Aching lower back, hip pain, calf cramps, stiff shoulders…Whenever I ask a prenatal yoga class what they would like to work on the list almost always includes these, and it doesn’t stop there. It almost goes without saying that being pregnant can put a huge load on your body. But for me, these aches and pains aren’t inevitable consequences of being pregnant, they are rather windows into where the body might be holding too much or too little tone, and if we practice some simple movements on a regular basis (like daily), we could re-balance the load on the connective tissues, and not only create more comfortable pregnancies, but actually ease the process of labor, birth, and postpartum recovery!
How does the body get out of balance? Well, we actually started that way.
We all enter pregnancy with existing muscle patterns, built up from how we have moved throughout our lives. Runners often have tighter hip flexors and lower backs. Ballet dancers usually have more flexible hip sockets (which isn’t always a good thing). Those of us in desk jobs might have tight hamstrings and hip flexors, not to mention the dreaded forward head posture habit. These patterns might not be giving us trouble during our regular lives, but as we add weight into an imbalanced system, the twists and loads begin to increase. By the end of pregnancy the center of gravity might be as much as 4 inches further forward, and suddenly that tucked tailbone position (NOT GOOD!) sinks the excess weight into tense hip and back muscles and Voila! Back pain appears!
If we are going to keep the body in good balance it is worth exploring what movements we can do to help specific areas. The specific shifts in the body during pregnancy tend to lead to certain areas of the body being under increased strain. Some of these need more flexibility, and some need increased strength- and some need both.
Common areas that need flexibility during pregnancy are:
Shoulders and neck
Hip flexors
Lower back and back muscles in general
Hip rotators (inner and outer)
Hamstrings and calves
Side body and ribs
Pelvic floor
Common areas which need support and strengthening
Hip rotators (inner and outer)
Pelvic Floor
Core body (but gently)
Back muscles
Arms and shoulders
Hamstrings and calves
You can probably notice that there is some overlap between what might need to be released and what needs to be strengthened. The movements needed to create overall balance and comfort will vary from person to person, depending on where your body normally carries tension. But here are some suggestions
Basic daily yoga movements
These movements can all be achieved in a fairly brief yoga practice, but given the body tends to tighten after even 30 minutes of sitting, I often recommend students work short yoga practices throughout their day. These “yoga snacks” can relieve general body tension and also help maintain awareness and good posture. From any yoga snack, you might move into a fuller exploration and practice depending on the time, curiosity, and energy available. Which asana you practice is up to you, but here are some suggestions for ways to access these parts of the body and find more balance overall.
Calf stretch
Hamstring stretches (Parsvottanasana, Prasarita Padotanasana, Downward Dog)
Hip movements (hip circles standing, sitting, from Table, or supine if in early pregnancy, Cat/Cow)
Pelvic floor toning (strengthening active Malasana, stretching Prasarita Padotanasana, Pelvic Floor Breathing)
Psoas release (Bridge Pose, Anjaneyasana, direct psoas release on block)
Side bending and release (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, Windmill, Reverse Warrior)
Hip strengthening and stretching (Ankle to Knee, Baddha Konasana (active and passive), wall squat with blocks)
These movements are all contained within the Om Births Essential Mama Poses e-book with more detailed instruction on how to practice each action and movement.
Ultimately the basic movements we should each do will vary depending on where you were holding tension in the first place, but gaining a sense of where things feel tense, and where they seem to collapse (or be unsupported), can be an invaluable insight. It not only can help in reducing physical pain, but when the body’s tissues are in good balance and able to support both the joints and the growing baby, they also preserve an open pathway through the pelvis which was built in from birth. The more open and supported the pelvic tissues are, the more they are able to release and open as baby spirals through the cardinal movements of labor, and emerges into the world.
Happy moving!
Key Takeaways
Pregnancy puts a major load on the body, but the body isn’t always balanced to support that load
When there are imbalances in muscle and connective tissue strength and tension it can result in aches and pains which while often associated with pregnancy are not automatically experienced
Targeted daily movements can help restore balance to the body’s muscles and joints
When the joints and muscles are in good balance, not only is pregnancy more comfortable, but birth is often easier and postpartum recovery is smoother.