Do you feel forgetful, clumsy and like you’ve lost some of your multi-tasking savvy? It’s commonly called “baby brain,” and research has indicated that the effects can last up to one year after you give birth. Scientists actually have no explanation for baby brain, though hormonal changes and sleep deprivation have been thought to contribute.
What is known, however, are the positive impacts that prenatal exercise and prenatal yoga can have on you and your baby’s brain for the long-term. According to research in The FASEB Journal  mice bred to develop a degenerative disease similar to Alzheimer’s showed fewer signs of the disease and greater brain plasticity later in life when their mothers exercised regularly during pregnancy than those whose mothers did not exercise.”This research provides an experimental rationale for the effects of beneficial behavioral stimuli experienced by the pregnant mother affecting the disease status of an as yet-unborn child. The researchers conclude the reason is that “mothers could have transferred their own behavioral experience to their progeny,” says Kathy Keyvani, M.D., a researcher involved in the work.
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