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4 Benefits of a Postnatal Yoga Practice—Plus, the Best Poses and Safety Tips to Know
Yoga can be a great way to ease back into movement after having a baby.
By Leigh Weingus•
How Soon After Giving Birth Can You Do Yoga?
7 Postpartum Yoga Poses to Try
Tips to Keep In Mind When Practicing Yoga Postnatal
Easing back into exercise after having a baby is easier for some people than others. But one thing most experts agree on is that postpartum yoga can be tremendously helpful. From strengthening the pelvic floor to helping to relieve the anxiety and depression that may come with the postpartum period, postnatal yoga can be very healing for many new moms.
From how soon after birth you can start doing yoga to postpartum poses to try and the overall benefits of postnatal yoga, here’s everything you need to know.
How Soon After Giving Birth Can You Do Yoga?
Because everybody is different and every birth is different, the answer to this is very individual and will depend on what your doctor says and how your body feels.
With that in mind, there are certain guidelines you can draw from. “I recommend that after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, with guidance from a patient's healthcare team, yoga can gently start in the fifth or sixth week after delivery,” says Zoe Kiefer, MD, Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship at Tufts Medical Center. “For a patient recovering from a cesarean delivery, I would do gentle work starting at eight weeks. Gentle stretching of the arms and legs can begin sooner as tolerated, but I would recommend staying away from core exercises or anything requiring bearing down into the abdomen or pelvis until cleared by your doctor.”
Dr. Kiefer adds that a postpartum yoga plan is great because it can help strengthen specific muscles that were weakened during pregnancy and birth, like the abdominals and pelvic floor. So while some yoga is always better than no yoga, a postpartum-specific plan can be very beneficial in the postnatal healing process.
7 Postpartum Yoga Poses to Try
These are the seven best postpartum yoga poses to get started with, per Peloton Instructor Anna Greenberg. All of these poses are generally considered safe to do once you’ve been cleared by your doctor, and will also help stretch and strengthen certain areas that may be tight or weak postpartum.
Low Lunge
A low lunge can help strengthen the psoas muscles, Anna says. Here’s how to do it:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders relaxed, and arms at your sides.
Inhale deeply and, as you exhale, step your right foot back about three or four feet, coming into a lunge position. Ensure your left knee is directly above your left ankle, creating a 90-degree angle with your left thigh parallel to the floor.
Gently lower your right knee to the mat, placing the top of your right foot flat on the floor. Adjust your stance if needed to ensure stability and comfort.
Square your hips forward, making sure they are level and facing the front. Keep your spine elongated and your chest lifted.
Inhale and raise your arms overhead, reaching toward the ceiling. Keep your arms shoulder-width apart, with your palms facing each other or together.
Gently engage your core muscles to support your lower back, and do your best to keep your spine neutral.
To release, lower your arms as you exhale and bring your hands to your mat. Step your right foot forward to return to a standing position,
Repeat on the other side, starting by stepping your left foot back this time.
Half Plank
Also known as a modified plank, half plank is a great way to ease into abdominal work without pushing yourself too hard. Here’s how to do it:
Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat and gaze down at the mat to keep your neck in line with your spine.
Walk your hands a few inches forward from the tabletop position to shift your weight slightly forward. Lower your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees.
Draw your belly button in towards your spine to engage your core muscles. Keep your back flat and avoid letting your lower back sag.
Ensure your arms are straight, with your elbows slightly soft (not locked). Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, fingers spread wide for support.
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds to start, gradually increasing the duration as your strength improves. Keep breathing steadily, inhaling and exhaling evenly.
To release, gently lower your hips and knees back to a tabletop position.
Downward Dog
Downward Dog helps strengthen and stretch back muscles, Anna says. Here’s how to do it:
Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop position. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat and gaze down at the mat to keep your neck in line with your spine.
Tuck your toes under so that the balls of your feet are pressing into the mat. Spread your fingers wide, with your middle fingers pointing forward.
Lift your knees off the mat as you exhale, straightening your legs as much as possible while lifting your hips toward the ceiling, forming an inverted "V" shape with your body.
Adjust your feet and hands if needed to find a comfortable position. Keep your feet hip-width apart and your hands shoulder-width apart.
Engage your core muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine. Keep your back flat and avoid letting your lower back sag or rounding your upper back.
Ensure your arms are straight, with your elbows slightly soft (not locked). Press firmly into your hands to lengthen your arms and keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds to start, gradually increasing the duration as your strength and flexibility improve. Keep breathing steadily, inhaling and exhaling evenly.
To release, gently lower your knees back to the mat and return to the tabletop position.
Bridge with a Block
Anna recommends this pose for pelvic floor toning and releasing, and it can also help strengthen the glutes and hips. Here’s how to do it:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, close to your glutes. Place a block between your thighs.
Press your feet firmly into the mat and your arms along your sides, palms facing down.
Engage your core and squeeze the block gently between your thighs to activate your inner thighs.
Inhale and lift your hips towards the ceiling, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
Keep your shoulders and feet grounded, and ensure your knees stay aligned with your hips.
Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds, breathing steadily, then slowly lower your hips back to the mat.
To release, remove the block and gently bring your knees to your chest for a brief stretch.
Pigeon Pose
Pigeon Pose is an excellent way to release and strengthen your glutes and hips postpartum. Here’s how to do it:
From a Downward Dog pose, bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist and lower your right shin to the mat, angling it so your right foot is near your left hip.
Extend your left leg straight back, keeping your hips square and your back foot pointing straight.
Inhale as you lengthen your spine, and exhale as you fold forward, bringing your chest towards the mat. You can rest your forehead on your hands or the mat.
Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply, and feeling the stretch in your hips.
Repeat on the other side, bringing your left knee forward and extending your right leg back.
Cat Cow
For chest opening, Anna recommends Cat Cow Pose. Here’s how to do it:
Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop pose, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat and gaze down at the mat to keep your neck in line with your spine.
Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat, lift your chest, and gaze up, coming into Cow Pose.
Exhale as you round your spine towards the ceiling, tuck your chin to your chest, and draw your belly button in, coming into cat pose.
Continue to alternate between Cat and Cow Poses with each breath, moving slowly and smoothly.
Repeat this movement for 5-10 breaths, focusing on the flow of your breath and the gentle stretch through your spine. To release, return to a neutral tabletop position and relax.
Supported Bridge
For a restorative postpartum yoga pose, Anna recommends a supported bridge.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, close to your glutes. Press your feet firmly into the mat, and lift your hips towards the ceiling.
Slide a yoga block under your sacrum (the flat part of your lower back) at the desired height for support.
Rest your hips on the block, ensuring your lower back is fully supported and comfortable.
Relax your arms by your sides, with palms facing up or down, and keep your feet and shoulders grounded.
Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a few minutes, breathing deeply and allowing your body to relax into the support.
To release, press your feet into the mat, lift your hips slightly, remove the block, and slowly lower your spine back to the mat
The Benefits of Postnatal Yoga
What do the exact benefits of practicing postnatal yoga entail? Here’s what Anna and Dr. Kiefer say.
A Postpartum Yoga Practice Provides an Emotional Healing Space
When Anna was practicing postpartum yoga after a difficult delivery, she found that a postnatal yoga practice was a way to honor her experience and begin to heal. “Practicing postnatal yoga was healing and strengthening on many levels,” she says. “Being in a space where my experience was being directly addressed and honored felt so supportive and healing,” she says. “It made me feel connected and not alone in a time that can feel isolating and overwhelming. Your body, life, and entire being go through such massive and intense changes during pregnancy and postpartum.”
It Helps Repair Your Body
On a physical level, Anna notes that postpartum yoga can help heal and repair your body. “I was able to tune into myself and build strength and stability as well as create space in a safe and lasting way,” she says.
It Can Help Ease Anxiety and Depression
It’s no secret that the postpartum period can be incredibly vulnerable, bringing with it a higher risk of anxiety and depression. Research has shown that yoga is a beneficial practice for reducing anxiety and depression, and this is the case for postpartum yoga too. “Yoga has been shown in numerous studies to decrease depression and improve quality of life,” Dr. Kiefer says.
It Can Reduce Some of the Annoying Post-Delivery Issues
Dr. Kiefer says that in addition to helping ease aches and pains and build your strength back up gently, it can help with some of the other physical issues that often come after having a baby. “Yoga can be helpful for sexual function, reduction of long-term prolapse, and urinary incontinence,” she says.
Tips to Keep In Mind When Practicing Yoga Postnatal
The main tip Dr. Kiefer suggests when practicing postpartum yoga? If it feels like too much, it probably is, so take it easy.
More specifically, try not to push your flexibility to the max. “Hormones from pregnancy like relaxin can make you extra-flexible, so you may be more injury-prone if you push your flexibility to the max,” Dr. Kiefer says. “Instead, go gentle and well within your known flexibility limits to avoid injury. This applies to movements like deep lunges, deep stretches (like Pigeon Pose), deep bends, twisting poses, and wide-stance hip exercises.”
Additionally, she says that if you’re recovering from surgery (both perineal lacerations as well as bigger incisions on the uterus and skin with a cesarean), you don't want to put undue strain on those healing areas. “These areas are stitched, but bearing down on incisions before you are fully healed can contribute to poor healing or wound breakdown,” Dr. Kiefer says.
With the many benefits that come with a postpartum yoga practice, it’s a type of exercise you don’t want to miss out on. So if you’ve recently had a baby, check with your OB/GYN about whether postnatal yoga is a good fit for healing and strengthening your body. But as always—and especially after giving birth—remember that it’s important to listen to your body.
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This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
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