Prenatal Yoga Benefits (and A Giveaway!)
working out while you are pregnant can be very hit or miss. before i became pregnant, i worked out at least four times a week, mainly for mental health reasons (and because i love to eat). my first trimester was super rough and i barely moved my body. thankfully, my second trimester had me feeling better but i was still getting pretty dizzy every time i tried my normal workouts.
i heard a bit about prenatal yoga but had only ever done yoga a handful of times so i wasn’t sure if i’d like it, especially while pregnant. thank the workout goddesses of the world that i connected with a fantastic woman/mama/social entrepreneur julie, who is the founder of an online prenatal yoga practice – Yoginiology! she invited me to try her prenatal program and it has honestly been so beneficial for my mental health and to get my body moving, even on days when i feel completely exhausted!
benefits of prenatal yoga include either creating or maintaining flexibility and strength, all of which can only help you have an easier birthing process. it also helps with mental centering and clarity and a way to feel closer to that baby inside you! i have experienced all of these benefits and there is no excuse of “the prenatal yoga class is too far/too early/the weather sucks” since Yoginiology is all online.
another amazing part that julie created intentionally is the fact you can choose different length classes depending on your time and more importantly – energy level. pregnancy is bizarre in that some days you wake up and have the energy of an entire classroom of first graders all hopped up on mountain dew and the next day you can barely keep your eyes open.
there are two 60 minute classes, one for strength and the other to refresh and recharge. i absolutely love that feature because i can base it off how i’m feeling at that particular time. there are four classes in the 30 minute category, specific to help with sleep, strength, morning refreshers and a wall supported one. julie also created three 10 minute ones to help with carpel tunnel, posture and creating more space. that last one is great, especially now that i’m in my third trimester because this baby is taking over (these photos were taken a few months ago when my husband was actually home so i’m much bigger now).
here’s my current view when i look down:
one of my initial hesitations was that i didn’t have all the right ‘things’ to practice correctly but julie takes care of that with household suggestions! as you can see, i’m using our dog leash for a ‘yoga strap’ (feel free to remove the doggie bags HA). yes, i use a sturdy little cheese platter as my ‘yoga block’ and pillows/blankets as the ‘yoga bolsters.’
the videos are fantastic because julie is the instructor and sometimes she has a friend who is pregnant to demonstrate the moves. she gives tips and suggestion specifically for pregnant women and how far along you are! plus, you can always pause the video if you need a water break or wheat thin break (maybe that’s just me?) she is also very encouraging and positive during the classes, which helps to bring a certain calmness during and afterwards.
of course, always check with your health care provider to ensure you are healthy and able to practice prenatal yoga safely.
i have been doing this 1-2 times a week since march and even did it while we were in hawaii since again you do simply feel better after moving your body! the frequency has been increasing because my other workouts are getting harder and less comfortable while prenatal yoga still feels very doable.
hopefully you have noticed in the background of the photos how relaxed sugar is (after she realized her leash wasn’t be used to take her on a walk)!
julie of Yoginiology is so passionate about helping women feel empowered in our bodies and lives that she is giving away not one, not two but THREE memberships to her prenatal yoga library to my readers! isn’t that amazing?! it is open to people all over the world to enter and if you are not currently in need of prenatal yoga, you can give your membership as a gift to an expecting mama! see below for the ways to enter and this will be open until next wednesday 7/20/16!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Amber Krusza
July 13, 2016 at 7:42 am
I’ve been thinking and wanting to try prenatal yoga especially as I enter these last few weeks (home stretch!) of pregnancy. I think my back would appreciate the stretching! Hoping I win one of the giveaways! 🙂
chelsea
July 13, 2016 at 10:34 am
i can’t believe how close we are getting amber!!! i hope you win one too because i think you will find a lot of relief with these videos! there is also one about creating space – which i am currently feeling a lack of 🙂
chelsea recently posted…Prenatal Yoga Benefits (and A Giveaway!)
Kendal
July 13, 2016 at 8:28 am
So glad you found some great prenatal yoga! I have definitely found my old “go to” workouts just aren’t doable the further into pregnancy I am.
chelsea
July 13, 2016 at 10:40 am
t has been quite good sister! yes, normal workouts get harder and hard as we progress so love that these are specific for our growing bellies!
Michelle
July 13, 2016 at 11:28 am
I loved prenatal yoga! I highly recommend it. I also did hypnobirthing classes during pregnancy and found it so relaxing and a great stress reliever. It also helped to connect to my baby. You should check it out if you’re interested in natural childbirth. It was an amazing experience! My baby’s birth was peaceful and not at all a negative experience like so many unfortunately have.
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:09 am
oh YAY! double love that you did hypnobabies – we are in the midst of that class right now and it’s very helpful to get my mind ready! thank you also so much for sharing that your baby’s birth was peaceful and not a negative experience – preach that from the rooftops!
chelsea recently posted…Tell Me Something Good – Our 7th Honeymoon
Nina @ Hugs and Lattes
July 13, 2016 at 11:46 am
I love doing pilates because it makes me feel more flexible and strong as well. I love workouts that encourage using your own body rather than weights. So happy you’ve found something to help balance your workouts! And 10 points to Gryffindor for actually working out.
Nina @ Hugs and Lattes recently posted…Gratitude Lately
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:10 am
i think i would like pilates but haven’t tried it before! i agree, it’s pretty great that we can use the weight of our own bodies to get an incredible workout in. i will take those 10 points nina because i am now reaching the point where i want to eat and sit rather than eat and workout 🙂
Janelle
July 13, 2016 at 12:24 pm
I was very interested in prenatal yoga last pregnancy…I tried a short video and I loved it!!
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:11 am
so glad you found a video and even better that you found you loved it janelle – it’s been great for me too!
Sara
July 13, 2016 at 12:42 pm
I hope that Yoga will be something that I can do while pregnant. I admit that even though children are probably a few years off for us, I’ve been thinking a lot about preparing for pregnancy and baby lately.
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chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:13 am
i am so so happy to hear that while kids are a few years off for you – that you are thinking and prepping for pregnancy and baby sara! it is such a huge decision and not one to be taken lightly so i am so happy you are being conscious of it all 🙂
Amberly
July 13, 2016 at 2:18 pm
My one experience with yoga wasn’t a good one, but I need to try prenatal yoga I think. Last pregnancy it was easy to work out, but this one has been rough with my round ligament pain.
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:16 am
oh i’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience the first time you tried yoga amberly but glad you are willing to give it a go again! i think you’ll find prenatal yoga super helpful because it helps to feel as though we have more space in our body for baby! sorry to hear about round ligament pain – i’m getting that too and oooof it’s bad!
chelsea recently posted…Tell Me Something Good – Our 7th Honeymoon
Samantha O'Neil
July 13, 2016 at 9:41 pm
How awesome that yoga has been so beneficial 🙂 I keep going back to yoga for the stress relief, core strength and flexibility. Namaste
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:16 am
so happy to hear that yoga brings stress relief, strength and flexibility to your body (and probably life) samantha! that’s excellent!
chelsea recently posted…Tell Me Something Good – Our 7th Honeymoon
Devra Pomeroy
July 14, 2016 at 7:41 am
First trimester yoga was about all I could do. 30 minutes here and there between feeling super queazey… Thankfully 2nd trimester was so much better! I am a week or two farther along than you are, and I am still exercising (walks, some strength, and light jogs), but I definitely have noticed my body slowing down. Working out is more draining on my energy than it used to be. But I know it’s beneficial so I haven’t stopped. I haven’t tried prenatal yoga yet, but I would love to!
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:18 am
i am glad the second trimester was so much better and congratulations on your upcoming birth and babbbby! time is getting close 🙂 so happy to hear you are still working out that bod (light jogs?! so impressive and glad you are able to do that). prenatal yoga will be a great thing to add to your routine!
chelsea recently posted…Tell Me Something Good – Our 7th Honeymoon
Lisa
July 14, 2016 at 10:00 pm
I absolutely LOVED prenatal yoga. I went to a studio and it was so fun to see all of the other baby bumps!
Lisa recently posted…To Clara on her birthday
chelsea
July 15, 2016 at 7:20 am
i have tried to go to a class because i wanted to meet other mamas but since it’s a newer class – it was only me! nothing wrong with some 1-1 instruction but i wanted to see those other baby bumps too! glad you had a great experience lisa 🙂
Audrey
July 16, 2016 at 6:01 am
I am such a big fan of yoga. I’m glad you’ve found an instructor and a program that works for you! I think hot yoga is my favorite- although pregnant ladies should probably shy away from that one 😉
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chelsea
July 18, 2016 at 9:34 am
you are so impressive for dubbing ‘hot yoga’ as your favorite type, audrey! the thought of being hot AND doing yoga makes me want to pass out (pregnant or not – but yes the preggers are told to stay away from that one). i honestly just started sweating at that thought…haha
ann
July 17, 2016 at 4:00 pm
i haven’t yet but I really want to!
Meegan
July 19, 2016 at 9:00 am
I have tried yoga but I have not gotten into it because I am not a fan of group workouts. So I would love to try Yoginiology!
Stephanie Grant
July 20, 2016 at 2:22 pm
I used to do yoga a lot then started nursing school so I wasn’t able to really find the time but now that I’m graduated I would love to get back into the grove of yoga!
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Tiffany
August 4, 2016 at 4:54 am
I did prenatal yoga (and worked with my pilates instructor) up to 40 weeks and one day. It was a great thing to do for my body and mind! My baby is a year old and I haven’t gone back to either yet, but I am doing an aerial class that is tons of fun!
chelsea
August 4, 2016 at 6:14 am
wow that’s so awesome you kept with it so long tiffany! and um…aerial class now?! that’s the coolest!