The best exercise according to traditional cultures to open up the pelvis and encourage a fast, natural birth. This simple movement can be done in as little as two minutes per day.
I’ve been an athlete all my life, enjoying a wide variety of sports on land, water, and snow. When I got pregnant, however, I suddenly and unexpectedly became very much averse to anything that was at all strenuous. I know a lot of women who run, lift weights and otherwise do not change their exercise routine during pregnancy, but this was not for me.
Oh no. My body wasn’t having any of that!
I knew that I needed to keep fit while I was pregnant in order to give myself the best odds for a natural birth, however. Â My Mother had wisely told me that giving birth is like running a marathon and you need to not only pace yourself but have the wind and endurance to make it past the finish line if a natural birth was the goal.
As a result, I figured out an exercise plan that kept me fit but still honored my body’s desire for minimal athletics during my pregnancy months.
This fitness routine involved a lot of walking and prenatal yoga several times a week.
That was pretty much it.
Yoga and walking was all the exercise I attempted postpartum as well and even though it might seem like a wimpy fitness regimen compared with some gals, it was incredibly effective and produced excellent results as I lost every pregnancy pound I gained by the time each child turned two. Â Maybe not the fastest way to take off the weight, but it was gradual and stress-free and suited me just fine.
During my prenatal yoga classes recommended by my birth center, my instructor emphasized one particular yoga position above all others as the best exercise for a natural birth and nothing short of invaluable for preparing a woman’s body for the rigors of labor and delivery.
That position is malasana – the Sanskrit word for squat – specifically a yogic squat. Â Mala in Sanskrit (with a short “a”, not a long “ah” sound) translates as impurities and relates to the pose’s encouragement of healthy digestion. Â Indeed, squatting toilets are typical in Asian homes and I have written before about the increasing popularity of squatty stools in the United States.
Besides helping digestion, a yogic squat gently and effectively prepares the pelvic area for a natural birth with little risk of harm. Â As with any pregnancy exercise, however, women need to be very careful as the hormone relaxin produced during pregnancy relaxes pelvic ligaments and can increase the risk of injury.
In this video, I demonstrate a yogic squat as I was encouraged to do every single day of my pregnancies by my yoga instructor. Did the exercise do its job? Â I believe it did as I was fortunate to experience three fairly brief and complication-free natural births.
I continue to incorporate malasana into my yoga routine today whenever it seems appropriate.  As a basic movement that has been performed for hundreds if not thousands of years by traditional cultures (and is still vital to everyday life in Asia today), squatting is an exercise that can potentially benefit not only pregnant women but the general population as well.
Video How-to: The Best Exercise for Natural Birth
The video below demonstrates the simple squat that you should start as early in your pregnancy as possible.
Keep doing it every day and it won’t be hard even once you are very top-heavy in the third trimester!
Then, once labor begins, you will be delighted how strong and easy it is to push that baby out 🙂
I think I read this in “The Bradley Method” book. I would highly recommend these classes too.
I did yoga to get my body back after my pregnancy and it worked wonders on my body! I wish I had done yoga when I was pregnant but I will this next time around. I think it’s so beneficial not only for your body but for your mind as well.
off of the body.
Water aerobics help too. The water takes weight and pressure
Can I just say that this post gave me hope? Not about the exercise, but the part where you said you lost every pound gained in pregnancy by the time your children were two. I started reading that sentence thinking you were going to say something ridiculous like 3 months. But knowing that someone like you who eats very healthly and did exercise still needed 2 years to lose all the weight, is every encouraging to me. My daughter is 10 months old and I have not lost much to speak of.
Bethany commented above about about the skeletal positioning of your squat and recommended Katy Bowman’s blog KatySays.com. I’m a Restorative Exercise Specialistâ„¢ trained by Katy and I agree, squats are great BUT there is a lot of damage that can be done by repetitive squatting in incorrect alignment. Katy offers a whole squat-prep series of exercises to help get your body ready for the squat, which will also get your body ready for birthing AND for a healthy recovery of your pelvic floor. Walking- a lot!- is equally important to your pelvic floor (and overall) health. I appreciate your sharing helpful knowledge about a wide range of subjects, but in this case there is a more scientific and careful approach that will help more without risk of causing injury. Another post to read is . Thanks for taking the time to read up on something that can help a lot of your followers.
Yes! This is the perfect position because it builds strength and flexibility. Squatting is the best position for pushing the baby out because it provides the largest pelvic opening. There is an excellent book that details this (and other beneficial labor positions) called Active Birth. I naturally went right into a squat when it was time to push out my daughter.
Yoga is also perfect for pregnant women because it teaches us to focus on our breath, which is also very helpful during labor. I’ve had two completely natural homebirths, and can attest that yoga and squatting are wonderful ways to prepare for birth. I never used a table when practicing the squatting position, but instead liked to do it with my arms either loosely crossed in front of me or in the yogic prayer (namaste) position.
It only provides the largest pelvic opening if your pelvis is “untucked.” I speak from experience. The squat she is demonstrating is with a tucked pelvis (note the flattened lumbar spine) and the sacrum is not being pulled outward by the glutes in this position.
yah good video. this works because it opens up the area the widest to push or just let that kid come thru as you don’t have to push your body will get baby out. altho at the moment i couldn’t help but push. A birth class I took said it’s just like pooping. you most likely will want to but your body not the Dr or midwife,etc can tell you when too.
Sarah,
I love this! I was a bit of (okay a huge) “gym rat” before I was pregnant with my first child. Running, cycling, weights, seven days a week. I too switched to a daily walk and yoga with both of my pregnancies. I focused on squatting at the recommendation of my friend and yoga instructor, who had birthed her third child in this position.
One comment/question: With my second she was facing the “wrong” direction, not breach but just turned around. My midwife recommended skipping the squat and doing hands and knees instead, cat/cow etc. Once the baby turned herself around I resumed the squat and delivered my second baby naturally with my midwife at the hospital. I am curious if you have any additional information for ladies who may have the same issue.
Cheers!
Very cute baby! I guess despite all things done to be prepared once your there you can never say your well prepared. But having a child is such a very nice gift.