Fitness During Pregnancy
Along with proper nutrition and water intake, fitness during pregnancy is recommended to maintain a healthy pregnancy and for your body to be better prepared for childbirth. Most pregnant women know this to be true. But the thought of hitting the gym or going out on the trail for a run isn’t all that appealing when you’re carrying another human being in you. Many pregnant women turn to yoga during pregnancy due to the low impact nature of the work outs and multiple benefits.
Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga is a form of yoga modified to be appropriate for expecting mothers. According to the Mayo Clinic, research suggests that prenatal yoga can:
- Improve sleep
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles (such as lower back, abdominal and pelvic floor) needed for childbirth
- Open the hips and sacrum
- Learn proper breathing techniques that will help as a comfort measure during childbirth
- Decrease lower back pain, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, headaches and shortness of breath
- Help you meet and bond with other pregnant women (see recent article on Building Your Mommy Village)
Where to Find Prenatal Yoga
Not all yoga studios or fitness centers offer prenatal classes, so many expecting mothers end up searching online for recommendations. This topic tends to be a popular question that pops up in several local Facebook groups, so I did a bit of research to find prenatal yoga classes recommended most by other mothers in Fayetteville.
Top Picks in Fayetteville:
- Resound Yoga Studio located at 3011 Town Center Drive, Suite 100, Fayetteville, NC. A popular yoga instructor there is Elyse Rolfe. Their class descriptions indicate which of their classes are prenatal-friendly. One local mother gave the following recommendation, “What I like about Resound is the instructors can guide and modify for you in a regular class. I’m 6 months postpartum and went to a flow class today (that had advanced people in it) and she was very encouraging and helped me modify throughout. I never felt like I didn’t belong.”
- Hayat Yoga Shala located at 3013 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville, NC. Instructor Jennifer Weaver has a popular following for her prenatal class on Wednesday’s 5:15PM to 6:15PM. She offers a personal touch by facilitating an online community (by way of a closed Facebook group) for the expecting mothers taking her class. Members of this Facebook group can share information, ask questions, request certain focus areas for class, and provide support for one another.
- Hot Asana Yoga Studio located at 250 NW Broad St, Southern Pines, NC. Although technically not located in Fayetteville, this yoga studio is a popular pick for expecting mothers near the vicinity of SoPi (Southern Pines & Pinehurst). Their prenatal class takes place on Sunday’s 4PM to 5PM.
Not in Fayetteville? There’s an App for You!
If you’re not located in Fayetteville, there’s another way to quickly find a yoga studio that offers prenatal yoga classes. Download the free MINDBODY mobile app. Within the app, select Fitness from main menu and then +More. Scroll until you find the Prenatal category and then search by your location for classes near you. You can even find deals for discounted services within the app. (Note: Hayat Yoga and Hot Asana are listed within MINDBODY, so check in from time to time for some great deals.)
Namaste!
Enjoy your time of relaxation. And remember to up your water intake when you add fitness of any kind.
