“Oh definitely!” , said a pregnant lady.
Indeed, there’s nothing in this world that is delicate yet strong and vulnerable yet protective as “motherhood”. It’s like a tapestry woven with threads of different dualities and beautiful contrasts.
The connection between a mother and a child that everything a mother does affects the fetus she’s bearing in her womb…. So is the physical health of your baby…. Thus, in order to maintain physical health you must follow these exercises and yog-asanas in your everyday prenatal fitness regimen-
1. Stretching your body- You must start your everyday with stretching your body for improving your muscle health.
• Stretch your one arm to your other arm’s opposite and stretch the arm with the backside of your palm of the other hand and hold the pose for 10 seconds. Change the pose by doing this same stretch for the other arm.
• Roll your shoulders 10 times clockwise and 10 times anticlockwise to release stress from shoulders.
• Rotate your head with the support of neck in semi circle from one side to other for 10 seconds each. Be mindful about your breathing pattern. Then rotate your head in full circle with eyes open. Do not close your eyes while doing this stretching exercise.
• Rotate your wrist with fist closed in both clockwise and anticlockwise direction. Rotate your arms to release muscle inactivity or strain.
2. Anulom Vilom- One of the practices of yoga—anulom vilom, also known as the alternate nostril breathing is one of the most beneficial breathing exercises and an easy pranayam too. Practitioners believe it cleanses the energy channels, or Nadis, promoting optimal life force circulation. Thus, you must definitely practice alternate breathing to avoid blockages in any energy channels and provides a steady oxygen circulation to your child.
3. Malasan- Mala = Necklace/Garland Asana = posture. Its symbolism states the importance of accepting the cyclical nature of life… and the mother plays a pivotal role in the cyclical nature of life. In MalasanIn Malasan, you must squat down with your knees extended outwards widening your hips, now join your palms together in namaskar keeping your spine straight. During pregnancy, squatting provide quite amazing stretch to the groin area, opening the hips, and beginning to make space down there for a baby to form his grand exit. Try to do the pose putting a blog under your seating bones for extra support.
4. Vajrasan- Kneel on the floor. Bring your big toes together and separate the heels. Lower your buttocks onto the inside surface of the feet, with your heels touching the side of your hips. Place your hands on your knees, palms down. Your back and head should be straight , however, do not strain yourself. It strengthens the thigh muscles, pelvic region and creates blood flow which will help you a lot during labour. It also relieves one from problems such as acid reflux, which is a common problem during pregnancy.
5. Baddha Konasana – Commonly known as Butterfly Pose, it is so easy to practice at home without much needed guidance. One must, sit with your legs outstretched. Bend your knees and bring the soles of the feet together, keeping the heels as close to the body as possible and move your knees up and down without putting stress in your inner thighs. Butterfly poses are excellent for loosening up the hip joint, and can increase blood circulation to the pelvic floor and help a woman get used to the feeling of opening up.
6. Virabhadrasana – Stand with your feet 3-4 feet apart. Turn the right foot outwards by 90 degrees, and the left foot in . Breathing in, lift your arms up to shoulder height. Exhale, and then bend your right knee, keeping it in line with the ankle, and a gently working to bring your right thigh parallel to the ground. Turn the head to the right, and look out across the right hand. Hold the pose and breathe a few times. Straighten your body and Repeat on the other side. Strengthens ankles, knees, shoulders, arms, legs, and back, and energizes whole body and your little infant too.
7. Tadasana – To practice this asan you must stand with your feet together and your arms at your side. As you inhale, raise your arms over your head, interlock your fingers, and then turn the palms upward. As you exhale, place your hands over your head. Inhale and stretch your arms, shoulders and chest upwards. Stretch your whole body from top to bottom. While exhaling, bring your hands on top of your head. Relax for few seconds, and repeat the whole round 5-10 times. Helps develop physical and mental balance. The entire spine is stretched and loosened, helping the back to stretch and relax, thus helping you maintain a flexible body even during pregnancy.
8. Trikonasana – Standing with your feet apart, breath in, and bring your arms parallel to the floor. Breathing out, extend and bend on your right side to bring the right hand closer to the right foot. Hold. Breathing in, slowly come up, and then relax. Repeat on the other side. Stimulates and improves blood circulation through the entire body, relieving aches and pains from back, legs and whole body. A regulated blood flow will therefore help for a less complex labour.
Precautions to follow during the trimesters-
• Do not sleep on your back as it may restrict the blood flow in your body.
• Always try to sleep on the left side of your body.
• Don’t strain your abdominal muscles. Avoid poses that strain or put pressure on the abdominals like Navasana (Boat Pose) and Plank Pose.
• Be mindful of your belly and connect with your baby closely.