I remember as a dancer, my dance teacher (in her thick British accent) would comment harshly on the way we held our bodies: Head up, shoulders back, knees soft, legs strong, no bums sticking out, no bellies sticking out, and breathe. It seemed impossible to maintain this position! But, it did make us stand taller and look better on camera. It is a difficult position to hold, however, and it takes concentration and muscle development. We also encourage this same great stance from participants whenever we're working out. Whether you're running, in a cycling class, in an aerobics class or simply doing weight training, good posture is crucial and will not only put the work in the right muscles, it will help prevent injury.
As our bodies change in pregnancy, our posture is highly affected. The extra weight in the chest pulls our shoulders folder. If you choose to breastfeed, this curve in the upper back will become even worse as you lean forward into your baby. The growing uterus pulls your belly out front and causes a curve in our lower back, this tends to force our hips and bum to roll back and up, adding to the curve. You may also find that as your hips relax more in the 3rd trimester thanks to Relaxin, your feet and knees may turn out causing you to waddle. While giving into the sag can feel great momentarily as our weary muscles let go, it leads to many long-term problems.
Kyphosis: Curving of the upper back also known as a hunchback. Because of the weight gain in your chest, you'll find your shoulders sag forward, you develop tension down your neck and shoulders, hands and arms begin to tingle and you begin to feel knots forming all over your back and muscle strain down your spine. This can be made worse if you're at a computer all day as you lean forward to see the screen and type. I know around Report Card Season when I sit for long periods of time at a computer I develop really bad upper back and shoulder pain and I have to consciously force myself to sit upright.
Solution? If you're at a computer, raise your screen so that it's in direct eye line rather than you having to look down (I prop math textbooks underneath) and make sure your keyboard is in line with your elbows. Your forearms should be 90 degrees from your upper arms. At all times whether you're standing or sitting, keep your shoulders rolled down and back, even giving a little squeeze between your shoulder blades. Keeping your shoulders relaxed down from your ears will release tension in the neck and you may even notice a decrease in tension-related headaches. Some great exercises include Rows to strengthen your upper back as well as it's important to stretch your chest muscles. If you feel tension building, stop what you're doing and shrug/roll your shoulders a full times. In Yoga tonight we did a great chest stretch where you clasp your hands behind you at the base of your spine and open up the chest and shoulders looking slightly up. It may also be time to invest in a new bra to ensure you have good support. When breastfeeding, invest in a good quality pillow to help bring baby up to you.
Lordosis: Inward curving (like the letter 'C') in the lower back because of the increase in weight gain in your belly. This will not only pull you forward, it will also throw off your balance. This misalignment in the lower region of your spine will be attributed to serious lower back pain and even lead to pain in your sciatic nerve (the nerve that runs down your buttocks through your hip and into your leg).
Solution? Keep your hips and pelvis tilted forward rather than letting them settle back, try to imagine your hips sitting right under your shoulders. You will need to engage your abdominal muscles for this as well by drawing your belly button towards your spine and bracing your core muscles. Strong core muscles are key here as they help support the extra weight in front. Try strengthening and stretching your lower back daily to help relieve any tension and strengthen your core and gluteus muscles to help better support the body.
Hyperextension in the knees: Often because we're curved forward in the shoulders with your hips curved back, we develop an awkward backward lean. This position throws us off balance so we try to compensate by locking our knees.
Solution? Keep your knees soft when standing by having a natural bend and spread weight evenly between your two feet. If you have any misalignment in your body, you may favour one foot/one side over the other. A chiropractor or massage therapist could certainly help realign you. With your knees soft, you'll find you engage more leg muscles particularly the quads and hamstrings so be sure to stretch them nightly and strengthen them as part of your weight training routine.
Hip release: As our pelvis relaxes, the laxity in the joints allows our legs to turn outwards and we begin to walk with a waddle. This can also lead to pain in the knees and in the sciatic nerve.
Solution? Make a conscious effort to walk tall and straight. When standing, have your ankles and soft knees under your hips. Various hip stretches will help alleviate any pain such as butterfly stretches or IT Band stretches. It would also help to strengthen your hips by strengthening your glutes, adductors (inner thighs), and abductors (outer thighs).
Cueing your posture:
It can actually be easy to forget to work on our posture but as we let that slack, we will develop more pain in the muscles and joints and we are at higher risk of tension-related headaches and fatigue. Here are a few things to say to yourself daily to check your postural alignment.- "Stand tall"--your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle should all be in one straight line if you look at yourself from the side in a mirror (this might be "sit tall" at your desk)
- Keep your buttocks tucked under your body by pressing your pelvis slightly forward
- Lift up through the chest
- Abdominals hug your baby
- Roll your shoulders back and down along your spine
Play with your postural alignment so you can feel the difference between good and bad posture. At first you'll find your muscles (especially your abs!) will be tired because you're actually engaging them the whole time but within a few days of maintaining good posture, you will feel better throughout the day, you will have less tension-related headaches and strains and you will move with better agility and grace.
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