The Best Prenatal Yoga Exercises

Just because a woman gets pregnant it doesn't mean that she should stop exercising. Prenatal yoga is one of the best workouts that a woman can do to stay healthy and keep her baby healthy as well. Prenatal yoga is also a great way to get the body prepared for childbirth and can actually make labor easier.

Depending on what trimester a woman is and how big her belly has gotten some of these prenatal exercises will need to be adjusted to better suite her body. Here are the best prenatal yoga exercises.

Cat-Cow Pose
This is a wonderful yoga pose that can be done throughout the whole pregnancy. It can help alleviate back pain as well as strengthen the abdominal muscles.
1. Start on your hands and knees . Your knees should be under your hips and your wrists right under the shoulders. Your back should be in a straight line with your shoulders and hips.
2. Inhale as you curl your toes under and drop your stomach towards the ground. At the look up towards the ceiling. Your neck should be the last body part to move in a natural, flowing way.
3. Exhale as you rest the top of your feet on the floor and round your spine up. Drop your head as you look towards your stomach.
4. Continue with the exercise for at least 5-10 times, making sure to breath and focus.

Butterfly Pose
The prenatal yoga pose helps to open up the hips, which can actually mean an easier delivery.
1. Sit on the floor and bend your knees out the sides as you place the bottom of your feet together.
2. Pull your feet into your body as far as is comfortable for you.
3. Bend over your feet slightly to feel the stretch. Only go as far as your stomach will allow.

Tree Pose
The tree pose is a great prenatal yoga pose for balance. Proper balance can help with proper posture which is very important when you are carrying all of that extra weight around the stomach. If at any time you feel like you are going to fall or feel off-balance, do not do this yoga exercise.
1. Stand tall with your feet only a couple of inches apart. Place one foot on the shin of the other leg.
2. Press the palms of the hands together in front of your chest.
3. Exhale and inhale as you hold this position. Focus on something in the room if you are having trouble holding your balance. You can also choose to hold onto the side of a chair or the wall for some support as well.
4. Switch legs and repeat with other leg.

Be sure that you never do any prenatal yoga poses that may harm your baby or yourself. Never lie on your stomach or constrict your belly into a pose. Be sure that you always breathe and at the first sign of any dizziness, faintness or nausea you stop the workout.

Prenatal yoga has many benefits. It can help to make your pregnancy easier, your labor shorter and easier, as well as make your recovery time after birth shorter.