Pregnancy & Yoga: What You Need to Know

Pregnancy & Yoga: What You Need to Know

Can you practise yoga during pregnancy?

For many people, yes.

Staying physically active during an uncomplicated pregnancy is generally encouraged, and yoga can be one way to continue moving.

The NHS recommends around 150 minutes of activity each week during pregnancy and includes prenatal yoga as an appropriate form of exercise.

Yoga during pregnancy may provide opportunities to work on:

• Strength
• Mobility
• Balance
• Posture
• Breathing
• Relaxation
• Body awareness
• Pelvic floor awareness
• Maintaining general physical activity

But pregnancy isn’t simply your normal body with a growing bump.

Your body is continually adapting.

Your centre of gravity changes, your balance may change, your cardiovascular system is working differently, your joints and connective tissues may become more mobile and the physical space available for certain movements gradually decreases.

That means your yoga practice needs to evolve with your pregnancy.

There is also an important distinction between:

continuing yoga when you were already an experienced practitioner before pregnancy

and

starting yoga for the first time after becoming pregnant.

Both may be possible.

But they aren’t necessarily the same practice.

Exercise during pregnancy

For most people with an uncomplicated pregnancy, physical activity is considered safe and beneficial.

The NHS advises people who were regularly active before pregnancy to continue their normal physical activity for as long as it remains comfortable, adapting as pregnancy progresses.

If you weren’t previously active, pregnancy can still be a good time to start moving. The NHS recommends beginning gradually rather than suddenly taking up strenuous exercise.

So pregnancy isn’t generally a reason to stop moving.

It is a reason to think differently about how you move.

How might yoga help during pregnancy?

Yoga can offer several things that may be particularly useful as your body changes.

Maintaining strength

Your body is gradually carrying more weight and your centre of gravity is changing.

Maintaining appropriate strength through the:

• Legs
• Hips
• Gluteal muscles
• Back
• Upper body
• Core

can support everyday movement as pregnancy progresses.

Yoga shouldn’t be thought of purely as stretching.

A well-designed pregnancy practice can include plenty of controlled strengthening.

Mobility

As your body changes, some areas may begin to feel stiffer or more uncomfortable.

Gentle movement may help maintain comfortable mobility through areas such as the:

• Hips
• Thoracic spine
• Shoulders
• Ankles

However, pregnancy isn’t necessarily the time to pursue ever-greater flexibility.

As we will explore shortly, hormonal changes during pregnancy can actually make some joints more mobile.

The aim is therefore:

comfortable, useful movement rather than maximum flexibility.

Balance

Your centre of gravity changes as pregnancy progresses.

That can alter balance even if you previously felt very stable.

Yoga balance exercises may help maintain coordination and body awareness, but they should be adapted where necessary.

A wall or chair can become extremely useful.

Using support doesn’t reduce the benefit of practising balance.

It allows you to train balance without unnecessarily testing whether you can fall.

Breathing and relaxation

Breathing and relaxation can be particularly valuable aspects of pregnancy yoga.

A yoga practice may provide time to:

• Slow down
• Notice your breathing
• Relax muscular tension
• Develop body awareness
• Rest
• Connect with your changing body

Breathing practices may also provide useful tools that you can draw upon during labour.

This doesn’t mean a particular breathing technique guarantees an easier birth.

It simply gives you experience of consciously working with your breath while remaining present with physical sensations.

Pelvic floor awareness

Pregnancy places increasing demands on the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor exercises are recommended during pregnancy.

But pelvic floor health isn’t necessarily just about squeezing harder.

It can be useful to develop awareness of both:

engaging and releasing.

A pregnancy-specific yoga class can incorporate pelvic floor awareness into movement and breathing rather than treating it as something completely separate.

If you experience symptoms such as:

• Pelvic heaviness
• Leaking
• Significant pelvic pain
• Difficulty controlling the pelvic floor

a pelvic health physiotherapist can provide individual assessment.

Pregnancy hormones, relaxin and flexibility

One of the biggest considerations for yoga during pregnancy is something that can initially feel like a benefit:

You may become more flexible.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes affect the connective tissues supporting your joints.

One of the hormones involved is relaxin.

Relaxin has several important roles during pregnancy and, alongside other hormonal changes, contributes to changes in connective tissue and ligament laxity.

ACOG notes that pregnancy hormones cause the ligaments supporting the joints to become more relaxed, making joints more mobile and potentially more susceptible to injury.

This is highly relevant to yoga.

You may suddenly notice that you can:

• Fold further forwards
• Open your hips more deeply
• Sink lower into a lunge
• Take your legs wider
• Move further into a backbend
• Reach ranges that previously felt restricted

That can easily feel like progress.

But greater range doesn’t necessarily mean greater strength or stability.

Why relaxin matters in yoga

Ligaments help support and stabilise joints.

If the tissues around a joint become more lax, the muscles surrounding that joint have an increasingly important role in controlling movement.

This is particularly relevant if you were already naturally flexible or hypermobile before pregnancy.

Yoga often encourages us to explore range of movement.

But during pregnancy, repeatedly hanging at the very end of your available range may place unnecessary stress through joints and surrounding tissues.

Pregnancy is therefore not the ideal time to work towards:

• Deeper splits
• Extreme hip opening
• Your deepest forward fold
• Bigger backbends
• Greater shoulder flexibility
• Increasing your maximum range of movement

Instead, think:

strength + stability + control + comfortable mobility.

Don’t use pregnancy to increase your flexibility

This is particularly important for experienced yoga practitioners.

You know how far you could move before pregnancy.

If you suddenly discover that your body allows you to move further, don’t automatically treat that new range as something to explore.

Consider stopping slightly short of your maximum range.

For example:

Instead of sinking as deeply as possible into a low lunge, maintain muscular support through your legs.

Instead of pushing into a very wide-legged forward fold, use a comfortable stance.

Instead of allowing gravity to pull you deeply into Pigeon, use props and remain higher.

Instead of taking your deepest backbend, work with a smaller movement and good muscular control.

Your yoga can become less about:

“How far can I go?”

and more about:

“How well can I support and control this position?”

Relaxin isn’t a reason to stop yoga

It is equally important not to become frightened of movement.

Pregnancy-related changes in joint mobility don’t mean your joints are suddenly too fragile to exercise.

Physical activity remains recommended during uncomplicated pregnancy.

It simply changes how I would approach flexibility work.

Think:

maintain mobility rather than maximise flexibility.

And:

build strength around your changing joints rather than repeatedly stretching them to end range.

Already practising yoga before pregnancy?

If yoga was already a regular part of your life before becoming pregnant, you may be able to continue practising.

The NHS advises that people who were already regularly active can generally keep up their usual exercise for as long as it remains comfortable, while adapting as necessary.

But that doesn’t mean:

“I did it before pregnancy, therefore I can practise exactly the same way throughout pregnancy.”

Your body is changing.

A pose that felt completely comfortable at eight weeks may feel very different at 28 weeks.

Over time you may need to modify:

• Twists
• Backbends
• Forward folds
• Balances
• Prone poses
• Supine poses
• Inversions
• Core work
• Transitions
• The width of your stance
• The depth of your stretches

Your previous yoga experience is useful because you already understand the movements.

But experience doesn’t make you exempt from pregnancy adaptations.

Starting yoga for the first time during pregnancy

This is slightly different.

Perhaps you’ve been told that yoga is good during pregnancy.

Maybe you’d like to:

• Stay active
• Help with general stiffness
• Relax
• Prepare for birth
• Meet other pregnant people
• Develop breathing techniques

Those can all be good reasons to explore yoga.

And you don’t need to have practised yoga before becoming pregnant.

However, I wouldn’t recommend that someone with no yoga experience simply joins any general yoga class and tries to follow along without pregnancy-specific guidance.

Why?

Because you’re learning a completely new form of movement at the same time that your body is undergoing substantial physical changes.

Why being a yoga beginner during pregnancy matters

An experienced yoga practitioner may already know:

• What Downward Dog normally feels like
• How to position themselves in Warrior poses
• How to use a block
• How far they usually rotate
• Where their normal end range is
• What a pose normally feels like in their body
• How to modify a movement
• How to transition safely
• When something feels unusual

A beginner doesn’t have those reference points yet.

You are learning:

the pose + your body + the pregnancy modification

all at the same time.

That doesn’t mean yoga is unsafe for a beginner during pregnancy.

But it does mean that good instruction becomes particularly important.

Why a dedicated pregnancy yoga class can be particularly helpful

If you are new to yoga during pregnancy, a dedicated prenatal class is often a very good place to start.

In a pregnancy-specific class:

• The whole sequence can be designed around pregnancy
• The teacher knows everyone is pregnant
• Positions can be chosen with a growing bump in mind
• Supine work can be appropriately adapted
• Balance can be modified
• Abdominal work can be adjusted
• Props can be incorporated from the beginning
• Transitions can be slower
• Breathing and relaxation can be pregnancy appropriate
• Excessive end-range stretching can be avoided

This is quite different from attending a general yoga class where the teacher may need to create alternatives throughout a sequence originally designed for non-pregnant bodies.

A pregnancy class offers more than modified poses

There can be another benefit.

A dedicated pregnancy yoga class creates space to focus specifically on the experience of pregnancy.

Depending on the class and teacher, this might include:

• Comfortable movement for a changing body
• Strength
• Relaxation
• Breathing
• Pelvic floor awareness
• Positions that may feel useful during labour
• Rest
• Confidence in movement
• Meeting other pregnant people

Pregnancy yoga doesn’t have to be viewed as a watered-down version of a general yoga class.

It is a practice designed around a different stage of life and a different set of physical needs.

What if I already attend a general yoga class?

You don’t necessarily have to leave your usual class the moment you become pregnant.

If:

• You already know the practice
• Your pregnancy is uncomplicated
• You feel well
• Your teacher is appropriately knowledgeable
• The class can be modified
• Your maternity team hasn’t advised otherwise

you may be able to continue for some or all of your pregnancy.

Tell your yoga teacher that you’re pregnant and how many weeks pregnant you are.

As pregnancy progresses, however, you may decide that a dedicated pregnancy class better suits your changing needs.

Yoga poses and practices that need particular consideration during pregnancy

There isn’t one universal list of poses that every pregnant person must stop doing from the moment they receive a positive pregnancy test.

Previous yoga experience, stage of pregnancy, symptoms, individual anatomy and pregnancy complications all matter.

However, there are several categories of yoga poses and practices that may need to be avoided or substantially modified during pregnancy.

1. Prolonged lying flat on your back

The NHS advises avoiding exercise involving lying flat on your back for prolonged periods, particularly after 16 weeks of pregnancy.

As the uterus becomes larger, its weight can compress major blood vessels and reduce venous return to the heart, potentially causing dizziness or feeling faint.

Yoga positions affected may include:

• Savasana
• Supine breathing practices
• Reclined meditation
• Some abdominal exercises
• Long-held reclined stretches
• Some restorative poses

Alternatives include:

• Side-lying Savasana
• Inclined relaxation using a bolster
• Additional cushions and blankets
• Seated relaxation

You don’t need to remove relaxation from your practice.

Change the position.

Savasana during pregnancy

Savasana can still be a lovely part of pregnancy yoga.

It simply doesn’t need to involve lying flat on your back.

Side-lying Savasana

Use bolsters or pillows to support:

• Your head
• Your bump
• Between your knees
• Your upper arm

Inclined relaxation

Use bolsters and blocks to elevate your upper body rather than lying completely flat.

The aim is to find a position where you can genuinely relax.

2. Poses lying on your abdomen

As your bump grows, prone positions become uncomfortable and eventually impractical.

These include:

• Cobra
• Locust
• Bow Pose
• Prone relaxation
• Other belly-down backbends

Rather than trying to accommodate the abdomen against the floor, replace these with standing, kneeling or appropriately supported alternatives.

Chest-opening and back-strengthening can still be practised in other positions.

3. Deep closed twists

Strong closed twists can compress the abdomen and become increasingly unsuitable as pregnancy progresses.

Examples include deep versions of:

• Revolved Triangle
• Revolved Side Angle
• Twisted Chair
• Deep seated closed twists

Instead, favour open rotations that allow space for your abdomen.

The aim isn’t to eliminate spinal rotation completely.

It is to avoid forcing the abdomen into a compressed position.

4. Extreme backbends

Pregnancy naturally changes posture as the abdomen grows.

Deep backbends can place considerable demand through the lumbar spine and stretch the abdominal wall.

Strong versions of poses such as:

• Wheel
• Full Camel
• Deep dropbacks
• Strong Bow variations

may therefore become inappropriate or uncomfortable.

Smaller supported chest-opening movements can often provide what you need without trying to achieve maximum spinal extension.

5. Deep end-range stretching

Because pregnancy can increase ligamentous laxity, be cautious with positions that encourage you to passively sink into your maximum range.

This may include very deep versions of:

• Pigeon
• Splits
• Frog
• Wide-legged forward folds
• Butterfly
• Deep lunges
• Deep hamstring stretches

These poses aren’t necessarily automatically contraindicated simply because you’re pregnant.

The issue is how they are practised.

A supported, controlled hip-opening position is very different from using gravity or someone’s hands to push a joint towards its maximum range.

Avoid forcing or being manually pushed deeper into a stretch.

6. Advanced inversions

Pregnancy isn’t the ideal time to begin learning:

• Headstand
• Handstand
• Forearm Stand
• Shoulder Stand

These poses require balance, strength, technique and familiarity.

For an experienced practitioner who was confidently practising inversions before pregnancy, the situation is more individual.

However, as pregnancy progresses:

• Balance changes
• Body proportions change
• Body weight changes
• Your centre of gravity changes
• Falling has greater consequences

A fall from an inversion carries very different consequences from stepping out of Tree Pose.

Therefore, I wouldn’t introduce advanced inversions during pregnancy, and experienced practitioners should continually reassess whether continuing them remains appropriate.

7. Strong abdominal work

Your abdominal wall needs to adapt considerably to accommodate your growing uterus.

Pregnancy doesn’t mean you should stop using your abdominal muscles.

Maintaining appropriate core function can be useful.

But this isn’t necessarily the time for aggressive abdominal work or repeatedly increasing intra-abdominal pressure.

Exercises may need modifying if you notice:

• Doming
• Coning
• Bulging along the abdominal midline
• Pelvic heaviness
• Leaking
• Pain
• Difficulty controlling the movement

Rather than trying to maintain your pre-pregnancy abdominal workout, focus on:

breathing + control + appropriate strength.

A pelvic health physiotherapist can provide individual assessment if you have concerns about abdominal separation or pelvic-floor symptoms.

8. Strong breath retention and straining

Pregnancy yoga isn’t the place for forceful breath-holding or practices involving significant straining.

During physical postures, aim to keep breathing comfortably.

If you’re holding your breath simply to maintain a pose, reduce the intensity.

Some traditional pranayama techniques involving prolonged breath retention or very forceful breathing aren’t appropriate choices for a general pregnancy practice.

Gentle breath awareness and comfortable breathing practices are usually much more suitable.

9. Hot yoga

Hot yoga should be avoided during pregnancy.

ACOG specifically advises against hot yoga and hot Pilates because of the risk of overheating.

The NHS also advises avoiding strenuous exercise in hot conditions and maintaining good hydration.

Choose a comfortable, well-ventilated environment instead.

10. Poses with a significant risk of falling

As pregnancy progresses, your centre of gravity changes.

That means a balance pose you have practised for years may suddenly feel different.

Be particularly cautious with challenging unsupported versions of:

• Half Moon
• Warrior III
• Standing Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
• Eagle
• Other advanced standing balances

You don’t necessarily need to stop balancing.

Instead:

• Use a wall
• Use a chair
• Keep one toe down
• Widen your stance
• Reduce the range
• Avoid deliberately unstable variations

Pregnancy-related changes in balance can increase the risk of falling.

What about jumping and fast transitions?

A fast Vinyasa practice may become less appropriate as pregnancy progresses.

Jump-throughs, jump-backs and rapid transitions create additional demands on:

• Balance
• Pelvic floor
• Abdominal wall
• Joints
• Cardiovascular system

Slowing your transitions gives you more time to accommodate your changing centre of gravity.

Stepping rather than jumping is a simple modification.

Making space for your bump

As pregnancy progresses, your bump naturally changes how you move.

Forward folds may need a wider stance.

Closed twists may become open rotations.

Prone positions will eventually become impractical.

Transitions may need to slow down.

You don’t need to compress your body into the traditional shape of a yoga pose.

Make the pose fit your changing body.

Pelvic girdle and back pain

Pregnancy can sometimes bring:

• Lower-back discomfort
• Pelvic girdle pain
• Hip discomfort
• Sacroiliac discomfort

Yoga may feel helpful for some people.

But don’t assume every pregnancy-related pain needs stretching.

If you develop significant pelvic or back pain, certain:

• Wide stances
• Asymmetrical positions
• Deep lunges
• Single-leg movements
• Deep stretches

may aggravate symptoms.

A pelvic health or women’s health physiotherapist can be particularly helpful when pain is persistent or affecting everyday activities.

What might a pregnancy-friendly yoga practice include?

Depending on your stage of pregnancy and individual circumstances:

Standing poses

• Mountain Pose
• Supported Warrior variations
• Supported Side Angle
• Gentle Chair Pose
• Wider-stance standing movements

Strength

• Controlled standing poses
• Supported lunges
• Appropriate gluteal work
• Gentle upper-body strengthening
• Pregnancy-appropriate core work

Balance

• Supported Tree Pose
• Heel raises
• Weight transfers
• Simple supported single-leg work

Mobility

• Gentle Cat-Cow
• Hip mobility within a controlled range
• Shoulder mobility
• Thoracic movement
• Gentle open rotations

Breathing and relaxation

• Comfortable breath awareness
• Gentle breathing practices
• Meditation
• Side-lying relaxation
• Supported inclined relaxation

The exact practice should change as pregnancy progresses.

When yoga itself may be contraindicated

There is an important difference between:

a yoga pose that needs modifying

and

a medical or pregnancy complication that means exercise itself needs individual assessment.

Most people with uncomplicated pregnancies can remain physically active.

However, some medical and obstetric complications require individual advice before continuing exercise.

Speak to your midwife, obstetrician, GP or appropriate healthcare professional if you have been told that your pregnancy is higher risk or if you have developed complications.

This is particularly important with circumstances such as certain:

• Heart or lung conditions
• Placental complications
• Cervical complications
• Risks relating to premature labour
• Significant anaemia
• Hypertensive disorders including pre-eclampsia
• Complicated multiple pregnancies
• Other circumstances where your maternity team has advised activity restriction

Your maternity team’s advice takes priority over general yoga guidance.

In these circumstances, the first question isn’t:

“Which yoga poses can I do?”

It is:

“Is exercise currently appropriate for me, and have I been given any restrictions?”

Warning signs: when to stop practising

Even if you have had a completely uncomplicated pregnancy, circumstances can change.

Stop exercising and seek appropriate maternity or medical advice if you experience concerning symptoms such as:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Chest pain
• Significant or unusual shortness of breath
• Painful regular contractions
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Significant calf pain or swelling
• Severe or unusual headache
• Significant new weakness
• Significant abdominal pain
• Any other new symptoms that concern you

Reduced or changed fetal movements once movements have become established also require prompt maternity assessment.

Don’t try to stretch, breathe or relax your way through symptoms that require medical assessment.

Sometimes the correct yoga modification is simply:

stop the practice and get checked.

A note on hands-on adjustments

This is particularly important during pregnancy.

Because pregnancy-related hormonal changes can increase joint mobility, I would avoid strong hands-on adjustments that push a pregnant student further into their range.

A student may be physically capable of moving further without that extra movement being beneficial.

Instead, pregnancy yoga should emphasise:

• Stability
• Muscular control
• Comfortable mobility
• Appropriate strength
• Balance
• Breathing
• Relaxation

Props can help enormously.

Blocks, bolsters, chairs, walls and blankets allow us to bring support towards the person rather than pushing their body towards an arbitrary yoga shape.

Choosing a yoga class during pregnancy

If you are new to yoga, I would particularly recommend looking for a dedicated pregnancy yoga class with a suitably trained teacher.

If you are an experienced practitioner, you may be able to continue attending your normal class for some or all of your pregnancy, provided the practice can be appropriately adapted.

Whichever option you choose, look for a teacher who:

• Knows that you’re pregnant
• Asks how many weeks pregnant you are
• Understands pregnancy modifications
• Doesn’t encourage you to push through discomfort
• Offers props
• Allows additional rest
• Understands supine modifications
• Is comfortable modifying balance work
• Doesn’t force your range of movement
• Understands that flexibility isn’t the goal
• Allows your practice to change as pregnancy progresses

Experienced yogi vs yoga beginner

Perhaps the simplest way to think about it is:

If you practised yoga regularly BEFORE pregnancy

Your focus is likely to be:

Continue → adapt → gradually modify as your body changes.

You already understand the practice, but you need to respond to pregnancy.

If you’re starting yoga AFTER becoming pregnant

Your focus is:

Learn → build gradually → choose pregnancy-specific instruction.

You’re learning yoga while simultaneously adapting to pregnancy.

Neither approach is “better”.

They simply require different considerations.

Pregnancy changes what “progress” looks like

This may be one of the most useful messages for someone who already has a strong yoga practice.

During pregnancy, you might:

• Use more blocks
• Take your feet wider
• Hold poses for less time
• Stop practising some advanced poses
• Use a wall for balances
• Reduce the depth of your backbends
• Stop jumping
• Practise smaller hip openers
• Rest more frequently
• Replace traditional Savasana with side-lying relaxation

None of that means your yoga is deteriorating.

Pregnancy isn’t the time to measure progress by:

depth + flexibility + difficulty.

Progress might instead mean:

control + strength + awareness + appropriate adaptation.

Recognising that your body needs something different today is itself part of practising yoga.

Practical tips for practising yoga during pregnancy

1. Tell your yoga teacher that you’re pregnant.

2. Tell them how many weeks pregnant you are.

3. If you’re new to yoga, consider a dedicated pregnancy yoga class.

4. If you’re experienced, don’t assume your practice should remain unchanged.

5. Don’t use pregnancy-related increases in flexibility to push further into poses.

6. Focus on strength and control as well as mobility.

7. Allow your stance to become wider as necessary.

8. Make space for your bump.

9. Avoid prolonged flat supine exercise, particularly after 16 weeks.

10. Use support for balance.

11. Avoid starting advanced inversions during pregnancy.

12. Avoid hot yoga.

13. Avoid strong breath retention and straining.

14. Be cautious with deep closed twists and extreme backbends.

15. Don’t allow yourself to be pushed deeper into stretches.

16. Consider stepping rather than jumping during transitions.

17. Stay appropriately hydrated.

18. Allow yourself additional rest.

19. Adapt your practice as your pregnancy progresses.

20. Stop and seek advice if you develop concerning symptoms.

Summery

Pregnancy doesn’t usually mean that you need to stop practising yoga.

For many people, appropriately adapted yoga can provide an enjoyable way to remain active while maintaining:

• Strength
• Comfortable mobility
• Balance
• Body awareness
• Breathing
• Relaxation

The NHS includes prenatal yoga among suitable forms of exercise during pregnancy and recommends around 150 minutes of physical activity each week for most pregnant people.

But pregnancy yoga isn’t simply ordinary yoga with a few poses removed.

Pregnancy creates genuine physiological and biomechanical changes.

Your balance changes.

Your centre of gravity changes.

Your abdomen changes.

Your cardiovascular system adapts.

And hormonal changes, including the effects associated with relaxin and other pregnancy hormones, can make joints and connective tissues more mobile.

This means more flexibility isn’t necessarily better.

Often the more useful priorities are:

strength + stability + comfortable mobility + breathing + balance + rest.

Your previous yoga experience also matters.

If you were already practising yoga regularly, you may be able to continue much of your practice while gradually modifying it.

If you’ve never practised yoga before, pregnancy can still be a perfectly reasonable time to start — but a dedicated pregnancy yoga class may be a much better introduction than joining an unrestricted general class.

There, you can learn yoga in an environment where the practice has already been designed around pregnancy rather than continually adapting a practice designed for someone else.

Most importantly, don’t measure your pregnancy yoga practice against what you could do before you were pregnant — or against the person on the mat beside you.

Some weeks you may feel strong and energetic.

Other weeks you may need considerably more rest.

Your yoga practice can change with you.

The aim isn’t to maintain every pose throughout pregnancy.

It is to find ways to keep moving that are appropriate for the body you have today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I practise yoga while pregnant?

For most people with uncomplicated pregnancies, yes. Physical activity is encouraged during pregnancy, and prenatal yoga can be an appropriate form of activity.

Can I start yoga for the first time when I’m pregnant?

Yes. However, begin gradually rather than suddenly taking up strenuous exercise. If you’re completely new to yoga, a dedicated pregnancy class can be particularly useful because the poses, pace and modifications are designed around pregnancy.

Does relaxin make you more flexible during pregnancy?

Pregnancy involves hormonal changes that can increase ligament laxity and joint mobility. Relaxin is one of the hormones involved. Increased range doesn’t necessarily mean that you should stretch further, because the joint still needs muscular support and control.

Should I stretch less during pregnancy?

You don’t necessarily need to stop stretching, but pregnancy isn’t the ideal time to pursue maximum flexibility. Work within a comfortable, controlled range rather than repeatedly pushing towards your end range.

Can I continue my normal yoga class?

If you were already a regular practitioner, you may be able to continue your usual class provided your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you feel comfortable and your teacher can appropriately modify the practice.

Which yoga poses should be avoided during pregnancy?

There isn’t one list that applies to every person throughout pregnancy. However, prolonged flat supine positions, prone poses as the bump grows, strong closed twists, extreme end-range stretching, challenging inversions, high-fall-risk poses and strong abdominal work may need to be avoided or modified depending on the stage of pregnancy and individual circumstances. Hot yoga should be avoided.

When should I stop lying on my back?

NHS guidance advises avoiding exercise involving lying flat on your back for prolonged periods, particularly after 16 weeks. Side-lying or inclined positions can be used instead.

Can I do Downward Dog during pregnancy?

For many people it can remain comfortable for at least part of pregnancy, but individual circumstances and comfort matter. It can also be modified using a wall or chair.

Can I practise inversions while pregnant?

Pregnancy isn’t a good time to begin learning advanced inversions. Experienced practitioners require a more individual approach because balance, centre of gravity and body proportions change throughout pregnancy.

Can I do hot yoga when pregnant?

Hot yoga is not recommended during pregnancy because of the risk of overheating.

Can I do deep hip openers while pregnant?

Be cautious. Pregnancy-related ligament laxity may allow you to move further than usual, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that going deeper is beneficial. Use support and prioritise muscular control rather than maximum range.

Is pregnancy yoga just stretching?

No. A well-designed pregnancy practice can include strength, balance, mobility, breathing, relaxation and pelvic-floor awareness.

Is a pregnancy yoga class better than a general class?

It can be particularly beneficial if you’re new to yoga because the whole class is designed around pregnancy. Experienced practitioners may be able to remain in their existing class with appropriate modifications.

When should I stop practising and seek advice?

Stop if you develop concerning symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, feeling faint, chest pain, unusual breathlessness, fluid leakage, painful regular contractions or other significant new symptoms. Contact your maternity team for individual advice.

Please note: This article provides general educational information and isn’t intended to replace advice from your midwife, obstetrician, GP, pelvic health physiotherapist or other healthcare professional. Pregnancy and individual medical circumstances vary. If your maternity team has given you specific exercise restrictions, those should always take priority over general yoga guidance.

References

1. NHS. Exercise in pregnancy. Guidance on continuing physical activity during pregnancy, starting exercise, exercise intensity, activities requiring caution and choosing an appropriate class.
2. NHS Best Start in Life. Exercising in pregnancy. Guidance on physical activity during pregnancy, prenatal yoga, supine exercise, heat, hydration and fall risk.
3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Exercise During Pregnancy. Guidance on exercise safety, pregnancy-related ligament and balance changes, hot yoga and warning signs for stopping exercise.
4. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Guidance on the benefits and safety of physical activity and circumstances requiring individual assessment.
5. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Your pelvic floor. Information on pelvic-floor health and the role of specialist physiotherapy.
6. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Your baby’s movements in pregnancy. Guidance on recognising and seeking help for reduced or changed fetal movements.
7. NHS. Prenatal and postnatal yoga. NHS exercise resources demonstrating gentle yoga-based exercise for pregnancy and postnatal recovery.

Topics Covered in This Article

• Yoga during pregnancy
• Exercise recommendations during pregnancy
• Benefits of yoga during pregnancy
• Strength and pregnancy
• Mobility and flexibility
• Pregnancy hormones and relaxin
• Ligament laxity
• Joint stability
• Hypermobility
• Overstretching during pregnancy
• Balance
• Breathing and relaxation
• Pelvic floor awareness
• Continuing yoga after becoming pregnant
• Starting yoga for the first time during pregnancy
• Experienced yoga practitioners and pregnancy
• Benefits of dedicated pregnancy yoga classes
• Adapting a general yoga class
• Yoga poses to avoid or modify
• Lying on your back after 16 weeks
• Savasana during pregnancy
• Prone poses
• Deep closed twists
• Backbends
• Deep hip openers
• Inversions
• Abdominal work
• Breath retention and straining
• Hot yoga
• Balance and fall risk
• Jumping and fast transitions
• Making space for a growing bump
• Pelvic girdle and back pain
• Pregnancy-friendly yoga
• Medical contraindications
• Warning signs to stop exercise
• Hands-on adjustments
• Choosing an appropriate yoga class
• Practical tips for pregnancy yoga

Yoga classes in Exeter, book here

My yoga classes run in themes for five weeks.  This allows for people to put in place adaptions to suit their body and learn the different options of each yoga flow that are right for them. After the five weeks you will find each yoga flow published on my blog, with a free interactive copy.  You will find the yoga class for this theme below.

‍Want to try one of my yoga classes?

I run yoga classes in Exeter- Exminster & Topsham, Devon

My Exeter based yoga classes are suitable for most levels of yogis. There are flowing sequences, often using sun salutations and vinyasa to warm the body and move through the yoga postures.

The yoga classes include an element of all styles of yoga, to bring a fresh angle to yoga and will encourage the use of yoga props in a fun and informal environment to help you explore your practice. My styles include Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Flow Yoga, Yin Yoga & Restorative Yoga.

Variations to yoga postures will be given throughout the class allowing each person to adapt the class to their personal level of yoga practice. All equipment is provided.

Classes are available at Kiva & Zen Studios in Topsham, Exeter, Victory Hall in Exminster, Exeter.

Book a yoga class today and immerse yourself in the tranquil atmosphere of my Exeter yoga venues, while rejuvenating your mind and body through the practice of yoga.

Each session is designed to help you connect with your inner self, cultivate mindfulness, and improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Whether you're a beginner to yoga or an experienced practitioner, there's a class for you in my Exeter venues.

As a Yoga Teacher, I underwent my initial yoga training in India and am both qualified and registered with the Yoga Alliance. Since completing my initial yoga qualification, I have undertaken further yoga studies both here in Exeter and in locations around Europe.‍

Book your yoga classes in Exeter

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