From Running to Prenatal Yoga

I miss running. Its been months.

I scaled back my running in December when the morning sickness kicked in but kept training for Francie’s 5K in March. My plan was to walk/run it with a friend but ended up walking it with my husband instead because my hip wasn’t in the game. I wanted to run so badly but I’m glad I didn’t. Walking that 3.1 miles totally kicked my you know what. I slept a lot the next day.

And then, on the Monday following, I received news that forced me to shelve my running shoes for the rest of my pregnancy.

Following my ultrasound at 18 weeks, the doctors discovered that my placenta is low-lying. That means its potentially in the way of a natural delivery. So no more strenuous activity and lots of fingers crossed that it moves out of the way as the baby grows.

I asked my doctor if prenatal yoga was ok – I was looking for a physical activity to help with the stress and the aches & pains – and got the green light. I took a prenatal yoga class during the second and third trimesters of my first pregnancy but opted to try a DVD at home this time.

I ordered Element: Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga from Amazon and loved it the second I pushed play. The workout was hard at first because my muscles were so stiff but afterwards I felt like my body breathed a sigh of relief, as if it had been waiting for me to practice yoga again. I felt pretty Zen the rest of the day.

The exercises were simple and familiar; after one or two more viewings I could probably do them with my eyes closed. The instructor’s voice was soothing, which was very important to me – I’ll stop using an exercise video if the instructor is annoying. There was a lot of emphasis on breathing, which I needed, connecting with the baby, which I also needed, and gratitude for the 30 minutes of doing something for yourself. And the bonus? There’s a 30-minute postnatal workout for six weeks after delivery. I’m hoping that will help me squeeze into my bridesmaid dress come October.

Earlier this month, I virtually watched many of my friends compete in the Cakes for a Cause Cupcake 5K. It was the first 5K I ran last year and I was hoping to participate  again this year. It was bittersweet reading their race times on Facebook and seeing the photos. There’s also next year, though, and, for now, I’ve got my yoga.

What’s your favorite yoga DVD?