Pregnancy Tips to improve your fitness – Avoiding Backache

Up to 75% of all pregnant women suffer from backache. But here are some pregnancy tips to prevent it happening, or worsening, and stop it turning into a life-long problem. Exercise: Women who do some exercise and are relatively flexible before getting pregnant usually suffer less from backache. But the best pregnancy tips say it’s never too late to improve your fitness. Weekly gentle exercise sessions, such as swimming, will help prevent backache - just go carefully and slowly to start with if you are new to exercise. Pilates and yoga are good for pregnant women as tightening your pelvic floor muscles and your tummy muscles will help support your back. A strengthening exercise to do at home is to get down on your hands and knees and position your back so that it is as flat as possible (so you are table-shaped). Breathe in deeply, then, breathe out, squeezing your pelvic floor muscles as you do so. Keep squeezing for up to 10 seconds without holding your breath and without moving your back. Relax and do it again. Do this movement a few times a day and you will improve your pelvic floor muscles and strengthen your back. Standing and sitting well: Whenever you remember try to stand as straight as possible as if a string attached to the top of your head is being pulled upwards. You can do this at the bus stop, standing at the sink, while on the phone etc. Pelvic tilting has been proven to ease the back strain associated with sitting or standing for long periods. Sit and slowly move your pelvis backwards and forwards making your back rounded and then arched. Move your pelvis and not your shoulders. When you’re sitting at a desk or table try to sit with your hips touching the back of the seat with your knees at a 90º angle. A good pregnancy tip to ease lower back discomfort is to place a cushion between your lower back and the seat. Another good pregnancy tip is to sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair as this automatically gives you a good posture and prevents slouching. Try not to sit too long in any one position. If your job involves sitting for hours at a time get up and walk around every 20 minutes or so. Lifting: Try not to lift anything while you are pregnant. If it is unavoidable hold the item close to your body and bend at the knees to pick it up. Don’t bend over and never twist. If you already have a toddler, get her to climb onto the sofa or bed before picking her up. If the shoe fits… You may be most comfortable in flat shoes, or you may find a small heel takes the pressure off your back. Listen to your own body. Very high heels will tilt your body and provoke backache so you should probably take a temporary break from them. Wear sensible shoes: You may be most comfortable in flat shoes, or you may need a bit of a heel to take the pressure off your back. Very high heels will tilt your body and provoke backache.