Are There Advantages In Yoga For Pregnant Women?

Fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, tenderness, swelling, cravings, constipation, cramps, headaches. Pregnancy can really get you down. However, many women are turning to yoga for the duration of their pregnancies to alleviate many of the unfortunate symptoms, for keeping excess weight off during those trying months and to provide their babies with the healthiest possible start.

Pregnant women practice yoga for physical benefits.

For instance, yoga practice can teach techniques that will be helpful during labor, such as breathing and relieving tension around the cervix and birth canal. Additionally, prenatal physicians recommend combining a light cardiovascular exercise (like walking) with a relaxing, muscle-toning exercise (like yoga) to maintain your physique, in spite of the intense cravings and normal weight gain associated with pregnancy.

Other pregnant women practice yoga for mental benefits.

For one, it can be a great support to meet other women going through the same thing you are. Also, there is much emphasis on focusing on the moment and deriving happiness from each and every day, which can be vital when your hormones are out of whack. Yoga has been known to stimulate beta-endorphins, which also brings comfort and a sense of relief.

During the first trimester, standing poses help circulation, strengthen legs and increase energy. Avoid bikram yoga classes that heat up the room or any kind of back/belly/inverted positions. In the second and third trimesters, yoga for your pregnancy will include more sitting positions and breathing techniques.

Yoga videos can be previewed at YouTube.com -- or you can read user reviews on Amazon.com as well. There are many options featuring yoga for pregnant women, so it's all a matter of your personal preference regarding setting, instructor, technique and comfort. Some focus more on emotional benefits, whereas others are designed to help strengthen muscles. You may also want to look into communal yoga classes at Yoga.com. Either way, this is a special time to bond with your baby -- don't pass this up!

Perhaps more than any other form of exercise, Yoga has been around the longest. Originating in India, this popular form of exercise has been practiced around the world. Why? The physical portion of the workout is very low-impact and can be performed by anyone of any age. The same cannot be said of kick boxing classes or Jazzercise. But there is more to Yoga than just working out the body. It is also a lifestyle that can bring clarity to the mind through spiritual exercises of meditation and concentration.

Are you ready to begin your path to a healthy body and mind? Click here to find out more: Yoga Classes and at Yoga For Kids also at Yoga Teacher Training Courses