Being a new mom is exciting – and stressful! In this postpartum yoga guide, you’ll learn how to relieve stress and get back in shape.
Trying to reclaim your pre-baby body? Join 20 million people in the United States and try some rejuvenating yoga!
New moms have been through a lot with their bodies, and the best way to reconnect to your own healing power post pregnancy is with yoga.
After you’ve had a baby, you’re probably exhausted. It’s easy to feel disconnected to the physical self when you’re running on no sleep and feeding a crying baby every few hours! Once you’ve been medically cleared for exercise, try these postpartum yoga moves to get back into shape and feel totally blissed out.
Postpartum Yoga Poses
Easing back into an exercise routine can be challenging, and finding your zen as a new mom can be even harder! Postpartum yoga is a fabulous way to center yourself and get moving again. The slow, fluid movements can help you concentrate on your breath and reconnect with your core while getting a workout.
Child’s Pose
Start your mom’s yoga lesson by acting like a child. Do some child’s pose!
This relaxing and restorative pose makes you feel safe while stretching certain muscle groups in your arms and back. If you are breastfeeding or pumping, this pose will help ease tension in your back. Knots build up fast when you are nursing, changing, and snuggling with your baby bundle of joy!
Some experts recommend doing Kegel exercises while in child’s pose. These muscle contractions help re-engage your pelvic muscles, which can become disengaged during childbirth. Kegel exercises during yoga can also be helpful for men.
Don’t forget to drop your hips while relaxing into the pose.
Legs Up the Wall
This pose is exactly what it sounds like, and it is relaxing and good for the immune system.
Any inversion type of yoga pose is advantageous for new moms, as it makes blood flow backward, clearing the lymphatic system. This helps ward off the common cold and other bugs tired new moms can get.
Legs up the wall stretch your hamstrings and calves, which help to invigorate and engage the entire lower body. At the same time, this pose is relaxing.
Forward Fold
It’s best to do this pose in a standing position. It also reverses blood flow and has lymphatic benefits, but there’s more to it than that.
Standing forward fold helps new moms restore balance and realign with their new center of gravity. You can bend down slowly, which stretches the middle and lower back, or hold in the fold when you arrive. This stretches the leg muscles deeply and in a different way than legs up the wall.
Your pelvis and core will thank you, as will your lower back!
Camel
This heart-opener is a vivid and powerful pose that has been known to conjure up emotions in even casually practicing yogis. Make sure you ease into this one, especially if you have had a C-section or had significant tearing.
Breathing through this one will open up your chest and stretch your tired pectorals. Send positive thoughts out to increase your bliss with this one!
Warrior II
This is a classic opening pose, where you stand with one leg bent and have your knees over your toes. You will also stretch out your arms. If you’ve ever done prenatal yoga, you probably remember this one from your final few months.
A wonderfully energizing pose, the warrior sequence is a perfect vinyasa flow for moms after several months of motherhood. For post pregnancy yoga, stick to “Warrior II.”
Make sure to engage your core, drop your hips evenly, and take deep breaths. If you do this one several times per day, you will assist your pelvic core in its speedy recovery.
Bridge Pose
Many postpartum yoga teachers recommend bridge pose to stretch out and elongate muscles and help with anxiety.
There’s nothing wrong with being afraid of messing up, and many new moms report panic attacks or high levels of nervousness and anxiety, even if they are as cool as a cucumber most of the time. It’s only natural to need to relax.
Bridge pose can help with mood swings, anxiety, and can even relieve tension headaches. And it’s an excellent stretch for moms who have gone through vaginal childbirth.
Take a Postpartum Yoga Class
Many women take prenatal classes when they’re pregnant, as the focus on breath and light exercise can relieve cramping and the discomfort of having a growing baby in utero.
So why not try some postnatal yoga classes? You can connect with new moms, learn mind quieting exercises, and learn to engage your muscles after giving birth.
One of the cool things about post-pregnancy yoga is the abundance of mommy and me classes. Many times, you can take your bundle of joy with you to class, slashing the cost of childcare.
Make sure your doctor has cleared you for exercise, and let your care provider know you intend to take new moms yoga courses after giving birth. If you’re taking postnatal medicines — made affordable by a Canadian pharmacy — make sure your yoga teacher knows of any side effects you are experiencing.
You should be able to attend classes after six weeks.
Call Ahead
It’s imperative you call ahead to postpartum yoga or other light exercise classes so that you won’t have any surprises when you arrive. Create the most blissful and peaceful experience you can by making sure you feel calm and prepared.
Ask about equipment requirements, such as bringing your own mat or towel. Ask about sign-up procedures, parking for new moms, and what the best way to bring your baby is.
Some yoga studios don’t allow strollers in the classrooms, but many do. Ask about the policy for crying babies or nursing moms.
And don’t feel shy to ask about cleanliness practices. You can’t afford to get sick or grody!
Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga
For new moms, there’s not much more relaxing exercise than postnatal yoga. Prenatal yoga is similarly necessary for pregnant ladies looking to feel balanced and calm.
If you are a soon-to-be mom, try out our pregnancy do’s and don’ts. We love helping you explore your lifestyle and eating habits, and showing you how to make healthy choices for yourself and your baby!
