by Ryan Howard

It’s no secret parents have very little free time. Slow, relaxing weekends filled with books and barbecues are a thing of the past. Sleepless nights and round the clock baby care have taken over. It’s not uncommon for a lot of new parents to put their passions, hobbies, and interests on hold while they focus on their baby. But, while that might be fine in the short term, it isn’t sustainable. It’s important to make time for your favourite activities, whether that’s yoga, fishing, or watching sports. Self-care is a delicate balance, but it’s a critical part of being a good parent.

Yoga is an important part of self-care, and in this post, we explore how and why yoga is important to new parents.

Builds Muscle Strength

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of yoga is that it can increase your strength. This can be really helpful for new parents. While your newborn may seem incredibly small and light, babies do grow quickly. So, you’ll need a lot of arm strength to carry your little one around everywhere you go

Beyond that, there are things like carrying a car seat, or taking a stroller out of the car that all require a fair bit of strength. So, getting yourself into parenting shape makes things a lot easier!

Boosts Immunity

A lot of new parents find themselves getting sick fairly often. There are a few reasons for this. For starters, new parents don’t sleep much which lowers immunity. But, perhaps the bigger reason is that babies tend to be magnets for germs, particularly if they go to daycare. Babies spend a lot of time on the ground, and are well known for putting just about everything into their mouths as they explore the world. And when babies get sick, they aren’t shy about sharing those germs with their parents as well.

Yoga has been shown to help the lymphatic system fight infection. With all of the germs that new parents come into contact with, an immunity system boost couldn’t come at a better time.

Promotes Deep Sleep

People that practice yoga often experience deeper, more restful sleep. Given that new parents have a tough time getting enough, it’s important to maximize the sleep that they do get. Once, you’ve wrapped your little one up in a sleep sack, and put them down into their bassinet, you will want to make sure you can log some quality Zzzs yourself. That way, you’ll be feeling fresh for whatever challenges come tomorrow.

Relieves Tension and Stress

As a new parent, there are plenty of things to stress over. There are bills to pay, diapers to change, and a million other things that will occupy your mind all the time. Practicing yoga is a great way to release the tension that builds up every day. There is something about physical exertion and stretching that just does the trick.

Helps You Stay Happy

If you enjoy yoga, then it’s natural that making time in your life for it is going to make you happy, and that is actually more important than a lot of people realize. Sure, having kids brings all sorts of wonderful joy filled moments. But, it also changes the entire structure of your life and comes with all sorts of new responsibilities. For that reason, it’s important to make some time for the other things in your life that you really enjoy.

Author Bio: Ryan Howard runs SmartParentAdvice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Ryan writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers.