that are recommended during pregnancy. We share your general recommendations and some of the positions for the first quarter.
Yoga in the first trimester in pregnancy
During the first trimester, it is not recommended to do many yoga poses but focus more on breathing exercises. These exercises will help you breathe better and relax, which will help you cope better with the discomforts that usually appear in the first weeks of pregnancy.
You can start by doing exercises that lengthen the breaths, for example: inhale for three seconds and exhale for the same duration, then increase the time to 5, 8 and 10 seconds. Breathing should never be contained, but should be fluid and without long pauses, until there is greater control and lung capacity is increased.
Yoga poses for the first trimester
During the first trimester we should avoid intense exercises or that require a lot of effort, so torsional or inverted positions are recommended to avoid them. As I said, in the first quarter we must focus on improving breathing, and therefore we will make positions that help us work on it.
Dandasana
Dandasana or Cane Pose, is the basis of many sitting positions. Sitting on the floor with your back straight and straight, stretch your legs together in front of you and place your hands on the sides of your thighs with your palms, pressing them toward the floor.
This posture helps strengthen the back muscles, improve posture and tone the legs, as well as help open the shoulders and chest.
Sukhasana
Sukhasana or Easy PoseIt is a classic posture that is widely used to practice meditation. Sitting on the floor starting from Dandasana (the previous position) and with your back straight, cross your legs so that your feet touch the ground, trying to place each one under the opposite knee.
This posture helps strengthen the back, increases the flexibility of the hip and groin, stretch the knees and ankles and especially, to calm the mind and relax.
Tadasana
Tadasana or Mountain PoseIt is one of the classic yoga poses, and the one that works as the basis for many standing poses. Start by placing your feet so that both big toes touch and the heels are slightly apart. The back should remain straight and upright, while the head and shoulders should be relaxed.
This posture helps to activate all the muscles of the body, improve posture, strengthen thighs, knees and ankles, and also prevents and improves the pain of sciatica.
Vajrasana
Vajrasana or Diamond Pose, is another classic yoga posture that also works as a start for some sitting postures. Start at Tadasana or Mountain Pose (the previous posture) and then kneel by placing your toes back, sitting on your heels. Relax shoulders and arms, and place your hands on the thighs or knees, staying with your back straight and your eyes straight ahead.
This posture helps tone the muscles of the thighs, knees and ankles, helps digestion, calm the mind and prevent sciatica pain.
Baddha Konasana
Baddha Konasana or Posture of the ShoemakerIt is an excellent posture for beginners and also a classic yoga posture. Starting in Dandasana or Cane Pose (the first one we share on this list), spread your legs pointing your toes toward the sky. Bend your knees and bring your feet to the body as much as you can, placing the soles facing each other. Try to lower your knees to the ground but without hurting yourself or making much effort.
The benefits of this posture are the improvement of the circulation, the stretching of the muscles as the inner part of the thighs, stimulates the abdominal organs, gives flexibility to the hip and knees, as well as helping to improve the posture. In addition, this position is advisable to perform it throughout the pregnancy, as it helps prepare for childbirth.
Padmasana
Padmasana or Lotus Pose, is another of the classic postures to practice meditation, although it is a bit more complicated to master at the beginning for some people. Starting at Dandasana or Cane Pose, bend one of your knees and place your foot on the opposite thigh with the sole of the foot up and bringing it as close as possible to the hip. Then, do the same with the opposite leg and then place your hands on the thighs or knees (or you can also join them in front of the chest), while keeping your back straight.
This posture helps to strengthen and give flexibility to the hips, massage the abdominal organs and above all, it helps to relax and improve concentration.
Savasana
Savasana or Corpse Pose, is a posture that is used regularly at the end of a yoga session and that at first glance might seem one of the easiest. Starting lying on the floor, we place the arms stretched and slightly apart from the body with the palms of the hands up, and the legs slightly open. We center the head, align the spine and close the eyes, focusing on the breath.
This posture helps calm the mind, relieve stress and relax the entire body, as well as help reduce fatigue, insomnia and blood pressure.
General recommendations
Before starting or continuing any exercise routine in pregnancy you should always consult your doctor and wait for him to give you authorization to do so.. Never try too hard, if you feel you are short of breath when performing a posture, it is better to stop and avoid it, it means that you are trying too hard.
Photos | Pixabay, iStock
In Babies and more | Yoga for pregnant women: benefits, contraindications and precautions
