Deepika Padukone recently shared a perfectly symmetrical picture of herself in Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall Pose) on her Instagram account. The pregnant actress explained that even if her busy schedule doesn’t allow her to fit in exercise throughout the day, she still makes sure to spend five minutes practicing the ‘restful inversion’, which she’s clearly been doing well into her third month of pregnancy. Following Deepika’s lead, here are some gentle pregnancy habits to adopt if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Prenatal Yoga
A rule of thumb to follow during pregnancy is that it’s important to stay active, but it’s equally important not to strain your body with more activity when you’re already doing a lot of it. This is where prenatal yoga comes in. Yoga is completely flexible for pregnant women as it can be made as gentle or challenging as you want it to be.
The range of physical activities you can expect during pregnancy also changes with each trimester. For example, Healthline reports that poses such as Janu sirsasana (Head-Knee Forward Bend), Upavistha konasana (Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend), and Marjaryasana to Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Pose) are great for early pregnancy. The same report lists Baddha Konasana (Bound Horns Pose), Balasana (Child’s Pose), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), and Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) as ideal modifications for the second trimester. Finally, Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II), Malasana (Wreath Pose), Sukhasana (Easy Pose), and Parsva Savasana (Side Corpse Pose) are listed for the third trimester.
Prenatal Pilates
Pilates has truly nailed the niche space it’s carved for itself in the mainstream fitness world, and this applies to people of all ages and fitness levels, including pregnant women. In fact, Sonam Kapoor of Radhika’s Balanced Body raved about Pilates during the months of her pregnancy with Vayu (and even afterward). Like yoga, Pilates is flexible when it comes to intensity, and its focus on breath makes it even more suitable for pregnant people.
According to a report from WebMD, practicing Pilates during pregnancy can actually help a woman’s body better adapt to the big changes that are happening. A consistent Pilates practice can strengthen your abdominal muscles, back, and pelvic floor. It’s also said to help women better deal with the growing pains that come with pregnancy. Practicing Pilates during pregnancy can also ease the postpartum process.
Water aerobics
Water exercise is very popular among pregnant women. According to a report from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, submerging your lower body in water supports your heavy belly and relieves pressure on your spine and pelvis. Water exercise also significantly reduces the chances of injury. Just fighting the buoyancy of the water is enough exercise. Don’t make it too complicated, start with simple movements like marching, half squats, leg raises, and walking across the pool.
Consider Lamaze classes
First, the core of the Lamaze method is to teach expectant parents how to give birth in a way that will cause labor to start faster, be less painful, and require minimal medical intervention. The Lamaze method focuses on rhythmic breathing. As Medical News Today reports, the Lamaze method focuses on allowing labor to start naturally, allowing the laborer to move around freely and change positions during birth, encouraging strong emotional support, avoiding unnecessary medical intervention, avoiding birthing on the back, and encouraging the mother to follow her body’s natural instinct to push.
Just walk!
If you haven’t been very active before, it’s not a good idea to jump straight into an exercise routine while pregnant. Instead, Annandale OB-GYN reports that you should start by walking at a slow pace for five minutes a day, which is a pretty simple undertaking, and eventually work your way up to 30 minutes a day.
When it comes to moving your body, remember that doing something is better than doing nothing.
That being said, if you’re pregnant, be sure to consult with a certified medical professional before making any major changes to your fitness activities.