Yoga for women is appropriate at every stage of life and special yoga apparels for women are not required. Any loose, comfortable clothing will work just fine. The exercises make women more aware of their strengths and weaknesses while reducing stress, increasing flexibility, improving coordination, and extending range of motion. It is a good routine for the cardio, respiratory, and circulatory systems and is especially helpful to alleviate the lower back pain common in women before menstruation and during pregnancy. Some women have found that a regular yoga routine will even out their periods and alleviate the anxiety and depression common at "that time of the month." Also, by strengthening the abdominal muscles, yoga has been found to decrease painful cramping. During pregnancy mild yoga exercises help the mother to stay fit without placing too much strain on the baby. Yoga keeps the heart strong , blood pressure low and if the expectant mother is anxious about her impending delivery, yoga will help her to manage that stress more effectively. Specific types of yoga for pregnant women should be carefully chosen, however. Pregnancy and yoga are an especially good match since this form of yoga follows a well-defined set of movements to come into and out of poses in a way that completely absorbs the consciousness while stilling the thoughts.