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All mothers live in this dilemma: How to lose weight postpartum? While the world is out there to give tips, advice and criticise a mother s effort and body shame her, only she knows how difficult it is to lose that lard. According to doctors, it is safe for any women to start exercising six weeks post the delivery, but most women harbour a fear that they might hurt themselves and stay away from exercising. Some still brave it to join a gym and others resort to the safer options like brisk walking or swimming. Here are few ways in which the world body shames the new mother.
But one way you can treat your postpartum body to get better and strong is by taking up yoga seriously. It will not only help you to just take care of your body but reinstate the mind-body connection and help you beat baby blues too. We spoke to yoga guru Sarvesh Shashi, founder of Zorba Yoga, Mumbai to know more how yoga helps new mums.
Do you recommend new mothers to take up yoga post pregnancy?
Starting yoga after pregnancy is a responsible act to regain overall fitness after the 9-months experience of universe s divine work in a woman s womb. It is completely normal to feel a bit difficult to control the body and mind post labour, this is because of the various hormonal and emotional changes that the body and mind undergo. You can either resume your yoga practice or start afresh; it will help you to completely build all aspects of the ongoing resistance. Here are five exercises that you can do with your baby post pregnancy.
When should new mother start yoga, after pregnancy?
If a mother has undergone a C section, it's beneficial for her to wait for a minimum of six months before resuming or starting yoga practice in order to avoid unwanted harm. However, you can practice few joint movements i.e. neck, shoulder, wrist, arms, knees, and ankles, you can synchronize breath with your clock and anticlockwise rotations of joints this can be repeated 8-15 times for each joint, these are known as Pawanmuktasana series 1 and 2. Don't hesitate to consult with a doctor or find an expert for help. Here are five things that you need to take care of after c-section.
In case of a normal pregnancy, the mother can start practice after 3-7 days of labour. You should start practice with the Pawanmuktasana series for the first 10 days and then slowly asanas with counter postures can be practised, these can be included in C section cases as well, however after six months of rest.
What kinds of exercises are recommended to the new mother?
The mother needs to take care of the spine, the abdominal muscles and the root chakras. The legs become stronger with the help of yogic stretching postures like Janu Sirsasana, Paschimottanasana, and UrdhvaTadasana.
Malasana, Dhanurasana, and Shalabhasana are helpful in strengthening the root chakras. During pregnancy, the mother s expanding uterus is stretched, weakening the abdominal muscles, altering the posture and adding strain on her back. Here are a few asanas that can be practised to give your body the power to heal are Hastottanasana and Hastpadottanasna. Machhendrasana strengthens your spine, whereas Ustrasana, ArdhaHalasana and Naukasana are helpful in strengthening the core and abdomen. Makarasana, Trikonasana, Balasana and SetuBandhasana are few more postures that can be practised.
What precautions do a mother needs to follow while doing yoga?
If you are practising at home you can hold the postures for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, avoid any kind of force in any aspects during the practice, enjoy the flexibility, respect your strength, and become a healthy, strong and happy mother. Talk to a yoga expert before starting the practice.
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