Best Pregnancy Exercises: Yoga Poses & its Health Benefits

Most women find it difficult to exercise while pregnant, especially in the third trimester, but it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga can offer pregnant women with some healthy and safe exercises to stay fit and healthy while waiting for their baby to arrive.

There are several health benefits to prenatal yoga that could really help during a pregnancy. Yoga can help "develop stamina and strength," reports Fit Pregnancy. Carrying a baby takes a lot of strength because of the extra weight.

The Sun Salutation yoga pose can help strengthen a pregnant woman, states Fox News. This pose can supposedly help when the labor process begins. The Sun Salutation can be seen here.

Pregnancy can also take a lot of energy since the woman is carrying another person. Fox News suggests trying the Standing Flow Pose, which can help cardiovascular endurance.

Fox describes the Standing Flow pose as "low impact," so it is safe for pregnant women to do. For a video of this pose, click here.

Yoga can also help with balance during pregnancy, reports Fit Pregnancy. The report states that pregnant women are usually emotionally drained because the progesterone and estrogen levels in their body increase.

Breathing while holding a yoga pose can help pregnant women keep their balance both physically and emotionally. The Tree Pose can help with balance as well as back muscle tension, states Fox News. A video of the Tree Pose can be seen here.

During pregnancy, there can be a lot of tension in a woman's body, says Fit Pregnancy. As the baby gets bigger, the "Iordotic/ lower back" begins to curve, which could be uncomfortable for the mother.

The upper back can be affected as well during the pregnancy. As the breasts grow due to lactation, it can really put some tension on the upper back, neck, and shoulders. Meanwhile, as the baby gains more weight, it adds pressure to the mother's belly by making the hips tighter.

According to Fox News, the Goddess Pose can help relieve the mind of stress and anxiety during a pregnancy. It can also help reduce tension in the body. The Goddess Pose can be seen here.

Yoga can also help calm the nervous system during pregnancy through deep breathing. Fit pregnancy suggests the Resting Shivasana Pose and meditating at the end of a prenatal yoga session to practice deep breathing. A video of the Shivasana pose can be seen here.

Calming the nervous system is helpful during pregnancy because it can help the digestive system run properly. It can also help with sleep and boost the immune system.