Pregnancy may be one of the happiest phases in a woman’s life, but there is no denying the fact that the stress and strains it puts a woman’s body through are immense. Most women struggle with common day-to-day activities after giving birth as the body is still recovering from the rigors of pregnancy and labor. Yoga is extremely beneficial and can help recover from the effects of childbirth smoothly.
Benefits of Doing Yoga After Pregnancy
There are various benefits of postnatal yoga, chief among them are:
Postnatal recovery:
A woman’s body undergoes tremendous changes during pregnancy. These changes cause a lot of stress to all parts of the body; plus the process of carrying a baby and giving birth is painful. Yoga after normal delivery is a great way to gradually soothe the strain that the body has had to endure on account of pregnancy.
Weight Loss:
All women put on weight during pregnancy. The added requirement of taking in more than usual nutrients and the need to carry the extra weight of the baby cause weight gain in pregnant women. The problem begins post-delivery when the extra weight is no more required. Losing weight post-delivery is not easy to do. Yoga, however, is a tried and tested ancient regimen; some discipline and a little time per day to perform yoga can yield fantastic results for losing weight post-pregnancy.
Endurance:
Most new mothers experience weakness after pregnancy. Symptoms of this weakness include the loss of stamina, muscle/joint pain, and chronic exhaustion. Yoga will gently and slowly exercise the muscles and joints back to their original strength along with gradually boosting core strength and stamina.
Regaining Posture:
Nine months of pregnancy followed by caring for the infant post-birth will inevitably throw a woman’s normal body posture out of sync. The process of moving around with a growing baby in the womb is stressful on the spine. This is because nursing and constantly lifting the little one after birth puts added stress on the neck and shoulders. Yoga strengthens all the essential muscles and joints and can even help women achieve better than pre-pregnancy posture.
Psychological Benefits:
Yoga focuses on deep breathing, stretching and relaxing the body, the combination of movements and breathing improves blood circulation and oxygenates the body at the same time. As such yoga can induce a state of deep relaxation reducing stress and calming the body and mind.
Read our article on diet for new mom for month 1 here.