During pregnancy, there are many views on hot yoga. Many experts argue that hot yoga should not be practiced during pregnancy. Others argue that continuing to practice hot yoga during pregnancy is healthy, as long as the pregnant woman has been doing it for a long time. Physicians are concerned that hot yoga will raise the temperature of a new mother’s body, but yoga instructors say that when doing hot yoga, body temperature increases only by one degree, so there is nothing to worry about. It’s up to the mother to make the right choice for her.
What is Hot Yoga?
Hot yoga is the latest trend to be followed throughout the world. It is a type of yoga done in an extremely hot and humid environment–often 104 degrees or more and 40 percent humidity. Extreme types of hot yoga are typically performed in rooms with temperatures ranging from 90-105 degrees to 60-70% humidity. These temperatures for a regular human body will feel like 100-149 degrees.
How Does Hot Yoga Works?
It is assumed that the heat would increase the endurance, stamina and weight loss. One hot yoga session can last up to 90 minutes, depending on your capacity. It’s difficult to even for a qualified student to perform hot yoga. If your body becomes overwhelmed by the stress and temperature, it can cause heatstroke or heat exhaustion. Under warm conditions, people tend to stretch much more, and this can often result under the muscle or joint damage. People over 50 years of age who have heart complications or are taking prescribed medications should consult with their doctor before attempting hot yoga.
Is Hot Yoga Safe During Pregnancy?
The opinion is usually that it is best to avoid hot yoga during pregnancy altogether. The tendons and muscles loosen during pregnancy to prepare for the baby growing inside you. This means your muscles are more likely to spread in the heat beyond normal. Hot yoga will increase the risk of heat exertion, heatstroke, and fainting during pregnancy because pregnancy affects blood pressure. Exposure to such heat levels may be dangerous to your baby as hyperthermia (high body temperature) may increase the risk of birth defects in your baby such as spina bifida.
Risks Factors
During pregnancy, there are several potential risks of doing hot yoga. These include the following:
- Overheating is the biggest cause of concern.
- It is dangerous for the baby to overheat the body during pregnancy as its organ and brain development can be adversely affected.
- Hot yoga may also contribute to dehydration during pregnancy.
- For a pregnant woman, the hot yoga poses may be too difficult to master.
- Hot yoga can lead to several health problems during pregnancy. You are more likely to experience dizziness as the body moves. In women who are pregnant, standing in a hot room is typically uncomfortable because their body temperature is already slightly higher during pregnancy.
How to Do It?
Do you regularly do hot yoga before pregnancy? Then some experts say hot yoga and pregnancy risks are smaller. Here are a few tips for this yoga during the first trimester of pregnancy:
- Inform your instructor about your health condition before beginning with it.
- For pregnant women, some hot yoga positions are not suitable. Some poses that interrupt blood flow to the uterus or put pressure on the belly are off-limits.
- Drink plenty of water when doing any kind of workout.
- If you’re new to hot yoga while you’re pregnant, or if you’ve taken a long break since then it’s best to avoid doing it.
- Alternatively, you can do some kinds of pregnancy exercise and stay active.
- Do not exaggerate it. Remember that you are pregnant, and above all else, the health of your baby is crucial. Choose a nice place to practice hot yoga, and stop immediately if you feel sick.
- If you have other health problems, you can stop hot yoga.
- If the doctor has ruled your pregnancy is low-risk, you can do hot yoga.
- You should check if there is a class of hot yoga specifically for pregnant women, which does not use the heat but includes some of the postures.
It is a personal choice of whether or not pregnant women do hot yoga. Many women who are pregnant find exercise calming, while others do not. Hot yoga can help to improve hormonal problems and some other health problems. If you have never done hot yoga before pregnancy, however, it may be best to stick to a normal form of yoga suitable for pregnant women. The health of your baby comes before anything else. If you want, after your baby is delivered safely, you can practice hot yoga.
Also Read: Must Do Pregnancy Exercises For Normal Delivery
