Becoming a mom is an amazing adventure that brings its own set of challenges, including back pain. I had a warm chat with Srivalli Kadalli, a Prenatal & postnatal yoga expert with over 5 years of experience in teaching fitness and yoga to expectant and new mothers. Srivalli shared her insights on why many new mothers deal with back issues and how they can find relief through easy spine exercises.
She starts by telling me that the majority of the new moms she works with complain of very similar issues like aches and pains, waking up feeling tired, lethargy and exhaustion. I asked her if she can suggest simple exercises which moms can do as a part of their busy schedules. Srivalli's advice is all about helping new moms feel better while they take care of their little ones. Let's read on!
In conversation with Expert Srivalli Kadalli, let’s find out all how yoga can help new moms with back pain relief!
Why Does My Back Hurt Postpartum?
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Feeding Positions: Spending hours breastfeeding can really make your back sore especially if you do not know feeding positions well and do not have support like a feeding pillow..
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How You Sit: If you're not sitting properly while feeding or holding your baby, it can add to the pain.
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All the Lifting: Picking up your baby, bending over, and carrying them around puts a lot of strain on your back.
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Adjusting to Baby Care: Just getting used to all the new activities involved in caring for a baby can make any back issues worse.
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Bad posture: How many of us sit straight or have good back support? Majority of us sit with a slouch and rounded shoulders. This puts a strain on your entire back and its worsened by long hours of sitting and feeding the baby.
5 Easy Back Exercises Every New Mom Must Try!
Srivalli suggests five simple exercises to help your back feel better. She reminds us to get advice from a professional if we have serious back problems. Here's what she recommends:
1. Spine extension: You can do this in a sitting position, standing position, on a chair or even lying on the bed. Gently raise your both hands up and interlock your fingers, and extend your spine as if someone is pulling from upside, which creates space in the spine and ready for the next poses. You can repeat 2-3 times
2. Side bends: You can do this in a sitting position, standing position, or on a chair as well. Gently raise your both hands above your head and interlock your fingers, while inhaling extend your spine, slowly bend your right side while exhaling, and stay for 3 breaths. Inhale come to the center and exhale bend your left side, hold the pose for 3 breaths. You can repeat 2-3 times
3. Spine twist: This one also can be practiced in sitting position, standing position, or on a chair. Gently raise your both hands at shoulder level, while inhaling and exhaling twist your right side and stay for 3 breaths. Inhale, come to the center and exhale twist your left side, and hold the pose for 3 breaths. You can repeat 2-3 times.
4. Gentle Back bending: You can do this stretch in standing sitting, on chair, on knees, lying on your belly or in table top position. Just gently tilt your hips forward, open chest and bend back with full awareness and hold the pose for 3 deep breaths.
5. Bending forward: you can do this in any position like sitting, standing, on a chair or in tabletop position. Gently bend forward and hold the pose for 3 breaths.
She says that the best time to do these stretches is on waking up in the morning! Do you wake up feeling stiff and tired? Then these stretches are a must to loosen up your muscles. She advises 5-10 repetitions of each of the stretches. 10 minutes a day for exercise is definitely something every mother should prioritize for herself!
Why Is Self Care Important As A New Mom?
Srivalli encourages new moms to take these exercises slowly and listen to their bodies. Good form and breathing are key. She says that treat these exercises as self care. Only when you are healthy and fit can you look after your baby well. An exhausted mom who is dealing with aches and pains already has her plate full and looking after a baby is a very demanding task. So focus on filling your cup too!
Also, if you're breastfeeding, try to pay attention to how you sit and give yourself breaks to stretch. She strongly advises using a feeding pillow, learning the feeding positions well and sitting with back support for breastfeeding.
Adding these exercises to your daily routine can help ease back pain and strengthen your back, making it easier to handle the demands of being a new mom. Remember to invest in Zactive postpartum leggings to support your body and aid your recovery! Remember, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your baby. With a little bit of care and some yoga tips from experts like Srivalli, you can enjoy motherhood more comfortably.
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Shweta
Very helpful. I tried the stretches and they are so relaxing