Are yogasanas enough for today's mums?

The world celebrated the International Yoga Day recently. Yoga has been practised for over 5000 years and is known to stretch your muscles, relax your mind and increase patience, all at the same time. Doctors recommend prenatal yoga to pregnant mums-to-be.

Due to the current advances in technology, we have a much more relaxed life than out mothers. We have washing machines and dishwashers, or at least a bai! Yoga might have been enough for our mums to regain the fitness level back. However is it enough for you? Should it be supplemented with anything else?

Mums, here are a few things you need to consider for a perfect fitness regime.

Body Mass Index or BMI, is the new way of assessing obesity that experts today agree upon. Simply put, it is a measure of how the weight is distributed in your body. Your weight is right if your BMI falls between 18.5 and 25. Lower BMI indicates that you are underweight, and above 25, overweight. If it is more than 30, you have obesity.

This is for a non-pregnant woman. You can calculate your pre-pregnancy BMI and the current BMI here. It is not impossible to reach the pre-pregnancy BMI with the right amount of exercises. If it was slightly more than normal to begin with, you need to put in more efforts.

Your BMI would have been excellent before pregnancy. But all the laad pyaar ka khana may have made you gain some extra kilos. The weight gain during pregnancy is important as it keeps a tab on your baby's health along with yours. After delivery, this is what you have to lose, and that may end up being a task!

In such cases where you end up putting more weight than indicated, yoga may not be enough for you!

So, as a healthy mum committed to getting fit, you need to do three things

• Eat right
• Exercise well
• Reduce the stress by sleeping well

On the exercise front, you may have to vary the intensity and duration depending on your BMI.

Here is what you do.

If your BMI is less than normal, don't congratulate yourself! It is a common misconception that being thin is a good thing. If your BMI is less than normal, you might have to check a few hormone levels. It is necessary that you find out the cause of your less-than-desired weight profile.

being thin does not give you an excuse not to exercise. If you are in this range, Yogasanas that help you relax are the best for you. It will reduce your stress levels and keep your body and mind fit!

If your BMI is within the recommended range, congratulations!

You need to maintain your BMI in this range going forward, so yoga would definitely help you keep your mind relaxed and muscle toned. Follow a healthy diet to go with it.

In addition, there is no harm in adding some exercises that increase your heart rate within a safe range. Cardio exercises like jogging or even swimming could be performed once or twice a week. There is always an added incentive to have toned abs!

Find out what to do if your BMI is high

If, unfortunately, your BMI is higher than 25, you need to put in a lot of efforts. You would have to supplement yoga with diet modifications, lifestyle changes, more exercises, and if needed, some medical help. Many people undergo bariatric surgeries that prove to be life-saving for them!

The first thing to do is to talk to your doctor about your weight. Obesity ends up damaging every organ of the body. However, losing weight is not too difficult and if done early, it reduces chances of complications later.

Next, set a weight-loss goal and a timeframe to lose that weight. You can find out how many calories you need to burn daily to achieve that goal. Choose a right mix of cardio and non-cardio exercises to achieve the goal. Using fitness trackers help a lot during this.

Lastly, don't ignore yoga if it is not giving immediate results. The toning and the de-stressing aspects are important in the long run. After all, a healthy mind is necessary for a healthy body!

Remember, performing yogasnas is necessary for mums. But you may want to add a few exercises to yoga in order to be fit. After all, you need the fitness of an olympian to run behind your toddler anyway!

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(Image Courtesy: NYTimes.com)