Unlock relief: 4 must try stretches & exercises for pregnancy back pain
To ward off or alleviate lower back pain during pregnancy, two primary strategies come into play. The first involves maintaining proper posture. Consistently monitoring your posture becomes paramount during this time. Keep your knees slightly bent, your pelvis tucked slightly more than neutral (countering the belly's forward pull), engage your core muscles, and ensure your shoulders are held back and down.
However maintain good posture throughout pregnancy is easier said than done. It requires having the muscles to sustain this position, as well as the flexibility and mobility, in a pregnant body undergoing a myriad of fluctuations.
The second is to combine a few of these stretches and exercises; here are my top 4 exercises for back pain in pregnancy.
Bird dog exercise
Bird Dog
Improves core stability by using the lower back muscles and abdominal muscles and also targets the posterior chain muscles
On all fours. Make sure your wrist are directly below your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Inhale lift the opposite arm to opposite leg straight out, make sure you don’t arch your back or rotate your torso
Exhale return to all fours and do the same on the other side
10 reps each side in total
Side lying leg raises
2. Side Lying Leg Raises
These are great because they activate the, hip flexors, glutes and lower back muscles. Helping increase the mobility in your hips and increase your core strength.
Lie on your side with your hips stacked directly on top of each other and keep your torso as still as possible. Place your arm closest to the mat straight above you so you can rest your head on it.
Inhale and lift your top leg up to a 45 degree angle, hold for two seconds, and release back down as you exhale.
Repeat 10 reps each side and three rounds.
Seated piriformis stretch
3. Seated piriformis stretch
This will target key hip muscles that can have a big impact on how tight the lower back feels in pregnancy.
Sit on a chair. Place your left ankle over your right knee to create a figure of four.
Exhale and lean forwards, keeping your spine straight, until you feel a slight stretch in your glutes and lower back.
Hold 30seconds each side. Two rounds.
Childs pose
4. Childs pose
One of the most recognised stretches for lower back pain.
Start on all fours. Keep your knees shoulder width apart and your big toes should be touching each other.
On the exhale sit back on your heels and tuck your chin into your chest and rest your forehead on the ground if you can.
Rest here for six breaths before returning to a neutral position
For more help with managing your back pain during pregnancy check out our pre natal personal training page