Post-Natal Yoga and Pilates

All new mom's know about the benefits of exercise during your pregnancy, and for those who stuck to an exercise program throughout those nine months, now is not the time to quit! Exercise will not only help you in getting back your pre-baby body, but it will also help with the extreme fatigue, back strain, stress, and anxiety that go hand in hand with bringing a newborn baby home. Most women are able to start a fitness program 4-6 weeks within having a baby, however it is recommended that you get your Doctor's approval before starting any exercise program.

Yoga

Mom and baby yoga classes focus on specific warm-up and yoga postures that are beneficial to the stresses and strains that new moms are exposed to. The postures will assist in strengthen the back, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor muscles – all areas that are affected during pregnancy and after you bring the baby home. In addition to strengthening the above areas, the benefits of post-natal yoga include improving your posture, decreasing overall stress and tension, and meeting other new moms in your area.

The best classes offer a segment where you include your baby in the yoga postures or focus on postures specifically geared towards the baby. A posture that my baby loves is the Knees to Chest/Bicycle where you straighten the baby's legs out and then gently move them in toward their stomach. This move is especially good to relieve gas and constipation. Some of the best Yoga postures for new moms include Downward Dog, Triangle Pose, and Cobra. Once you build your strength up you should include some more difficult poses such as the Warrior.

To find classes in your area check out your local community centers. They usually offer classes that are reasonable priced compared to yoga studios, which is a valid concern for someone who is on maternity leave and needs to stick to a budget. However, if you can afford to spend a little bit more, call around to some local Yoga Studios in your area. The benefit of a Yoga Studio, besides the experienced instructors, is that they offer a variety of classes so you can graduate to a more difficult class when you are able. If you are unable to attend a live class, there are some very good Mom and Baby Yoga tapes out there. My favourtie one right now is Mom and Baby Yoga with Gurmukh Khalsa by The New Method. This is a very easy to follow taping of a live class that focuses on strengthening your abdominal muscles. It has a nice little segment for the baby as well as a meditation period.

Before you commit to a class, ask to try one out to see if you like it. When you are participating pay attention to the tone of the class, how the instructor reacts to a group full of cranky babies, and whether or not they offer a segment of postures for your baby. Ask yourself if you felt challenged enough. There is no point in talking a class that is too easy for you as you may not receive the full benefit from it.

Pilates

Less common, I find, are post-natal pilates classes that incorporate the baby. However, if you are lucky enough to find one in your area the benefits are numerous. Pilates tones the torso by using the abdominals, hips, butt, and lower back to form a powerhouse which generates the force behind all the positions. The key to getting the most from this workout is to pull your navel to the spine every time you exhale through your mouth.

The benefits to pilates include improving overall strength and muscle tone, improving posture and flexibility, and relieving back pain and tension (especially important for breastfeeding moms). The number one benefit for the new mom is flattening your tummy!! As all of the pilates movements target your core muscles they are all beneficial to the new mom. You may find them very difficult at first, especially for those mom's who seem to have no abdominal muscles after pregnancy (I still cannot do the roll-up), but if you stick with it and follow the modified movements you will build your strength and see benefits quickly.

To find a class in your area, check with you local community center and gyms. Some gyms offer a pilates session along with their aerobics classes. If you cannot find one in your area, you can try a post-natal pilates video such as Sarah Picot's Post-natal Pilates Video available at Amazon. I have used my regular beginner's pilates exercise video and modified the movements to allow me to incorporate my baby. For example, I place my son with his back on my upper thighs during the hundred and on my chest during the roll-up.

Whichever you choose, yoga or pilates, you will benefit from the exercise while experiencing the joy of being able to exercise and bond with your baby.