Bikram Yoga and Pregnancy

After practicing in Bikram yoga for only 5 years I became pregnant at the age of 38. I am confident that the benefits of a healthy approach to nutrition, a lifestyle inclusive of exercise and the many benefits Bikram yoga made this process an easier one for my body to go through. I had an amazing pregnancy and throughout it, practiced the yoga religiously 1 to 2 days a week.  I combined the yoga practice with weight lifting, cardio and swimming throughout my pregnancy.  As my body changed with each facet of pregnancy, I found myself needing to come to class and stand in the hot room. You see, this was the only place my body felt like my pre-pregnancy body. My stamina was fueled by the yoga. I followed the pregnancy poses for the yoga practice and modified them as I saw fit for myself and as my stomach progressively got bigger.  I was not aware of what was to come and how much I would need this stamina through labor. I am certain that this yoga helped me with my breathing and short labor time.  I ws able to push my son out in 8 pushes or 20 minutes.  I practiced until 1 week before my beautiful baby boy, Kai, was born. And came back to my practice 2 weeks later. Throughout this time, I spoke to many students and answered questions about this yoga and pregnancy. I can highly recommend Bikram Yoga throughout pregnancy with one major footnote. This is not the type of strenuous activity that you should start while you are pregnant. This is a practice to continue throughout your pregnancy IF you practiced Bikram yoga before you became pregnant. You should not start this practice during a pregnancy.  I can also highly recommend this not be your only form of exercise.  This yoga is not considered a valid substitute for regular cardio exercise.  I recommend yoga, including Birkram, along with other forms of exercise including strength training and aerobic activities for an all around balanced program.   Bikram Yoga is a life changing experience and I can guarantee it will take you (if you let it) to places you never knew you could go.

Can I do Bikram Yoga if I am pregnant?
Absolutely!  Yoga has been reported to help pregnant women throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery.  Women who practiced Bikram yoga during pregnancy have reported feeling better during pregnancy, few complications, greater ease and less duration of delivery.  You can learn to breathe, cope with stress and stay comfortable in your body through all of the changes pregnancy has to office.  

If you are currently a practitioner of Bikram Yoga, feel free to continue your practice as long as possible, under the advice of your doctor or midwife.  You may have to educate your doctor on the practice and how it works.  Many women have practiced right up until delivery.  Once you complete your 13th week, your teacher can instruct you in the modifications for pregnant women.  You may choose not to participate in the yoga during your first trimester and wait until the 2nd trimester.  I did not participate during my first trimester because I wanted to wait until the 2nd trimester til my baby’s neurological tissue had been developed.

Many women feel intimidated by the heat of the room.  Doctors often caution women from saunas and Jacuzzis.  Unlike a Jacuzzi or sauna, the body temperature rises minimally during a Bikram Yoga Class because of all of the sweating and liberal use of fans.  There is nothing to worry about.  You even may want to bring a thermometer to class to prove to yourself that you are ok.  

Important notes for pregnant women are:

• Never practice to exhaustion.
• Stay well-hydrated.
• Of you feel light headed during class be sure to lie down.
• Feel free to leave the class to cool down if needed.
• During the backward bends, do not push your hips forward.  
• Do not do forward compressions or belly-down postures after the 1st trimester.
• Ask the instructor for modifications
• You can find a video made for pregnancy at  www.bikramyoga.com

Will the heat hurt my baby?
It is normal to be concerned about the health of your baby while practicing Bikram, I was.  Your doctor warns you about using jaccuzzis, saunas and long baths because they can increase your internal temperature.  At this day in age I feel like some doctors would benefit by educating themselves more on fitness and pregnancy.  Some would say hot yoga is not good to do while pregnant because it increases your internal temperature and some would be ok with it.  It is important to consider all factors prior to engaging in any exercise routine while pregnant. If you choose to participate in Bikram yoga, do so only under the supervision of a medical practitioner, and monitor your core temperature by regularly measuring it throughout your Bikram yoga routine.

Trust your body.  The pregnant body is highly tuned and alert to potential dangers to the fetus.

During pregnancy you sweat more readily as well to keep internal temperature from rising.  It is important to understand how the body cools itself when heat stress is present, and how excessive heat stress can cause heat illness. 

Recommendations for how to exercise in a heated environment are given, including hydration and acclimatization guidelines to minimize the risk of heat illness.  The body maintains its core temperature at 98.6º F (37º C) by balancing the rate of internal heat production with heat loss to the environment. This balancing act is technically called thermoregulation, and it is crucial, maintaining core temperature within a narrow range to avoid life-threatening conditions. To regulate core temperature, the cardiovascular system, comprised of the heart, blood vessels, and blood, adapts during exercise in the heat. Adaptations to transport heat from the body’s core to the skin surface include increased heart rate and stroke volume (the volume of blood ejected from the heart with each beat). These cardiovascular changes are controlled by the central nervous system. At core temperatures greater than 103–104º F (39–40º C) the central nervous system becomes severely impaired, rendering the body helpless in lowering core temperature.  Thermoregulation is challenging in a heated environment, especially if the air temperature is greater than the skin temperature. During moderate exercise, core temperature rises and the additional heat must be moved from the core to the skin. 

Heat is removed from the body to the environment in four ways: radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation. The first three occur in environments where air temperature is cooler than skin temperature or where cooler air blows over the skin. In a “hot” Yoga class the room is typically heated to 90–105º F (35–40º C), which exceeds skin temperature, and is possibly above core temperature in an exercising person. Assuming a fan is not present in the Yoga environment, three of the four ways the body releases heat are not viable options, forcing the body to rely on evaporation to dissipate the heat generated by exercise. Additionally, when the room is warmer than the body, the body will actually gain heat from the environment, increasing core tempera Evaporation is the body’s primary protection against overheating. Through this process, the body transfers heat from its core by evaporating sweat from the skin and respiratory passages. It is important to understand, however, that sweating alone does not cool the body. To produce a cooling effect, the sweat must be evaporated to lower the skin temperature. By blowing cooler air over the skin, sweat vaporizes and heat is released. Humidity impairs evaporation, which increases the rate of sweating, causing a greater loss of body water, which in turn leads to more severe dehydration.

In a Yoga class, humidity may be high, depending on the heat source, the room ventilation, and the number of students participating. Humidity will increase if the ventilation is poor and there are lots of students exercising and sweating. A separate concern is the practice of wiping sweat from the body using a towel. If the sweat is removed from the skin, evaporation will not occur, and heat will be retained. Sweating will subsequently increase, leading to a greater loss of body water and increased dehydration.   As the sweat rate increases, body water loss increases, and the need for replacement fluids becomes crucial. Without adequate fluid replacement during exercise, the body’s ability to dissipate heat is compromised. Hydration status prior to exercise is equally as important in avoiding dehydration.  

Can I do Bikram Yoga if I am nursing?
I started Bikram Yoga 2 weeks after delivery and have been doing it once a week since then as well as lifting weights and cardio.  I had a lot of “warnings” from friends about not pushing myself too hard by exercising because my milk will decrease like theirs did.  In fact I even got ridiculed for defending myself based on the knowledge I know being in the fitness industry.

 
The fact is, hydration and nutrition are the keys to success for a nursing mother.  You must stay hydrated to continue producing milk.  Drink the amount of water recommended daily by your doctor or midwife, please the addition water lost in class or exercise.  A good way to estimate the amount of water you are loosing in class is to weigh yourself before and after class.  A good rule of thumb is to drink one liter of water per two pounds lost during class.  

Electrolyte replacement is important as well and you can achieve this in your diet.  Be sure to eat a healthy diet, rich in whole grains, lean protein, and tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

References
Bikram's Yoga College: Bikram Yoga Basics
Bikram's Yoga College: About Bikram Yoga
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/hot-yoga-facts.htm

Pregnancy Exercise – Beginning, Intermediate or Advanced Which Level Are You?

The subject of what is recommended with regards to exercise for pregnant women of different fitness levels is not often addressed. As an advanced pregnant exerciser I found it difficult to find information on what I can and cannot do.  I ended up using my skills as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor to create my workout program.  Pregnancy isn't the time to try to lose weight or begin a vigorous exercise routine, but if you aren't in any of the high-risk categories, you can pursue an exercise regimen at a mild to moderate level.


Below are descriptions of what a beginner, intermediate and advanced pregnant exerciser looks like.

• A beginner is a woman who has never exercised or who has never maintained a regular exercise program for 3 months continuously. You can safely start an exercise program during pregnancy even if you've been an avid couch potato until now. If you were sedentary before you became pregnant, it's important to review your exercise plan with your healthcare provider before you begin. These women used to be told to not start any exercise during their pregnancy. We now know this is not the case. Beginner exercisers are able to start a walking and stretching program during their first trimester of pregnancy. They are able to begin a weight training program and perform cardio workouts during their 2 and 3 trimesters.  Beginners should start by exercising 15 to 20 minutes at a time, three days a week —preferably with a day of rest between workouts. Don't go for the burn and don't exercise to exhaustion. A good rule of thumb: Slow down if you can't comfortably carry on a conversation.
• An intermediate pregnant exercises is a woman who exercises 2-4 times a week on a regular basis and has done so for over 6 months. These women can continue on with their regular exercise program. This may include jogging, weights, yoga, cardio and stretching.
• An advanced pregnant exerciser is a women who exercises 5x or more a week on a regular basis and has done so for over 6 months. These women can carry on with their regular program as long is they do not have a performance based goal. This is not the time to train for a marathon. They will have to gradually scale back and focus on muscular endurance rather than strength gains.  They also may have to modify certain exercises and intensity levels based on the type of workouts they are used to doing.  
• For all levels of pregnant exercises during the first trimester women should be aware to keep their core body temperature low as this is when the neural tube of your fetus is forming. All pregnant exerciser need to check with their doctors before exercising to make sure they do not have any contraindications to exercise. Although not absolute you can monitor your working heart rate to get an indication of your core body temperature- stay between 125-155 bpm depending on your level and age. During the 2 and 3 trimester exercises performed from lying on your back should be modified to an incline supine position (45 degree angle), seated or standing. Exercises that would be completed on your belly should be modified to a standing, seated or side lying position. Exercises should focus on muscular endurance, posture and functional moves to deal with changes during your pregnancy. High-risk sports, such as scuba diving, and activities with a potential for hard falls, such as horseback riding, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and water-skiing, are off-limits to pregnant women.

Certain other forms of exercise, such as bike riding, should be pursued more cautiously or postponed until after the baby's born. While biking enthusiasts may disagree, some experts say that biking during your second and third trimesters is dangerous because your balance isn't what it usually is, making falls more likely. Pregnancy isn't the time to start running, either, although it's fine if you jogged regularly before getting pregnant.  After the first trimester, avoid sit-ups and other exercises done while lying flat on your back — they can make you dizzy and decrease the blood flow to your uterus.

Weight lifting and other exercises that involve standing in place for long periods can also decrease the blood flow to your baby. Keep moving by changing positions or simply by stepping back and forth.

Workout and Nutrition Logs

Trying to figure out how to put the logs on here...