PRENATAL CLASS OPTIONS
If you're pregnant and looking for ways to relax or stay fit, you might be considering prenatal yoga. While we don’t offer a prenatal specific yoga class, we do offer several yoga classes that are prenatal friendly and safe. Those classes include:
SLOW FLOW YOGA
GENTLE YOGA
SLOW FLOW & MEDITATION
GENTLE YOGA & MEDITATION
GENTLE YOGA & RESTORE
*Before you begin a yoga program, make sure you have approval from your health care provider. You might not be able to do yoga if you are at increased risk of preterm labor or have certain medical conditions, such as heart disease or back problems.
Benefits of Yoga for Prenatal
Much like other types of childbirth-preparation classes, yoga is a multifaceted approach to exercise that encourages stretching, mental centering and focused breathing. Research suggests that certain types of yoga classes are safe and can have many benefits for pregnant women and their babies such as:
Improve sleep
Reduce stress and anxiety
Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
Offer breathing techniques that might help you reduce or manage shortness of breath during pregnancy and work through contractions during labor.
Decrease lower back pain, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, headaches and shortness of breath
Safety Guidelines
To protect your health and your baby's health during yoga, follow basic safety guidelines. For example:
Talk to your health care provider. Before you begin a yoga program, make sure you have your health care provider's OK. You might not be able to do yoga if you are at increased risk of preterm labor or have certain medical conditions, such as heart disease or back problems.
Pace yourself. If you can't speak normally while you're doing yoga, you're probably pushing yourself too hard.
Stay cool and hydrated. Practice yoga in a well-ventilated room to avoid overheating. Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated.
Avoid certain postures. When doing poses, bend from your hips — not your back — to maintain normal spine curvature. Avoid lying on your belly, doing deep forward or backward bends, or doing twisting poses that put pressure on your abdomen. You can modify twisting poses so that you only move your upper back, shoulders and rib cage. Avoid inverted poses, which involve extending your legs above your heart or head, unless you're an experienced yoga practitioner. As your pregnancy progresses, use props during postures to accommodate changes in your center of gravity. If you wonder whether a pose is safe, ask your instructor for guidance.
Don't overdo it. Pay attention to your body and how you feel. Start slow and avoid positions that are beyond your level of experience or comfort. Stretch only as far as you would have before pregnancy.
