| Of course, your practice with a prenatal yoga DVD | | | | The more you can control your pulse, heartbeat, and |
| promotes your own fitness, but it also contributes to | | | | respiration, the more you can stretch-out endorphin's |
| your baby's healthy development. | | | | benefits, sustaining what psychologists call "an alpha |
| Stretching and strengthening your muscles, learning to | | | | state," the body's own anesthesia. Yoga helps you |
| focus on and control individual muscle groups, and | | | | master your vitals, teaching you to control your whole |
| adjusting to your body's new center of gravity, you | | | | body by controlling your breathing. |
| prepare your body for the ravages of childbirth. Far | | | | Complement and supplement other cardio-vascular |
| more importantly, however, as you develop your own | | | | exercise with your prenatal yoga DVD. |
| cardio-vascular capacity, you assure your baby's | | | | Developing your own cardio-vascular capacity, slowing |
| development of a strong, healthy heart. Just like you, | | | | your own heartbeat and increasing your respiratory |
| your baby thrives on big doses of "fresh air." | | | | efficiency, you confer all the same benefits on your |
| Manage your vital signs as you practice with a | | | | baby. When your heart gets healthy, hers does, too; |
| prenatal yoga DVD. | | | | when your lungs develop to their full potential, so do |
| You have more in common with marathon runners | | | | hers. Of course, your obstetrician recommends as |
| and tri-athletes than you may realize. Just like them, | | | | much healthy "cardio" as you can handle-with the |
| you are developing stamina and endurance for your | | | | caution about "impact," of course. Most physicians |
| "big event." You are learning to conserve energy and | | | | advocate walking. Most veteran moms, however, |
| stay hydrated through hours and hours of physical and | | | | recommend swimming or "aqua-fit." Both you and your |
| psychological punishment. And you are learning to | | | | baby naturally are buoyant, so that you can develop |
| manage pain and keep driving toward your goal by | | | | powerhouse heart and lungs while feeling blissfully |
| controlling your focus and breathing. Like marathoners | | | | weightless. Your practice with your prenatal yoga |
| and tri-athletes, you may experience "runners' high" as | | | | DVD and your swimming naturally complement one |
| you push yourself through practice with your prenatal | | | | another, because both simultaneously build strength |
| yoga DVD. After thirty to forty minutes of disciplined, | | | | and flexibility, and both teach you to manage your |
| rhythmic exercise, your body releases a huge surge of | | | | breathing by coordinating it with your movement. |
| endorphins-your body's own "feel good" chemicals. | | | | |