Yoga During Pregnancy – Is It Safe and Effective?

Disclaimer - Movement, exercise, and training during pregnancy are PRICELESS. Whether yoga is for you or not, it is scientifically proven that physical activity over these nine months is good and entirely safe for both the mother and the baby. The key lies in what and how you do it. If your pregnancy is healthy, sitting on the couch all day is the worst thing you can do to your body during this period. Bed rest and lack of movement come with a seemingly endless list of negative health effects, which I’d gladly share with anyone doubting the safety of exercise during pregnancy. So, I encourage you to move!

My Experiences with Yoga During Pregnancy

When I became pregnant, I decided to exercise regularly. I practiced yoga, and after a while, I also started daily online workouts with a pregnancy exercise specialist. I quickly realized that I needed to modify most yoga poses. During the first three months, I felt nauseous just thinking about lowering my head below my hips. By the 10th week, I had to eliminate all backbends from my practice—every single one, even the mildest ones.

With workouts, it was a different story. I could do them without major limitations for a long time. Since I had limited energy for movement, I had to choose between heavily modified yoga or strengthening exercises—I chose the latter. I’m sharing this because these two experiences made me think a lot over the course of those nine months. Is yoga the best practice during pregnancy? What benefits does it offer in the context of pregnancy? How should it be modified? And is it truly safe? I aim to answer these questions in this article.

“Yoga is the Best Practice During Pregnancy” – Myth or Truth?

It’s not the best practice because there are other equally beneficial options. For example, combining qi-gong and Pilates can also strengthen, stretch, and mentally balance you. A professional strength training course for pregnant women can achieve the same, if not better, results by incorporating more strengthening exercises alongside information about posture, breathing, and birth preparation.

Yoga is not “the best” practice, but I must admit that the yoga I practiced for many years prepared me exceptionally well for pregnancy. I’d definitely say that the type of yoga I practiced—functional, breath-focused, strengthening, and technical—is an excellent preparation for pregnancy, and I highly recommend it!

What Are the Benefits of Practicing Yoga During Pregnancy?

Yoga taught me proper posture, which kept my body from falling apart in the last months of pregnancy when my belly became very heavy, and I struggled with a pronounced lumbar curve. The second gift from yoga was conscious breathing. Thanks to yoga, I know how to breathe without overly stretching an already strained belly while using breath as a relaxation tool. I also learned to improve thoracic spine mobility, which is crucial for breathing properly during and after pregnancy without causing harm.

Posture and breathing were also core elements of the two online pregnancy training programs I purchased out of curiosity. Similarly, the certification course I took in my last trimester began with these topics. These are two essential aspects every pregnant woman should understand.

Incorporating exercises that strengthen and relax the pelvic floor muscles into your daily routine is also incredibly valuable. Stretching the hamstrings, wide-legged forward folds, or cat-cow positions (with feet placed narrower or wider than the knees) are excellent for this area. Movements like squeezing the legs together and engaging the adductors (e.g., pressing a yoga block between your thighs in chair pose) naturally lift and strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Proper breathing helps relax these muscles during labor.

How Should Yoga Be Modified During Pregnancy?

Each pregnancy and every woman’s experience is unique, necessitating adjustments to yoga practice tailored to individual needs and abilities. These modifications often evolve throughout the nine months as the body undergoes dynamic changes. Pregnancy is not the time for deep stretching due to the production of the hormone relaxin, which loosens the joints and connective tissue to prepare the body for childbirth. While this increased flexibility might tempt deeper stretches, excessive stretching can lead to instability or injury. It’s important to focus on stability, as some muscles, such as the psoas, tighten naturally to stabilize the spine. Overstretching these muscles may cause them to tense even further, creating discomfort. Moderate stretching is the key.

Adjustments for Early Pregnancy Symptoms

During the first trimester, some women experience nausea, making positions where the head is lower than the hips uncomfortable. Modifications to poses like downward dog and forward bends may be necessary - you can use chair and put your hands on it to elevate your upper body. As the pregnancy progresses, backbends and poses that stretch the abdomen might no longer feel pleasant or safe. Forcing these movements can risk over-stretching abdominal muscles, which are already working hard to support the growing belly. It’s essential to listen to the body and avoid pushing through discomfort.

Adapting for Pelvic Pain

Some women experience pubic symphysis pain caused by pelvic relaxation or imbalances in the body. This pain can significantly impact daily activities, such as walking, and exercising. In such cases, avoid exercises that aggravate the pain and prioritize movements that provide relief. Poses that involve strengthening rather than stretching—where both feet or knees are grounded and aligned, such as chair pose, tabletop position, or goddess pose— will work better for you than lunges or anything where you stand on one leg.

Emphasizing Strength During Pregnancy

Strengthening the core is particularly important but must be done thoughtfully, as the core naturally weakens over time due to the physical changes of pregnancy. Muscles stretch and thin to accommodate the growing uterus, reducing their ability to maintain tension. Exercises like crunches, “yoga bicycles”, and traditional planks are often removed from routines as pregnancy progresses. If the abdominal muscles struggle to maintain tension, side planks (modified or full) can be excellent alternatives, as long as there is no visible doming or coning of the abdominal wall.

Leg, glute, and upper-body strength are also essential. While yoga can strengthen the upper body, incorporating light weights might be more practical since many yoga poses for shoulder strength become challenging as the belly grows. Additionally, forward bends might need adjustment to accommodate the changing body. By the third trimester, I personally limited forward folds to gentle hamstring stretches, accepting that it was better to prioritize safety and comfort during pregnancy and resume more intense practices postpartum.

A Balanced and Flexible Approach

Pregnancy yoga should focus on breath, relaxation, but also stability, mindful strengthening, and responding to the body’s needs as they arise. It’s a time to embrace adjustments, knowing that a return to pre-pregnancy practice is always possible after childbirth. This adaptable approach ensures safety and nurtures the body through the unique and transformative experience of pregnancy.

Is Yoga During Pregnancy Safe?

Yes and no. It depends on your knowledge of prenatal exercise. Without understanding diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) and its signs, you could harm yourself, leading to postpartum issues like severe diastasis, hernias, incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse.

Pregnancy is also not the time to learn new poses, like handstands, or to push your limits. Your body is already working hard to grow a baby, so listen to it and slow down as needed. Avoid deep stretches and poses with the head lower than the hips once the baby is head-down, as these might disrupt alignment.

Gentle, calming breathing, such as inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 8, is invaluable. You should avoid intense abdominal breathing exercises, like Kapalabhati, or breath-holding.

Everyone is Different, But Everyone Should Learn the Basics

These are just my suggestions, backed by knowledge gained from various prenatal courses, including a certification course on training pregnant and postpartum women. Some women love yoga during pregnancy and practice with minimal modifications. Others pursue acrobatics or intense sports until days before giving birth.

My advice is: educate yourself about prenatal exercise, diastasis recti, and pelvic floor muscles. This knowledge will help you make confident, informed choices about what’s best for you.

If you’d like to learn more about yoga and exercise during pregnancy, subscribe to my newsletter! I’ll be writing more on this topic, and one-on-one online consultations will be available starting February 15, 2025.