Women's Health

Yoga can be a wonderful practice to continue during pregnancy, but specific precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of both the developing fetus and the mother’s changing body. Yoga expert Elizabeth Kovar explains the specific recommendations for each trimester and shares some safe and effective poses that are appropriate to continue during pregnancy.

There still remains a lot of confusion surrounding how much a woman should exercise during pregnancy, including whether or not she should start exercising if she was previously inactive. Dr. Natalie Digate Muth details the latest expert recommendations, as well as some of the benefits of staying active during pregnancy.

Many new moms are anxious to get their pre-pregnancy bodies back, but caring for a newborn doesn’t exactly leave a whole lot of free time for exercise. The solution? Exercise with your baby! Try this great program from Stroller Strides founder Lisa Druxman—in just 30 minutes you’ll have done a total-body cardio, strength and flexibility workout, all while your baby enjoys a ride in the stroller.

It can be a huge challenge to prepare healthy meals with a newborn baby in the house, but there are ways to make it easier. With just a little preparation, you can make simple and nutritious dishes using ingredients you probably already have on hand. These recipes are super simple to make in a pinch and, as a bonus, you don’t have to constantly hover over the stove while you make them.

Your whole life changes after having a baby—and so does your body. In addition to the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth, carrying for a new baby can wreak its own havoc on a new mother’s body. Fortunately, all these challenges are manageable with a sound exercise program. Here are the exercises to choose—and things to avoid—to help bring your body back.