Moving is magic!
Pregnancy causes huge, quick changes to your body, and no matter how fit and strong you are, you’re going to feel certain stresses and strains. Exercise is the first thing you should turn to to find some ease.
Regular exercise is important for all of us. In pregnancy, exercise heals you by strengthening your body, relieving tension, improving circulation and contributing to a feeling of wellbeing and balance. Many common complaints and aches that are felt during pregnancy can be relieved through movement.
BACKACHE
MIDWIFE TINA OTTE
The changes in your body during pregnancy cause a shift in the centre of gravity, affecting your posture. Your expanding belly ”pulls” the abdomen forward, causing the spine to assume a greater curve than normal. The abdominal muscles elongate and stretch up to 20cm to accommodate the expanding uterus. The recti muscles separate down the middle and results in your back picking up the slack, causing more strain.
■ Get onto all fours with your back as flat as possible. Visualise pulling your pubic bone towards your chest.
■ As you pull in on the abdominal muscles, exhale and press your spine up towards the ceiling. Hold for a few seconds and then slowly release. Avoid letting your back sag as you return to the starting position.
■ Do this whenever you feel strain in your lower back. This stretch will also help relieve mid-back stress and can be done at home and at the office.
■ A weak pelvic floor and tight hamstrings also contribute to backache.
Be sure to do your Kegel exercises daily! Squeeze the muscles of the vagina strongly and tightly (as if you were trying to stop your flow of urine) for eight seconds, then slowly release. Do this 10 times at least four times a day. For tight inner thighs and hamstrings, do this stretch: Sit with legs comfortably apart. Bend one leg, so that the heel of that foot is placed at the symphysis pubis. As you exhale, stretch to one side, reaching for the calf of the extended leg with one hand while the other arm is raised above your head to avoid overcrowding of the uterus. Hold for eight seconds, and then repeat four times. Do this on the other side as well.