Benefits of Yoga For the Postpartum Mom

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What are the benefits of yoga for the postpartum mom?

Yoga has a variety of benefits for every kind of person, no matter the age, athletic ability, or health. In fact, yoga can even aid in athletic ability and health. Yoga is an ancient system of mental and physical practices and movements that attempts to bring harmony and peace to the mind and body.

Yoga is becoming more widely practiced, and with that, different benefits for different demographics are being discovered. A notable demographic that is being greatly impacted by yoga practices are new mothers.

New moms are under a lot of mental stress as well as physical stress after carrying and delivering a baby; yoga is a great way to aid in both kinds of stress for postpartum moms. Here are some of the major benefits that yoga has to offer for new mothers.

It Strengthens the Body

Yoga is actually beneficial before and after childbirth because of how much it strengthens a mother’s body. Yoga provides deep stretches to all muscles in a person’s body, it is low impact but also a full-body workout. Depending on the type of yoga, hot or not, Bikram, Vinyasa, or Yin, various levels of energy are able to be used. Certain kinds of yoga require different levels of endurance; no matter the level, new mothers will benefit by staying in shape and working their bodies. Similarly, a new mother’s body will remain flexible which will add to her strength.

Yoga can also assist in weight loss after birth. Yoga targets the core and will tighten the abs, the area of a new mother’s body that often needs a little more patience in terms of returning to the prenatal body.

Related: 4 Things You Need to Know About Exercising During Pregnancy

Meeting Other New Moms

It's important to know and form relationships with other new mothers who will understand and share your challenges, accomplishments, and excitement of having a new baby. Joining a yoga studio is a great way to meet new moms and develop personal relationships. In fact, this is such a great way to meet other new moms, there are prenatal yoga classes which are classes solely for new moms.

Yoga classes offer a supportive and exciting space for postpartum mothers and it is also a great way to get out of the house.

Stress Reduction

Becoming a mom is arguably one of the most stressful tasks a woman will ever endure. There are a lot of things on new mother’s minds that will cause her to be stressed and overwhelmed. However, yoga can help with this increased amount of stress. Yoga allows a new mother to relax for at least an hour a day and find time for herself.

In addition, yoga will instill values and beliefs based on harmony and peace, which will be beneficial when the demands of being a mother seem overwhelming and trying.

Improved Posture

Carrying a child puts an immense amount of stress on a woman’s body, especially her back and abdominal muscles. In order to walk, a woman’s body has to use both her lower back and abdominal muscles to balance her extended center, this causes great pain for her, even after the baby is delivered.

Muscles are likely to remain weak after delivering a baby which will prevent the new mother from completing everyday tasks. Muscles also will take the form they did when the new mother was pregnant which will create poor posture. Yoga can improve lower back and abdominal muscles which will create better pain-free, posture. Yoga will also stretch areas of your body that will alleviate the stress that is preventing good posture; such as upper leg muscles.

Physical Fatigue Reduction

New mothers are not only tired from taking care of their newborn, but their body is also still recovering from childbirth and the last nine months. This recovery can make a new mother’s body tired, but with yoga, her body will start to relieve itself from physical pains. There are also a variety of poses that can help in common physical areas of fatigue such as the lower back or core.

Experience all of the Benefits Yoga Has to Offer

Does it sound like you can benefit from any of these great impacts? Doing research and talking to your new yoga instructor can help you get the best out of your yoga practice. It's important to learn all of the positive impacts that yoga can have on your postpartum life.

A common question that people have upon learning the great medical and physical benefits of yoga is whether or not it is covered by insurance. Unfortunately, it is not. A life insurance attorney stated, “Though insurance doesn’t cover yoga, that doesn't mean it isn’t a beneficial practice that can act as a form of rehabilitation. With my experience in dealing with insurance companies, it is an area that I know many people are fighting to get covered [by insurance companies].”

Look into the different kinds of yoga available in your area and consider joining the kind that will be the most beneficial for you.