3 Tips for Optimizing your Posture During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the pregnant mother undergoes significant anatomical and physiological changes to nurture and accommodate the developing fetus. When we consider one’s posture and alignment throughout pregnancy, what tends to occur is as your belly grows, and your uterus presses against your abdominal wall, your centre of gravity shifts forward. In lieu of these changes, the body’s natural tendency is to lean backwards, which tucks in the tailbone and pushes the pelvis/hips forward, to counteract the changes of one’s centre of gravity. Additionally, there is a high tendency for women to round through their shoulder and position their head and neck forward.
These non-optimal strategies to counteract this forward shift of their centre of gravity result in our body’s traying to stabilize itself when the muscles that should be supporting the core are not working properly because of the poor posture and alignment. This leads to:
- Overuse of the posterior pelvic floor through poor core stability strategies.
- Place the pelvic floor in a less supported position.
- Inhibits and weakens the gluteal and core muscles
- Creates an increase in intra-abdominal pressure
Fortunately, our Pre & Post Pregnancy Program is designed to help you thrive during pregnancy and to maximize your recovery afterwards. Each woman’s experience with pregnancy and delivery is vastly different, therefore, we tailor this program to your specific needs! It is important for all women to learn proper alignment and preventive exercises during pregnancy to address these non-optimal postures, as these changes can contribute to pregnancy related comorbidities (e.g. SIJ dysfunction, pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain, sciatica, low back pain, round ligament pain, pubic symphysis pain). Additionally, by optimizing your posture and alignment, we are also helping to ensure the fetus is in a more optimal position – which in turn makes your pregnancy and childbirth easier for you!
So, what is an optimal posture in pregnancy?
Tip #1: The key to good posture is to maintain the three natural curves in the spine – at your neck, mid/upper back, and lower back.
Tip # 2: Your head should be above your shoulders, the tops of your shoulders and ribcage should be over your pelvis, and your pelvis should lie over your heels.
Tip #3: The function of the core muscles is linked to your breath, and your breath is linked to your posture and alignment. Therefore, with a more optimal posture and alignment, you can breathe more easily, and your core provides greater support is both dynamic and static positions.
Here are 3 exercises to help improve your posture and alignment!
- Seated Chest Opener: Place a towel over the back of a hard chair. Sit down and place your hands behind your head and your bum against the back of the chair. Slowly press your shoulder blades into the towel and look up at the ceiling, keeping your elbows wide. Hold for 30-60 seconds, several times a day.
- Hip Extensions: Tie a resistance band around your ankles. Stand facing a wall or hold onto a chair. Shift your weight onto your left leg and lift your right foor slightly off the floor. Inhale to expand, then exhale to engage and press the right leg back, keeping the leg straight. Go as far as you can without leaning forward. Inhale and bring the leg back to the start. Do 1-2 sets, 10-12 reps on each leg.
- Shoulder Blade Retractions: Hold a resistance band with both hands. Lift the arms and band up to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight. Inhale to expand, then ehale to engage and gentle pull your hands away from one another so that the band stretches and moves closer to the sides. Inhale to expand as you allow your arms to return to the start. Do 1-2 sets 10-12 reps. You can perform this exercise on a stability ball, sitting in a chair or in standing.
Are you interested in learning more exercises to optimize your posture, and core strength? Reach out to one of our Pelvic Health Physiotherapists at one of our three locations!
References:
- Physiopedia. (2020). Posture. Retrieved on: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Posture
- Soma-Pillay, P., Nelson-Piercy, C., Tolppanen, H., & Mebazaa, A. (2016). Physiological changes in pregnancy. Cardiovascular journal of Africa, 27(2), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.5830/CVJA-2016-021
- Vopni, K. (2014). Prepare to Push. Pelvienne Wellness Inc.