One of the most common pregnancy discomforts is back pain during pregnancy. If you’re suffering from pregnancy back pain, you may find relief by going swimming. Water will support your body and will help take the baby’s weight off your back. And while in the pool you can do some water walking and back stretches to help your pregnancy backache. To do back stretches in the pool, grab the side of the pool, put your feet on the wall and pulling back as far as you can go.
If you want to strengthen your back, here is a simple back exercise you can do during pregnancy. Kneel on your hands and knees with your elbows slightly bent. Keep your back flat with your head and neck in line with your spine. Don’t look up, down, or to the sides. To strengthen your back, and abdominal muscles, arch your lower back and at the same time tighten your buttocks and your abdominal muscles. Then slowly return your back to the flat position. Do about 5 to 8 repetitions. Other back exercises you can do are bent over row and seated row.
Poor posture can cause back pain during pregnancy. Try to remember to check your posture throughout the day. When standing, try using your abdominal muscles to support your growing belly by pulling in your belly button in towards your back bone.
Besides exercising to strengthen your back there are other things you can do to help relief lower back pain. Try to maintain good posture while standing or sitting. Wear low-heeled shoes that give support. Avoid lifting heavy things. If you need to lift something, lift with your legs and not your back by bending your knees. When standing don’t locked your knees, keep it slightly bent. And, whenever possible, sit in straight-backed chairs.
When exercise during pregnancy, make sure you don’t become overheated.
When you exercise in the pool, whether you swim or do water aerobics, the water temperature should not be higher than 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. And don’t overdo your exercise routines. Focus on maintaining your fitness level by doing moderate exercises. Pregnancy is not the time to push yourself to exercise too hard. It’s a time when you need a balance of rest and activity. Don’t push your body to exercise as you did prior to pregnancy.
It’s beneficial to stay fit during pregnancy. Staying active during pregnancy will help keep your pregnancy weight down, relief many pregnancy discomforts, and help with delivery and post partum recovery.