4 Easy & Cheap Ways to Fit Prenatal Yoga Into Your Pregnancy

The benefits of prenatal yoga are solid, so I'm not going to spend any time here explaining why you should make yoga a priority during your pregnancy. Instead, let's talk about how to better access and include yoga in your life. As September is National Yoga Month, we want to spread the word and help you with tips for improving your mind, body, and soul during pregnancy.

Some would argue that yoga is only for fit, non-working, affluent women. But that couldn't be further from the truth! Yoga is for everybody and every BODY. And as it turns out, there are many ways to incorporate yoga into your day-to-day that don't include going to a studio or shelling out a lot of money for classes. Below are four free or cheap[er] ways to bring yoga into your life during the prenatal period. Be on the lookout later this month for more resources on prenatal and postpartum yoga.

1. Take a community yoga class. Search online for yoga classes in your area that are being held in the community or "for the community." These classes are usually offered at a discount or for donation only. While these classes are not usually prenatal-specific, many instructors will be able to offer adjustments for movements and poses for those who are pregnant. Better yet, read up on prenatal yoga and safe poses to understand which ones are off limits or the different modifications available.

2. Find guided prenatal yoga online. A quick online search will reveal many free prenatal yoga videos, like these from Prenatal Yoga Center. As with any online resource, however, be sure to check the source and credentials. While not free, there are also several online yoga services that offer scores of videos available to you for reasonable monthly fees, like YogaGlo, Gaia, or YogaAnytime.

3. Create your own routine. Prenatal yoga doesn't have to be an hour class to be effective -- even 15-20 minutes can help! After dipping your toe in some prenatal yoga with an instructor, come up with a set of poses you can do on your own at home within a short amount of time.

4. Do it with a friend. Getting together to do yoga with a good friend can help you stay committed a regular yoga practice. Whether your friend is pregnant or not, both of you can benefit from the exercise and connection.