Youāre pregnant! Congratulations! Now what? When I found out I was pregnant, past the exhilaration of the news, a slew of questions started swirling in my head from, Can I keep exercising, and how much? Should I do Kegels? How can I avoid diastasis recti? How do I minimize the typical aches and pains associated with pregnancy? To What about birth?ā Questions around pregnancy can truly be overwhelming.
Whether this is your first pregnancy or your fifth, one thingās for sure ā this time in your life will be unlike any other and things will change, whether you want them to or not. Some will remain in your control, while others will be in the hands of nature ā not always easy to let go when you like to be the one in charge! While pregnancy can be a roller coaster of emotions with unexpected twists and turns, itās also a perfect opportunity to learn go with the flow and enjoy the blessing of creating a life.
That being said, there are certainly choices you can make to help overcome the challenges that may arise in those nine months to enjoy a healthy pregnancy, free of the woes that are often the bane of expecting moms. Achy backs, swollen feet and labored breath are just a few of the common complaints – this is where Yoga Tune UpĀ® comes in. The first thing I did upon finding out I was pregnant was to order Jill Millerās webinar āHealthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby“.
The webinar coversĀ a slew of Roll Model sequences to tackle your aches and pains, relaxation strategies, strengthening tools, as well as tips and advice from heavyweight movement educators, including Katy Bowman and Kelly and Juliet Starrett. The sessions also dispel some long held pregnancy myths – from the efficacy of Kegels to how to maintain your pre-pregnancy fitness routine, with some modifications along the way. Personally, I still practice yoga regularly and attend kettlebell classes in addition to my daily dosing of YTU therapy ball release and mobility work. But every person is different and every pregnancy is different. So where to start?
The first course of action you can take on your health pregnancy journey is to re-assess, and perhaps correct, your posture. As Jill says, āYour posture follows you like a shadowā and itās no different when youāre pregnant. If your posture wasnāt optimal before, your body will now need to adapt to an already wobbly foundation because of the extra load youāre carrying. That can spell trouble for your entire architecture ā from your ability to breathe, to your spinal stability, not to mention the increased tension placed on key real estate, aka your psoas and abdominal muscles.
Come back Friday to find out how to find your perfect posture as well as how the CoregeousĀ® ball can help you liberate your ribcage for ease of breath and global tension release.
I am so happy to have discovered Tune Up Fitness and all the content there is, that is helping me with my pregnant body. I was dealing with lower back pain and now with YTU exercises and rolling with the different YTU balls, I have no current major discomforts. I will definitely look into the Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby. Thank you!
I followed “Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby” with my 1st and am currently visiting it again with my 2nd (22 weeks). I swear by this webinar and have gifted it to other expecting moms. Not only did I follow it during pregnancy but even after as I was recovering. I honestly felt my core was stronger after this program and after my postpartum recovery then it ever was. This webinar made me more aware of my body and movements and how to adapt to the changes my body was experiencing.
When my best friend was pregnant and asking for recommendations on yoga dos and don’ts, I felt at a loss to help her since I have not experienced pregnancy myself and each pregnancy is so unique. The webinar seems like a great resource that I might use when I’m ready to grow my family!
I’m always looking for ways to keep my classes interesting and safe for my pregnant clients, and “Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby” seems like it will be the perfect resource. Thank you!
YES to watching your posture during pregnancy! After my first one I had a diastasis recti and it taught me a lot about my alignment. Now that I am pregnant again I am hyper vigilant of my posture and hope that it will pay off with no (or just a small) diastasis.
Great to read this. Wish I had had access to that webinar during pregnancy! My son is now 2 years old and I am finding it even more challenging now to be mindful of my posture (than when I was pregnant). My pregnancy was relatively easy compared to the post-partum period which has been full of body shifts and complications. Thanks again for sharing.
My posture changed dramatically during my first pregnancy. Sleepless nights just did not help erasing all the back pain. I think the therapy ball release will be useful even before getting pregnant or attempting to be fertile.
The first of 2 articles, Emilie recommends purchasing Jill Millerās webinar āHealthy Pregnancy, Healthy Babyā for great advice and workouts. Iāve heard this resource given high marks by yoga tuneup teachers and plan to buy it as a gift for a pregnant relativeāsomething she can use to relieve the inevitable achiness and strange things that happen to the pregnant body.
Such great, simple advice. I will archive it for myself right now, and maybe get to come back to it someday.
I wish I had this information when I was pregnant. I’m sure I could have relieved much of the lower back back I had and many of the other numerous aches and pains that came along with my pregnancy.
Sending along to friends, family and students who are pregnant, thank you.
Hi there, I’m a new mama to be and appreciated this post! My first trimester was pretty rough and all exercise/self-care seemed to drop off since all I could do was eat ritz crackers and rest! I’m excited to be feeling better now at 17 weeks and am ready to get back into a routine. Your post reminded me that posture is a great place to start! I am also thrilled to know about the webinar. Thanks for posting that!
Sarah
Pregnancy adds extra stress is the body is already unstable and unbalanced body. This idea makes perfect sense! Even in an ideally aligned and strong body, pregnancy symptoms arise. However, if the body is already out of alignment, the unbalanced areas will become more obvious and cause pain and tension. And, It’s more challenging to change something once additional stress is placed on it.
I love this post, it is so great to have such great resources during a beautiful yet physically challenging time. Alignment is so very important especially with the hormonal changes causing a laxity or loosening of ligaments and joints throughout the body. Everybody is different as well as every pregnancy. Blessings to all!
It excites me the information and resources we have available for such an emotional and life changing time in a womans life. A time where we need to have the ability to feel connected and in control of our own bodies. Look forward to future blogs.
Is there any specific spots to focus on for pregnant women? Can the baby be harmed in any way while using YTU?
I found this article to be incredibly interesting! I immediately thought of my family friend who was recently pregnant and had major aches and pains, especially nearing the end of her pregnancy. If only I knew about Yoga Tune Up balls then I could have saved the day! While being pregnant it is so important to focus on posture and how you are positioning your body; because of the heavy weight the woman carries it is probably making her fatigued and exhausted therefor slouching occurs. Even while you are pregnant it is important to stay active and target those tense spots to relieve the stress and pain it holds. More than anyone, pregnant women will have the most aches and pains. It is so important to focus on breathing and allowing your body to feel at ease. I did not even think of the major benefits Yoga Tune Up can have on women who are pregnant and what a relief using this mobility work allows.