Practicing yoga can be a great way to support both physical and emotional well-being. This holds true for pregnant mothers too. The ancient practice may help to reduce stress in pregnant women, and help them in postpartum recovery. While some poses may help to increase spinal flexibility, and others may improve digestion, they may not be ideal for expectant mothers. There are postures to be cautious of due to safety concerns during pregnancy. Navigating which poses are safe, and which ones to avoid while doing prenatal yoga can be quite confusing. So, keep scrolling to know the yoga poses to avoid when pregnant.<\/p>\n
Is it good to do yoga during pregnancy?<\/h2>\n
Generally, it is good, as prenatal yoga<\/a> has benefits. It has positive effects on anxiety, depression, stress and shorter duration of labour, as per research published in BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth<\/a>. It can decrease premature delivery and improve birth weight of newborns, according to a study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice<\/a>. Another study, published in the Journal Of Clinical Medicine<\/a>, found that doing physical activity, including yoga, can contribute to a faster postpartum recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you need to remember that every stage of pregnancy demands a slightly different yoga approach,\u201d says yoga expert Fenil Purohit<\/a>.<\/p>\n While it is a safe and beneficial practice for most people, there are certain yoga poses to avoid when pregnant:<\/p>\n It is a pose that may increase spinal flexibility, open the chest and shoulders and boost energy. But it is one of the yoga poses to avoid when pregnant. \u201cThis deep backbend places a lot of pressure on the abdominal wall, which can strain the uterus and overstretch ligaments. It may also lead to imbalance and dizziness,\u201d says Purohit.<\/p>\n It is a yoga pose to improve digestion<\/a>, and strengthen legs and spine. But it is one of the yoga poses to avoid when pregnant, as twisting torso compresses the abdomen. It can potentially restrict blood flow to the fetus and create intra-abdominal pressure.<\/p>\n Some of the benefits of headstand include boosting circulation to the brain, improving concentration and balance, and strengthening shoulders and arms. But it is one of the yoga poses to avoid when pregnant, as changes in blood pressure and balance while expecting make this pose risky. \u201cFalling can pose a danger to both mother and baby,\u201d says the expert.<\/p>\n It opens the chest and hip flexors, and tones legs and arms. \u201cThis pose challenges balance, which is often compromised while expecting due to a shifting center of gravity. A fall during pregnancy could be harmful, making this one of the yoga poses to avoid when pregnant,\u201d says the expert.<\/p>\n Some of the benefits of navasana are that it can strengthen core muscles, tone hips and thighs, and improve focus and endurance. \u201cThis intense core engagement may worsen diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles) and strain the uterus,\u201d says the expert.<\/p>\n This asana is good for building arm and core strength, improving coordination and boosting mental focus and confidence. Balance and wrist pressure make this pose unsafe during pregnancy. A forward fall while doing pose could result in abdominal injury.<\/p>\n You may also like<\/p>\n![\"Prenatal](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20193710\/Yoga1.jpg\")
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Yoga poses to avoid when pregnant<\/h2>\n
1. Wheel pose (Chakrasana)<\/h3>\n
2. Revolved triangle pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)<\/h3>\n
3. Headstand (Sirsasana)<\/h3>\n
4. Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)<\/h3>\n
5. Boat Pose (Navasana)<\/h3>\n
6. Crow Pose (Bakasana)<\/h3>\n
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