Yoga for fertility and pregnancy
by Kayleah Scarborough, dietetic intern
Are you wondering what kind of low impact exercise can benefit your pregnancy and fertility journey? Yoga is a great option, and provides the perfect mix of mental health relief mixed with physical activity that is gentler on the body than higher impact activities like running.
Let's Talk about Yoga
Yoga is considered a moderately intense activity. It is a practice of the mind and the body. Yoga utilizes breathing, some form of meditation or relaxation methods, and physical movement. While you might not always sweat while doing yoga, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t getting benefits from it! As part of your overall exercise routine for fertility and pregnancy, yoga can be a really great addition.
Fertility and Yoga
Yoga has been shown to have multiple benefits for mental and physical health, and can even improve fertility. According to a study on the effects of yoga on psychological distress for women participating in IVF treatments, symptoms of anxiety, depression, emotional distress, and fertility-related quality of life all improved in their scores. Another study on the effects of yoga on polycystic ovarian syndrome showed that when combined with medicine, yoga has proven effects in reducing and managing PCOS symptoms compared to traditional western medicine alone. For people with hypothalamic amenorrhea who need to take a step back on exercise to let their bodies heal, yoga can be a great option to maintain an outlet for stress management.
Pregnancy and Yoga
Pregnancy can be an emotional rollercoaster for most women. One of the negative emotions that can be brought on can be stress due to the big changes that are occurring. The Effects of Yoga on Pregnancy may effectively decrease stress levels, anxiety scores, depression scores, and pain response as well as increasing maternal immunity and emotional-wellbeing.
In our last blog post on exercise for fertility and pregnancy, we talked about how being physically active while pregnant is extremely beneficial. Yoga is a good bridge between physical activity and a healthy mindset. If yoga isn’t your cup of tea, you can still get great benefits from mindful meditation as well as practicing other forms of low impact activities such as Pilates, swimming, barre, or walking while listening to your favorite podcast.
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If you feel like you need more individualized nutrition coaching, click here to apply for 1:1 or couples nutrition counseling for fertility and pregnancy.