Gentle Yoga Safe in Late Pregnancy: Small Study
By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Yoga, even late into pregnancy, appears to be safe for expectant moms, according to a small new study.
The research found that yoga poses don't seem to place undue stress on mom or baby. Using real-time measurements, researchers showed that various yoga postures had no ill effects on heart rate, blood pressure or other vital signs -- for the mother-to-be or the fetus.
Researchers said the findings, reported in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, offer reassurance that the sometimes exotic-looking poses in a yoga class are generally safe for pregnant women.
The caveat is that modifications are often needed, said lead researcher Dr. Rachael Polis, who conducted the study while an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, in Neptune, N.J.
The women in the study used blocks, chairs and the wall for support and balance. And no one is suggesting that a woman in her third trimester step into an advanced yoga class where people are kicking into handstands, Polis said.
But a prenatal yoga class, or a basic-level class that moves at a moderate pace, are good ways for pregnant women to exercise and de-stress, said Dr. Fahimeh Sasan, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City.
"In a healthy pregnancy, we encourage all kinds of moderate activity," said Sasan, who was not involved with the new study. "I think these findings help validate what we've been telling women."
Yoga is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, Polis pointed out. One recent survey found that in 2012, over 20 million Americans were practicing yoga, the researchers said. And that includes pregnant women.
"But there's been limited research on the safety of yoga during pregnancy," said Polis, who is now a gynecology specialist at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.
To dig a little deeper, she and her colleagues recruited 25 healthy women who were between the 35th and 38th weeks of pregnancy. Some regularly practiced yoga, some had a little experience, and some were novices.
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Yoga, even late into pregnancy, appears to be safe for expectant moms, according to a small new study.
The research found that yoga poses don't seem to place undue stress on mom or baby. Using real-time measurements, researchers showed that various yoga postures had no ill effects on heart rate, blood pressure or other vital signs -- for the mother-to-be or the fetus.
Researchers said the findings, reported in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, offer reassurance that the sometimes exotic-looking poses in a yoga class are generally safe for pregnant women.
The caveat is that modifications are often needed, said lead researcher Dr. Rachael Polis, who conducted the study while an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, in Neptune, N.J.
The women in the study used blocks, chairs and the wall for support and balance. And no one is suggesting that a woman in her third trimester step into an advanced yoga class where people are kicking into handstands, Polis said.
But a prenatal yoga class, or a basic-level class that moves at a moderate pace, are good ways for pregnant women to exercise and de-stress, said Dr. Fahimeh Sasan, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City.
"In a healthy pregnancy, we encourage all kinds of moderate activity," said Sasan, who was not involved with the new study. "I think these findings help validate what we've been telling women."
Yoga is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, Polis pointed out. One recent survey found that in 2012, over 20 million Americans were practicing yoga, the researchers said. And that includes pregnant women.
"But there's been limited research on the safety of yoga during pregnancy," said Polis, who is now a gynecology specialist at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.
To dig a little deeper, she and her colleagues recruited 25 healthy women who were between the 35th and 38th weeks of pregnancy. Some regularly practiced yoga, some had a little experience, and some were novices.
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