Restoring the back and posture after childbirth

Back and lower back exercises for moms

Threats to Mom’s Back

Exercises for the back after childbirth are essential. After all, you have just got rid of the constantly growing weight attached to the front and disturbing the geometry of the spine, as the back receives new challenges:

• Having to hold a growing baby often and for long periods of time;
• Bending over the changing table during diaper changes and other manipulations;
• having to slouch involuntarily while breastfeeding;
• Long walks, at best with a stroller, and often have to carry a capricious child.

And the worst thing: stooping becomes a habit, and try to find time for good exercises for the back after childbirth. So it becomes a constant companion of pain in the back, neck, shoulders, and headaches, which leads to irritability. Add the inevitable bad dreams in the first months, plus a child mirroring the state of the mother, and problems grow like a snowball.

This is not worth tolerating. For the sake of health and good moods it is worth allocating a few minutes to back exercises after childbirth. As a bonus, mom will get a burst of energy, due to improved metabolism and overall blood flow.

Caution and moderation

Overdoing exercises for postpartum posture is not worth it. Not everything that is good for ballerinas or swimmers, for example, will work for a young mother. Doctors highlight several serious contraindications and cautions.

1. Even if before pregnancy sports were active, you should not force the load in the first weeks, if there are stitches or complications of childbirth, the term will be longer. But the light yoga asanas and relaxed stretching elements will only bring benefits from the first days.
2. The principle of gradually increasing the load is a must for any kind of exercises for the back after childbirth.
3. If a woman has had injuries before pregnancy or chronic diseases, you should consult your doctor: contraindications will be common, not related to the status of the recently born and breastfeeding.

You should exercise in good health, in a ventilated room. You don’t need a lot of time, the main thing is to do it regularly.

Sets of exercises for the back for moms

What exercises for the back after childbirth are the most effective? Every mother will answer this question by trial and error. If there is less pain in the back after exercise, then the complex is suitable.

5 yoga asanas to benefit mom’s back

Yoga will provide a gentle, harmless and effective effect on the spine, back, neck and chest muscles, adjust tension, take away pain due to muscle tightness after breastfeeding.

1. “Eagle”;. Stand up straight, arms bent at the elbows and apart. The upper parts of the hands should be entwined, fingers interlocked, so that the backs of the palms look outward. Lift your elbows up on a deep breath, pushing your palms away a little. The back is automatically stretched out and relaxed. After a few times, the arm plexus should be changed.
2. Adho Mukha Shvanasana (“dog face down”;). Deep bend with hands behind the head, touching the floor, body and legs forming a triangle. Pull the navel to the spine and hold for 8-10 seconds. This removes the cervical clamp, straightens the spine, eliminates pain in the tightened ribcage, and improves posture.
3. Marjariasana (“cat”). Pulling and bending on all fours. Useful exercise to increase lactation and increase spinal mobility.
4. Lotus Back. Sit in the lotus pose and do lifts and circular rotational movements of the shoulders. Then twist your neck, lowering and rolling your head.
5. “Fetus”;. Take the “fetal pose”; – lower yourself on the floor face down, legs and arms tucked in. Then stretch your arms forward without raising your head or taking your palms off the floor. Try to put your chest to the floor on an exhalation after a deep breath. Do the same, moving both hands to the right and left. Your legs and torso stay immobile.

Exercises for the lower back after childbirth

The lower back gets a lot of stress due to the fact that the mother is on her feet a lot with extra weight, as well as bending over for long periods of time. To help the lower back means to remove this unnecessary tension, and to do this, you need to stretch the right muscles slightly. This will also help your posture, since overstretching causes lumbar lordosis (unnatural flexion).

1. “Twist”;. A woman sits with one of her knees bent, her leg underneath her, and the other leg put behind the first leg. With the opposite hand, lean on the knee and curl up. Stretch out, breathing freely. Then perform the other way.
2. “The letter T”;. Lie on your back, spread out your arms, pressing your shoulders and shoulder blades to the floor. Bend one leg at the knee and put it over the other lying leg with the thigh up. Lie there and stretch, trying to relax as much as possible. Then switch legs.

If mom has a little more time and desire for exercise, exercises for the back on a fitball can be a great help: rocking, lifting the body, rolling. For even more exercises and information on back muscle recovery and posture, visit momslab.com‘s online course.