Pre-Natal Yoga: Good for You
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Pregnancy is a time of change during which much is out of your control. Yes, you can eat healthful meals, take time to rest and follow your caregiver’s advice, but let’s face it: the baby grows and moves in ways that are quite unpredictable.
There is now evidence that you can make the whole nine months—and especially the last few weeks and even the birth—less stressful by practicing yoga during your pregnancy. Three recent studies show the benefits of yoga during pregnancy. Click the links for more details on each study.
In the first study, a group of women who received six one-hour yoga sessions were compared to a group of women who did not undergo yoga training. The yoga group had improved comfort during and after labor, the first stage of their labor was shorter as was their total labor time. There was no difference in the amount of pain medication that the women received, and both groups’ babies had similar Apgar scores (a test of reflexes, heart rate, activity, appearance and breathing given to all newborns).
Another study compared women who walked for 30 minutes a day to women who did yoga for an hour a day, starting between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. The women who practiced yoga had less preterm labor and pregnancy-induced hypertension, had no increase in complications, and their babies had better birth weights than the walking group.
Yet another study enrolled women who were between 12 and 32 weeks pregnant . For seven weeks, these women practiced mindfulness-based yoga, a combination of Iyengar yoga and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a relaxation and stress management program. Compared to a control group, the women who practiced yoga during their second trimester had significantly less physical pain, and those who practiced during their third trimester had greater reductions in stress and anxiety.
We are offering two 8-week prenatal yoga series starting in September 2010. In White Plains, classes will be held on Sundays from 2:00 to 3:00pm, starting September 19. In Bedford Hills, classes will be held on Saturdays from 1:00 to 2:00pm, starting September 25. Click on the locations for more information.
