10 Yoga Poses to Avoid During Your Pregnancy

Everyone knows that yoga has countless health benefits, so it makes sense that expecting moms would want to include this healthy activity in their lives. But there are a few yoga poses, like the headstand shoulder stand that should be avoided during pregnancy. Whether you are a yoga newbie or an expert, being pregnant means that your body is going through some major changes. Be careful with your yoga practice and learn which poses to avoid during pregnancy

For pregnant yogis, finding the right balance between safety and physical activity can be tough. To help you keep up a safe, healthy yoga practice during pregnancy, here are 10 exercises to avoid.

1. Lying On Your Back
2. Belly Down Postures
3. Crunches
4. Twisting Postures
5. Forward Folds with Feet Together
6. Pretzel Poses
7. Hot Yoga
8. Heating Breathing Techniques & Breath Retention
9. Inversions
10. Deep Backbends

While Pregnant Is It Safe to Practice Yoga?

Is yoga safe during pregnancy? This age-old question comes to mind for many soon-to-be-moms. Many pregnant women look to yoga as a safe, low-impact way to stay fit. However, pregnant women should be picky about the type of yoga they choose. Some styles like Bikram and Ashtanga can be too strenuous or may include poses that are inappropriate while pregnant. It is also important to remember that a woman’s body is going through major changes in pregnancy which require them to modify old practices and discover new ones that feel right for the mother’s new body and the baby growing inside.

If you normally practice yoga, it is often safe to continue your practice during pregnancy, especially if you take steps to prevent overstretching. There are specific poses that can be risky as well as postures and breathing techniques that will be more beneficial.

If you have an established yoga practice and your doctor has given you the all-clear on moderate exercise, you may be wondering if it is OKAY to continue with your regular yoga routine during pregnancy. While some positions are perfectly safe for expectant mothers, others should be avoided for the duration of your pregnancy.

While Pregnant Which Yoga Poses to Avoid

During pregnancy, certain yoga poses are not ideal and should be avoided. Twists pose that put pressure on the abdomen, deep twists, and lying flat on your back after 30 weeks should all be avoided. Check out this article to learn more about the specific yoga exercises you will want to avoid while pregnant.

There are a lot of yoga poses that are safe to practice during pregnancy—and some that are not. It can be confusing for the average pregnant woman to try and figure out which poses she should stick with and which she will want to eliminate from her routine during pregnancy. The good news is that it is easy to make modifications to most poses, so in most cases, you will not have to avoid them altogether. You just need to modify them slightly, so they are safer while your body is changing.

What Impact does falls on Abdomen during Pregnancy?

While yoga can work wonders on stress, hormones, aches, and pains, some poses are too risky for pregnancy. When you are pregnant your center of gravity already changes as the belly grows, which makes balancing poses even more difficult and risky. Avoid yoga poses that put pressure on the abdomen, create compression or restrict blood flow. Poses such as forward bends, backbends, and supine twists can create unnecessary compression, restrict blood flow, and strain the uterus.

During pregnancy, you want to keep your abdominal muscles strong, but not to the point where you are making them work too hard. You will do more harm than good if you over-tighten your abs, which can put extra pressure on your uterus and lower back. If a maternity band is necessary to keep these poses comfortable, skip them altogether!

Here are a few of the reasons why these exercises should be avoided while pregnant, such as Crunches, Bicycles, Crow pose, and Planks.

Should you Twist or Not?

Twisting is a way in yoga to deeply massage the internal abdominal organs and stimulate circulation. Due to hormonal, mechanical, and postural changes during pregnancy, all the muscles and ligaments in your body get extra soft and loose to accommodate your growing baby. The safest approach for this time of your life is to be gentle and precise about twisting. If a teacher asks you to do an open twist in class, ask them how to modify it safely.

Twists are off-limits when you are expecting because twisting can compress your uterus and cause complications—like limiting the growth of your baby. Twists also inhibit your baby’s oxygen supply. Instead, twist to the right and left from your shoulders, and focus on keeping your upper back broad and open. By twisting from the shoulders, you are engaging the shoulders and bust, and keeping your core open. This posture also ensures that the baby does not get twisted.

Twists and backward bends create a significant increase in intra-abdominal pressure, which can cause fetal abnormalities. Modified twists are sometimes recommended but bending sideways and stepping the legs wide apart is often easier and safer. Twists are considered safe after the first trimester.

Twists are also a little harder to navigate in the second trimester because as your uterus grows, it can get in the way of your limbs. In the third trimester, twists are best avoided because they can put pressure on your baby’s spine and potentially harm your always-growing fetus.

Is There Any Risk of Lying on Your Back During Pregnancy?

There are postures you should avoid protecting your baby. These include lying on your back, which puts pressure on your vena cava. During pregnancy, the uterus grows and can place pressure on the vena cava. This can affect the body’s ability to circulate blood, leading to discomfort and light-headedness. Avoid lying on your back, even after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Lying on your back after the first trimester may cause compression of the inferior vena cava, a major blood vessel, and can decrease blood flow to the placenta and the baby. Therefore, it is not recommended to lie on your back during pregnancy unless there are other underlying medical conditions.

Exercises that involve lying on your back might be relaxing and comfortable, but they can lead to dizziness, low blood pressure, and nausea. Some yoga poses are unsafe during pregnancy.

Certain yoga poses should be avoided during pregnancy. Some of these include downward-facing dog, lying flat on your back, boat pose, wheel pose, and full wheel pose. When you practice yoga during pregnancy, it is important to keep some general guidelines in mind.

Balance Poses Are Safe or not While Pregnant?

The most important point to keep in mind is that even the safest of balance poses can become dangerous because of the hormonal changes and increased relaxin hormone during pregnancy. These changes can lead to an increase in the ability of your ligaments to stretch, putting you at a higher risk of injury. It may be best to avoid putting yourself at a greater risk of falling and injuring yourself or your baby by practicing balance poses while pregnant, particularly if they are new to you.

Many women continue getting their yoga on right up until the day their baby is born, but there are some poses that you might consider avoiding. As always, if you have any concerns about your yoga practice during pregnancy, it is best to talk to your doctor before making any changes.

What do you think about Hot Yoga?

If you are pregnant and want to do hot yoga, talk with your health care provider first. If you are in your first trimester of pregnancy, hot yoga is not a good idea. If you are pregnant and want to do hot yoga later in your pregnancy, make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. This helps to avoid dehydration and associated low blood pressure which can lead to fainting during class.

Hot yoga can be a great way to stay healthy and in shape, but during pregnancy, it should be avoided. While pregnant, expectant women should take care not to raise their core body temperature above 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat from hot yoga increases your risk of fainting due to low blood pressure and dehydration. It is best to avoid hot yoga during any phase of pregnancy.

Can I Resume My Yoga Practice?

It is important to always honor what your body is telling you, and not just jump into the same practice you were doing before giving birth. Wait until you have received the all-clear from your doctor before resuming regular exercise and certainly start slow.

Since you have been more cautious with your practice during your pregnancy, you should not have any trouble getting back to it after delivery. The same rule applies to restarting yoga as it does to start a running routine: Begin slowly and work your way up from there.