Skip to main content

Postural Changes During Pregnancy

Changes in your postural alignment is a natural occurrence as pregnancy develops. The ideal posture ensures the most efficient use of our back muscles so that the least energy is required of these postural muscles. Pregnancy results in an increase in overall body mass and a change in the centre of gravity. As the pregnancy progresses the posture adapts to the changing weight and subsequent forces imposed on the body.

The exact postural changes that occur in response to pregnancy can vary however the general change is that there is an exaggeration of the curve in the lumbar spine (lower back). This exaggerated curve in the lower back is what causes the back muscles to be placed under stress and can lead to back pain. It was thought that following the birth, a woman's posture returns to the way that it was pre-pregnancy. However some studies have shown that the posture after pregnancy is not significantly different to the posture developed during the later stage of pregnancy.

Pay attention to your posture! Schedule a 1-hour prenatal fitness consultation for an overview of proper technique to maintain your posture and to exercise safely during pregnancy.
 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I don’t have a Diastasis- Why is my abdomen still distended postpartum?

I get asked this question all the time! Here is my answer: Research has shown that 100% of pregnant women will develop some degree of diastasis recti. A diastasis is a lateral separation in the abdominal wall between the recti or “six pack”, due to a stretching of the midline connective tissue or “linea alba”. Although some diastasis will heal postpartum, in many cases a separation will remain without restorative exercise. Distention from DR will present as a doming in the midline. Women who heal a diastasis spontaneously or through restorative exercise may still find that their abdomens are distended, particularly after a meal and/or at the end of the day. If there is no diastasis, why is this? This abdominal distention does not occur in the midline, but rather across the entire abdominal wall. This is due to a weakened hypotonic TVA- transverse abdominis muscle. The TVA is the deepest anterior abdominal muscle, wrapping around the midsection like a girdle, with a left an

New Website & BodyRock TV Articles

I have been MIA building a website to launch for momentum into 2011. It is part of my "big push" master plan which, according to my wellness approach, applies to every area of my life- from workouts, nutrition, family, business.... I declare 2011 the Year of the Hard Body in every way! I just surfed onto my website dashboard to see that I have over 2000 webpage views, mostly referred from this blog and BodyRock TV ! Amazing! If you wouldn't mind taking a moment to complete my website feedback form when you are there I would greatly appreciate it! Further to, I have emailed with Zuzana from BodyRock about contribuing pre & postnatal information for adapting her workouts. I have written 2 articles "Prenatal BodyRocking" and "Postnatal BodyRocking" which I hope will appear on her website soon! I am gaining momentum heading into 2011! I have a modified raw food 7 day cleanse planned, as well as new fitness goals for myself. 2010 was the Year of t

Kate's Guide to Getting the Correct Sports Bra!

I wear an unusual size and it took me years to unlock the secrets to bra fitting (and finding!) I suffered for years in improperly fitting bras, and during exercise I would wear 2 or 3 just to get the support I needed.  E very woman needs support while performing sports; not having proper support means that there is extra stress put on the back during various activities. Even low-impact exercise s done without the support of a sports bra can result in strain on the upper back and shoulders that can result in pain or worse- injuries that may develop over time. Sports bras affect a woman’s posture. Exercising without support can result in slouching to prevent painful bouncing which throws the back and hips out of alignment and impedes form, leading to potential injury. The most common mistakes are when women wear a bra that is too small in the cup and too loose around the body for example a 38e instead of a 36f. Note: When you go down a band size, go up a cup! Step 1: T