Ask a Yogi – Is it safe to do yoga lunges while pregnant?

Is it safe to do yoga lunges while pregnant? This is a great question and one that comes up a lot in prenatal yoga (well, a lot of questions come up in prenatal yoga), and for good reason!

There are many contradictory statements about yoga and pregnancy. Some of the information is consistent, such as avoiding heated yoga styles or closed twists. However, some are out of date and are based more on experience than science.

A visit to Google and a doctor’s appointment will reveal that making a prenatal lunge can cause a variety of issues, from preterm labor to a baby who comes out in the lunge position.

To answer your question, it is absolutely safe to perform lunges during prenatal yoga. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

Just Do What Feels Right

Get the go-ahead from your doctor or midwife before starting any exercise program. Do what you feel good about. Nurture your body while making room for your baby. Stop and adjust if something doesn’t feel right.

Don’t do anything if you don’t feel great doing it.

Doing Lunges During Pregnancy

Yoga lunges, both low and high, are an excellent way to lengthen and strengthen the muscles of the legs. When you sit at your desk or relax in front of the television, your hip flexors will shorten and become tighter.

The glutes, adductors, and other muscles that are used for delivery will be strengthened by lunges. Focus on strengthening the muscles in this pose rather than opening your hips.

This will firstly help you physically during your marathon labor and also help your pelvic floor regain strength after delivery, which is crucial for a good recovery.

Second, relaxin, a hormone produced by your pregnant body, makes you super flexible. You don’t need to focus on opening. Relaxin is a hormone that increases flexibility and causes ligaments to relax on purpose to open the body for birth.

Pregnant women often find that they can stretch deeper than before. It’s not a good idea because it can lead to overstretching. Overstretching may cause pelvic instabilities, pulled ligaments or muscles, and additional stress to an already stressed body.

Prenatal yoga should focus on strengthening the muscles, not trying to get deeper in a fold or lower hips for Lizard Lunge.

How to do Lunges during Pregnancy

While pregnant, be careful not to overstretch your pelvic floor and cause it to become unstable. Work only up to 75 percent of your natural range of motion.

When you feel your body flexing, remember that it could be doing more harm than good. It’s good not only for your body but also for your mind.

Modify the following:

From the tabletop position, move into a lunge.

Put one leg in front so that your knee is directly over your ankle.

You may need to move your foot forward to create more room for the bubba, depending on the size of your bun and how far you are along.

To relieve the pressure on the knees, either tuck your toes under or press the top of your foot into the ground. What feels right for you?

Breathe into the hip flexor or front of the rear leg with both hands.

Create space by extending out from the top of the head and down the tailbone.

Switch sides after holding for 5-6 breathes.

Yoga lunges are great for your body and can be beneficial to pregnant women, too. Focus on strengthening rather than stretching, modify the pose, and do not move beyond your range of accessibility.