Want to learn how to improve back pain with good posture techniques? Get tips from a physical therapist on how you as a postpartum mom can improve your back pain after pregnancy.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Are you looking for ways to improve back pain with good posture techniques? You just had a baby, and after going through 9 months of excruciating pain that developed in various places all over your body, the back pain was the worst for you.
That nagging pain that seemed to just linger all day never eased up. And now that your baby is here, you would hope that your pain would go away, but it hasn’t.
The extra weight of carrying your baby is just pulling on your back. That pulling, that constant tension you have is lingering way longer than you had hoped.
As a physical therapist, I hear this same story over and over. The back pain just won’t go away. How is it going to go away if my baby keeps growing and the demands of holding her are getting harder?
In this article you will be learning 3 of my best tips for improving back pain with good posture techniques.
What Is Good Posture?
When I see someone with good posture, that means their ears are aligned with their shoulders. Ever see someone who looks really slouched? It’s because their head is forward and their ears are in front of their shoulders. We don’t want that.
So check yourself in the mirror right now, looking at your side profile and see where your head sits on top of your body.
That’s a starting point. Have your husband take a picture of you in a relaxed standing position and then come back 2-4 weeks from now after you do these posture exercises from this article and see if you notice any improvements in your before and after picture.
Related: 7 Safe Standing Ab Exercises: The Revolutionary Way To Workout Your Abs
Is There A Correlation Between Bad Posture and Pain?
Did you know that poor posture can contribute to the development or exacerbation of various types of pain, particularly in the neck, back, and shoulders? When you maintain an incorrect or slouched posture for extended periods, it can strain the muscles, ligaments, and joints, leading to discomfort and pain.
Here are a few examples of how poor posture can contribute to pain:
Neck Pain: Forward head posture, where the head is positioned in front of the shoulders, puts strain on the muscles and ligaments in the neck, leading to neck pain and stiffness.
Back Pain: Slouching or having an excessive curvature in the lower back can strain the spinal discs, muscles, and ligaments, leading to lower back pain.
Shoulder Pain: Rounded shoulders and hunched posture can cause imbalances in the muscles around the shoulder joints, resulting in shoulder pain and impingement.
Muscle Imbalances: Poor posture can create muscle imbalances, where certain muscles become overstretched and weak, while others become tight and overactive. This imbalance can lead to pain and discomfort as the body’s natural alignment and movement patterns are disrupted.
It’s important to understand that while poor posture can contribute to pain, it is not always the sole cause.
Other factors such as injury, underlying medical conditions, and lifestyle factors can also play a role.
1. Never stay in the same position more than 30 minutes at a time.
Don’t stay in the same poor posture position for more than 30 minutes. Your body will just become fatigued after 30 minutes have passed and the slouching will begin.
Set a timer if you know you are going to be sitting at a desk for more than 30 minutes. Let’s say you have a project to work on at your computer desk whether at home or at work and that project is going to take approximately 2 hours.
Well, you might think, “I know I’m going to get up from my desk eventually,” but it may just be creeping up to 1 hour and before you know it, your posture just sunk down into your chair.
Set that 30 minute timer and stand up. So what can you do when you stand up? That’s tip #2.
2. Perform posture exercises sporadically throughout the day
Activity throughout the day will help you instill good habits of regular movement. When you regularly move throughout the day you are less likely to be slouched and your muscles will stay activated.
So let’s activate those back muscles! How are we going to do that? With Standing Snow Angels. Let’s jump right into it!
My Favorite Postural Exercises For Back Strengthening
Find a blank wall and do some standing snow angels up against that wall. I like keeping a few blank walls throughout my home for exercising purposes primarily.
Wall squats, standing snow angels…my kids like to practice handstands up against blank walls.
So many possibilities.
I want you to use this blank wall to stand up against it, heels, butt, shoulders and head all touching this wall.
Put your arms up like you are making a goal post, slide your arms up over your head like you are doing a snow angel and bring them down and up again. The key is keeping your entire body against the wall, including your arms and elbows while sliding them up and down.
Perform this for 10 reps first and progress to 20 reps and then a 3rd set for 30 reps. Again this is a progression. You can do this once or twice a day.
3. Ergonomically set up your environment for success
It’s time to ergonomically set up your environment for success! What do I mean by that?
Well, I mean you want to set up your environment in a way that makes furniture or equipment comfortable and effective for people who use it.
For example, if you are breastfeeding, set up the chair, the pillows and everything around you to be comfortable for you to hold your baby in a way that allows for good posture.
If you are slouching while breastfeeding, then you need to stop that right away by adding more pillows or find a better chair that supports your back and your arms.
Why sit in a chair for 30 minutes in a slouched position while breastfeeding? Our muscles and spine are going to become accustomed to that posture day after day.
If you are slouching while you are driving, position your chair to allow for an upright posture. Lumbar back pillows are a great way to improve your posture while driving.
If your chair at your desk is too big or too small for you, it may cause you to slouch more.
So take the time to see what position you feel most comfortable in while you are doing the activity and how you can arrange the furniture and the environment to set you up for success when it comes to good posture.
Bonus Posture Exercise For Moms With Back Pain
I love bent over rows. Have you ever tried those before? Grab some light dumbbells and in each hand hold them while you bend over slightly at your waist while keeping your back straight.
While keeping your torso stationary, pull the dumbbells up to your armpits. Keep your elbows close to your body. When you are pulling the dumbbells close to your body, squeeze the back muscles and hold for 2 seconds. Then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10 with light weights to start.
Conclusion
Take the time to make adjustments to your environment and your posture. Once you start making these small, subtle changes you will see the back pain go away rather quickly. Let’s review:
#1: Never stay in the same position more than 30 minutes at a time.
#2 Perform posture exercises sporadically throughout the day.
#3: Ergonomically set up your environment for success.
If you are having an increase in pain, always stop exercise and see a doctor or a physical therapist The same goes for pain that lasts longer than 2 weeks; I recommend you call a medical professional.
Continue reading when to see a chiropractor, PT or massage therapist in this article.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
**You must consult a doctor before performing these exercises and be cleared after your 6 week postpartum check-up. Perform these exercises at your own risk. If diagnosed with Diastasis Recti, do not perform these exercises unless cleared by a medical professional.
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