Bye Bye Back Pain!
4 QUICK movement sequences TO HELP YOU MOVE WELL & FEEL WELL!
The truth is, this blog is really about pelvic balance and how a well-balanced pelvis can impact so much of your well-being, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and yes, your sad low back… but bye-bye back pain just sounds catcher, right?!
BENEFITS: smoother birth experience, better movement of the hip joints, , relieves/ prevents hip, pelvic & back pain, relieves/ prevents Piriforis syndrome & restless leg, improves pelvic floor function, strengthens the core, abdominals & torso muscles. Better function overall!
Let’s look at a tiny bit of anatomy to understand what’s going on.
The pelvis contains two wing-like bones that meet at the front with a ligament (symphysis pubis), and at the back, they connect with the sacrum. These connections (one on each side) are considered joints and are called sacroiliac joints.
These joints, often called the SI joints, are incredibly stable, surrounded by many ligaments, and can only move a few millimetres. The SI joints don’t have one primary muscle that moves them; instead, there are somewhere between 30-36 muscles that influence these two joints and the balance of your pelvis.
Imagine a dinner table. The legs holding up that table need to be well balanced so that the table is level and can support whatever we put on it. Your pelvis is similar! The muscles of your inner/ outer, front/ backs of your legs are the table legs that hold up and balance your pelvis. We need to continuously work for balanced muscle use to create dynamic stability and mobility - in other words, to function well and without discomfort.
What happens when things become unbalanced?
Ruth holds a model pelvis with arrows showing the SI joints
During pregnancy, these ligaments soften and loosen due to the Relaxin hormone in the body helping to prepare space for a growing baby and birth. The Relaxin effects can continue well into the postpartum time too. When these joints lose the support of the ligaments around them, and imbalanced muscles pull and push these bones unevenly, it can cause mild to severe discomfort in the low back, hips or pubic area!
When working as a Pilates Specialist with clients during pregnancy and postpartum recovery, balanced muscle development of the pelvis becomes a big focus! We want you to be comfortable and spend time preparing and caring for your baby, not feeling debilitated!
One way to help create balance in the pelvis and offer better function and less discomfort is to strengthen and release the hip muscles.
Here are a few common and easy exercise sequences you can do at home to help create support for your sacroiliac joints. If you feel any discomfort, stop and seek help from a movement professional!
Working the Muscles: Hip Rotation
The Clam Variations:
The set up: Side-Lying, head, back and bottom in alignment as if you’re up against a wall. Knees bent at about a 45* angle. If this position is uncomfortable in your back, hips or pubic bone area, try putting a pillow between your legs, under your head and or under your belly. Keep the underside of your torso lifted- no slouching into the floor.
Movement Sequence #1:
1) Lift both feet and shins up off the mat keeping your knees and thighs down. Open and close your top knee and aim to keep from wobbling. This should feel like a balance challenge.
2) Then put your feet and shins back on the mat and open and close the top knee thinking about giving a gentle squeeze to the dimple of your bum cheek. This one should feel like you start to get a warming sensation in your bum cheek. Try for about 10 of each.
3) This time keep your knees together and lift your foot and shin to inwardly rotate the leg. This should feel like your wrapping the muscles inward and doesn’t usually burn, in fact, it often feels relieving. 10-15x.
4) Put both of the above exercises together. Lift your top leg to a hover over your bottom leg and alternate between bringing your knees together and your heels together. This should create some good feedback or warming in the side of your hip and leg! Try for about 10x. Click here for an example of this sequence!
Working the Muscles: INNER THIGH
To counter the outer hip work we need to work the inner thigh (adductor muscles). The inner and outer thigh muscles work together for rotation of the thigh and to keep you balanced while standing and walking. It’s all about balance! For some people in pregnancy and post
Double Adductor Squeeze:
The set up: Sitting upright in a chair, aim to sit up on your sit bones or just think of staying tall. Put a soft ball, about the size of a soccer ball, or a pillow between your knees.
The Movements:
Gently squeeze your inner thighs and knees together to squish the ball/ pillow. Coordinate the squeeze with an exhale, inhale to release. Try exhaling as if you were blowing out a candle and it should make your belly and waistline gently “hug in” as well (if you know “Core Breath”, this is where to use it!) For a bonus challenge do this in a “Wall Sit” or while holding a parallel squat! Click here for an example.
WORKING THE MUSCLES: FRONT & BACK
Flexion & Extension of the hip - glutes, hamstrings & hip flexors! These actions are needed for simple everyday functions like sitting down and standing up, waking and going up the stairs.
Side leg kick (modified)
The set up: Side-Lying, similar to the Calm Variations above.
Lift your top leg about 10-15 cm above your bottom leg so that it’s about at the hight of your top hip. Bring your knee forward as close to 90 deg. as possible, without shifting or rotating your torso. This engages your hip flexors (front of hip) and uses your core and torso muscles.
Then move your knee back in space as far as your can without arching your back or rotating the torso. This uses your hamstrings and glue max, while gravity works on your flute min and flute med. Repeat 8-10x. For the bonus try this with a straight leg. Click here for an example.
Releasing the Muscles
There are a good number of ways to release and mobilize the hips after working them.
Figure four stretches lying on your back, seated or standing are one of the most common ways to release the outer hip and rotators. You can also sit right on a small, soft ball and give your bottom a good massage or just roll on your bottom on a firm surface (also fantastic for your pelvic floor!) One of my favourites is lying on your back, knees bent and at least shoulder width apart- twist your knees side to side (both in the same direction). Then try it with your legs crossed (inner thighs touching) Click here for an example of this sequence!
All of the above sequences are great for helping create stability in your pelvis but also for working your core and recruiting the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are considered safe for pregnancy and postpartum recovery and can aid in the healing of Diastasis Recti and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Please remember not to push through pain. Stop and seek the guidance of a movement professional or bodywork practitioner.
For more help creating support and keeping you moving from Pregnancy to Parenthood, check out my movement offerings and subscribe to my Newsletter!
