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2nd Trimester
Expecting a bootiful baby Girl this Halloween
Prenatal Yoga vs Regular Yoga - differences?
I've never really heard of prenatal yoga until reading some posts on the community boards here. Is there a big difference from a regular yoga class?
Are there special considerations I should take into account when going to my regular Body Flow class (a mix of pilates, yoga, and tai chi)?
I haven't been since getting pregnant, so I will check with the instructor too...
TIA
Expecting a bootiful baby Girl this Halloween
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Re: Prenatal Yoga vs Regular Yoga - differences?
I took prenatal yoga for the first time yesterday and thought it was much different than regular yoga. The only regular yoga i've taken is at 24 Hour Fitness. Prenatal yoga really focuses on breathing techniques and getting you more in tune with your body. It also focuses on different stretching techniques for your hips and groin area to help make vaginal delivery easier on you. We also did kegel's which was kind of funny.
I highly recommend prenatal yoga. It's also really nice to meet other pregnant women who are at different stages of their pregnancy.
BFP #1 3/13/13, MMC 4/17/13, D&C 4/19/13
BFP #2 8/7/13, Beta at 4w6d = 3,796
I've never been to PN yoga either, but would like to check it out.
I went to my regular yoga place after not going since getting pg, so about 5 months, and the woman I talked to seemed hesitant to encourage me to continue doing regular yoga after such a long absence. She said that if I had been practicing all along it wouldn't be a problem, but after 5 months I might want to look into the prenatal classes down the street. She did say I could try one of the slow flow or restorative classes, and just see how it goes, but wasn't very encouraging. I guess I would just ask your dr. and see what moves to avoid. I know ab work is mostly a no no.
I've been going to prenatal regularly & there's a fair difference.
A lot of the standing moves are the same but once you're around 4-5 months, you shouldn't be laying on your back so those poses are out. You also shouldn't be on your belly, so upward dog, cobra, boat pose etc are out. And you shouldn't be doing deep twists.
I did try a regular class recently (I used to go all the time pre-pg) and found it was kind of a waste of time. They were doing a ton of work on their backs. Fine, I figured I'd prop myself up so I wasn't flat. Then they started doing lots of ab work, which is another no-no. So I couldn't do those moves. 10 minutes later they went into deep laying twists. It sucked for me.
I'd rather just be in a prenatal class where I know the instructor knows what we should & shouldn't be doing, etc.
Wow, to me this sounds like a lazy instructor who didn't want to teach to different levels of the class. Yoga is all about doing what is right for your body at the time. People with injuries and back issues are in normal yoga classes all the time and the point of having an instructor is to have them individualize the poses for people's limitations and keep everyone working toward their personal best. 5 months is not that long of a break. I can see her discouraging you from a hot yoga or power yoga class, but regular or gentle yoga should be just fine provided she is willing to take the time to help you modify for your condition. Even when the class is doing deep twists, my instructor comes over and gives me a move that can achieve something similar without the twist. Personally, that is the reason I go to a class and don't just do it at home. Otherwise you could just be following a DVD.
Ab work is definitely not a no-no in pregnancy. While you are obviously not doing it to gain a 6-pack, it's important to keep the abdominals strong and will help you bounce back quicker after birth.
I've been doing PN yoga for two weeks now and the instructor actually mentioned the differences the other night. The biggest one is that it doesn't require you to do the deep torso twists, which could be dangerous. Any twists you do focus on opening the shoulders and hips. A lot of focus on deep breathing and maintaining positions that can be quite uncomfortable, thus preparing you mentally for childbirth.
PN yoga is (should be anyway) taught by someone who is qualified to do it. Your body is changing so much and the person needs to be trained to recognize and appreciate those differences.
ETA: That being said, if you are experienced in yoga and know how to modify poses to keep them safe for your changing body, you can still do regular yoga. I've really enjoyed the prenatal classes though!
I haven't really done regular yoga, but my prenatal yoga instructors have been trained to teach prenatal yoga. We aren't supposed to stretch and twist in certain ways when pregnant and you really want a teacher that knows that, but can still give you a good workout.
Plus prenatal focuses on breathing and other techniques that are supposed to be useful during labor.
I HIGHLY recommend it!
Sorry, I should've been more specific. I know that some things- like planks- are okay, and I've been doing those. These were things laying leg lifts, and twisting ab moves which I've read are not advised past the first trimester. My understanding is general core work is okay but that we should be careful with ab isolation. In general, the information about which ab moves are and aren't ok is a bit conflicting, though. I am really afraid of diastasis so I've been playing it extra safe!
Agreed! Aside from the pn yoga, I've been doing Summer Sanders pregnancy workout and she has an ab workout at the end (basic crunches on an incline) and it's been good!