Pregnancy posture exercises are crucial to limit back pain in pregnancy and postnatally. Having good posture is key in helping your overall health. I share 5 exercises for pregnancy posture exercises to improve and help your posture in pregnancy.
Why is your posture so important
In pregnancy most of back pain is related to poor posture. Having proper posture can prevent having to practice exercises to help back pain
With the added front weight of your growing baby, it puts more strain on the lumbar spine increasing the likelihood of kyphosis
In pregnancy, the hormone relaxin softens ligaments enabling more flexibility to your body preparing for birth.
By releasing the spine and hips in practicing pregnancy posture exercises, it can aid more comfort to your body in pregnancy.
5 pregnancy posture exercises benefit
The exercises below benefit you by strengthening the pelvis and keeping your back in alignment bringing your awareness to your posture.
Birthing ball exercises and benefits for better posture
Exercise 1 pelvic tilt for better pregnancy posture
Sitting on the birthing ball helps because you can feel the ball rolling backwards on the inhale and forwards on the exhale.
As you inhale tilt the pelvis back so your bum is moving in the direction of your lower back. The ball will roll slightly backwards as you do this.
As you exhale, tilt the pelvis towards your baby bringing your back into imprint. Lifting it upwards, switches on the abdominal muscles giving your baby a gently hug.
Repeat 10 times 10 breathes.
The benefits of this exercise is it lengthens the lumbar spine and strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.
All of which will support better posture in pregnancy.
Exercise 2 shoulder roll sit up tall posture
Sitting on your ball concentrate on your chest area. The ball will roll slightly in this exercise.
As you inhale your heart is pointing in the direction of the sky, your shoulders are rolled back and as you exhale, lower your chin towards your chest, rounding the shoulders in, gently hugging your baby by lifting your tailbone towards baby and igniting those magical pelvic floor muscles. All at the same time.
Inhale as the chest lifts towards the sky, your shoulders round back, your chin lifts parallel to the floor and exhale to gentle curl in.
Repeat 5-10 times.
The benefits of this exercise is simple mobilisation of the spine and can do wonders for the back, in strengthening the muscles and keeping a proper posture. It also helps you to become more aware of the vertebrae and the different parts that make it up.
Exercise 3 for posture gimme your L arms
This exercise is really easy to cheat so having someone there to help keep your elbows in line with shoulders, can really facilitate not cheating.
This movement is very small and is meant to feel oooooo. It means your upper back muscles are working.
Put your arms in an L shape so your elbows are in line with shoulders, palms facing forward.
You can stay like this for 30 seconds minimum, keep those elbows inline with shoulders and breathe.
OR
On your next exhale, move your elbows back, inhale back in line with shoulders, exhale back.
Slow and steady try breathing out for a count of 5 and inhale for a count of 5. Try 5 and see how you feel and work up your baseline from here.
Maybe 3 is enough for you to start from.
The benefits of this exercise are it strengthens the upper back and chest area of the body. Therefore helping to lift your heart in the direction of the sky, keeping shoulders back, and the back in postural alignment.
Exercise 4 chest opener for correcting posture
Find a wall any wall and stand an arms length from it.
Place the palm of your right hand on the wall.
Walk forwards whilst keeping your hand connected to the wall, until you feel a stretch.
Breathe for minimum of 5 breathes.
Switch sides.
The benefits of this pose for posture are an opening to the chest area releasing tight muscles. By counteracting every day chores with this exercise it will help you maintain more balanced posture.
This pose is an every night one for me as a mom, because like most moms i’m always forward lifting throughout the day. This pose counterbalances it.
I love teaching this exercise to new moms, it’s the facial reactions of oooooo oh my god i didn’t realise how tight i was there. It’s very common to be extremely tight in this area of the body as a mom.
Exercise 5 shoulder press for stronger posture
Similar to exercise 3 have your arms in an L shape elbows in line with shoulders.
Inhale for a count of 5 as you raise your arms up towards the sky and as you exhale lower for a count of 5 til your elbows are back in line with shoulders. Feel the shoulder blades come together as the upper back works.
Repeat with your breathe.
Try 5 work your way up.
The benefits of this pose are it strengthens the shoulders, arms, abdominals and upper back. All of which are important for proper posture.
Tips to help your posture in pregnancy
It is more likely to injure your back in pregnancy and after birth due to the hormone relaxin softening ligaments and joints.
The tips below are a useful aid to keep in mind when doing daily moves.
- Malasana pose when lifting or moving
- Bend your knees not your waist, give your thighs the workout, not your back.
- Push rather than pull an object.
- Pushing uses your legs, pulling uses your arms and back.
- Getting out a car turn your hips and back in the same direction so you’re not twisting your back.
- If you have other children ask them to sit next to you rather than picking them up or sitting on you.
- Getting out of bed roll onto your left hand side and push up from the bed.
Products to help with your posture
A birthing ball is a moms best exercise tool for pregnancy exercises at home. The benefits of using a ball to exercise are so useful to know for pregnancy and can save you space, more comfort and strength through using one throughout pregnancy and postnatally.
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