hostmelissa
07-22-2008, 11:36 AM
http://melissawest.com/images/prenatal_Yoga.jpgYears ago I remember having a conversation with a midwife at a wellness fair. We struck up a conversation because of our mutual interest in prenatal women. I asked her, "If there was only one thing that I could teach to my prenatal yoga clients, what would it be." Her response was an immediate and unwavering, "kegels ." Since then kegels became even more of a mainstay in my prenatal yoga classes.
Kegels are a figure eight of muscles that circle the vagina and the anus. They are slow twitch muscles that continually fire out to keep your organs from falling out. (Does that help to emphasize the importance of these muscles?)
To do a kegel exercise think of pulling this figure eight of muscles up and inside you like a laundry drawstring bag. It also helps to think of drawing the pubic bone and tail bone towards each other.
With pregnant women it is not only important to tone these muscles, but also to relax them. Try this exercise. Imagine you are in a 4-floor apartment building. Lift the pelvic floor up to the first floor, then the second, up to the third, up to the fourth and then drop them down to the basement. Imagine the muscles softening and puffing out like a blowfish. Relaxing the pelvic floor prepares you for labour, toning the pelvic floor will speed the recovery process following the birth of your baby.
Guess what? Guys can and should do kegels too! Now, the way I've heard it explained for the male species is to lift up the boys.
Want to know more about kegels ? Click here (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001lzP7lzfxjABY44fIfGMjTPF9gJLq4Biupc2ecU _8qSD96Gr_BlhcbOgHm1grS1-VudkiSTM03WadXqhACPbOtxuq5l58M4Q6Q9xZsb-gRpYBcyo6PIsR5fdobOuID5Cx) for more how to and why.
For more info on prenatal yoga check out my website: www.melissawest.com (http://melissawest.com/)
To get these articles delivered directly to your e-mail every Monday click here. (http://visitor.constantcontact.com/optin.jsp?v=001KZi1d-co_IjbEi8e9L0_aWBSpoos9zGW)
Kegels are a figure eight of muscles that circle the vagina and the anus. They are slow twitch muscles that continually fire out to keep your organs from falling out. (Does that help to emphasize the importance of these muscles?)
To do a kegel exercise think of pulling this figure eight of muscles up and inside you like a laundry drawstring bag. It also helps to think of drawing the pubic bone and tail bone towards each other.
With pregnant women it is not only important to tone these muscles, but also to relax them. Try this exercise. Imagine you are in a 4-floor apartment building. Lift the pelvic floor up to the first floor, then the second, up to the third, up to the fourth and then drop them down to the basement. Imagine the muscles softening and puffing out like a blowfish. Relaxing the pelvic floor prepares you for labour, toning the pelvic floor will speed the recovery process following the birth of your baby.
Guess what? Guys can and should do kegels too! Now, the way I've heard it explained for the male species is to lift up the boys.
Want to know more about kegels ? Click here (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001lzP7lzfxjABY44fIfGMjTPF9gJLq4Biupc2ecU _8qSD96Gr_BlhcbOgHm1grS1-VudkiSTM03WadXqhACPbOtxuq5l58M4Q6Q9xZsb-gRpYBcyo6PIsR5fdobOuID5Cx) for more how to and why.
For more info on prenatal yoga check out my website: www.melissawest.com (http://melissawest.com/)
To get these articles delivered directly to your e-mail every Monday click here. (http://visitor.constantcontact.com/optin.jsp?v=001KZi1d-co_IjbEi8e9L0_aWBSpoos9zGW)