How To Stay Mobile During Pregnancy

As your body continues to change throughout pregnancy, it can be common to start feeling aches and pains that you usually didn’t feel. For myself, I noticed more pain around my sacrum (lower back) as I progressed throughout my pregnancy. While these aches may seem normal, know that they are super common but not normal. Of course, I recommend following up with a pelvic floor PT to have a full body assessment and come up with the right plan for you. I have continued to do my physical therapy exercises as well as incorporated regular chiropractic care to make sure my hips and pelvis are aligned for optimal posture as my body changes and to promote better positioning for the baby as I prepare for a vaginal birth.  If you are feeling some stiffness/achiness during your pregnancy, here are a few of my favorite ways to stay active and mobile:

Cat/cow

Start on your hands and knees with hands directly under your shoulders and knees underneath your hips

Take a breath in, then exhale and tuck your chin towards your chest and round your spine up towards the ceiling. Then, inhale while lifting your head and tailbone up towards the ceiling. Imagine widening across your sit bones as you extend your spine. Move through this as many times as feels good! 

Thread the Needle

Start on your hands and knees with hands directly under your shoulders and knees underneath your hips. 

Inhale as you reach one hand up towards the ceiling, rotating through your ribcage, as you exhale, reach down and through to twist your spine in the opposite direction. Repeat 5-10 times each side. 

Book Openings

Start lying on your side with your knees bent in towards your chest. Place your hands on top of each other. Stretch your top arm forward past your bottom arm, then lift your top arm towards the ceiling and begin opening up. Imagine your spine is a washcloth and you are trying to wring your spine out as if it is a wet washcloth. Try to let this movement come from your ribcage and mid back rather than from your shoulder.

90/90 hip switches

Start seated in a 90/90 position and then flow to the other side. The goal is to keep equal weight on both sit bones and your total leg should be in contact with the ground to work on both the hip internal and external rotation of your hip. 

Couch Stretch

Start kneeling on the ground and reach one leg up onto your couch so that you feel a stretch on the front of your thigh. Hold this stretch for 30 or 60 seconds and repeat on both sides.

If you are experiencing any hip, low back or pelvic discomfort during your pregnancy, we highly recommend getting assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist. If you are interested in learning more about the services we offer at ATL Pelvic Health, feel free to reach out HERE to schedule a discovery visit with one of our providers.