3 Ways To Keep Your Back In Good Shape During Your Pregnancy

30 September 2015
 Categories: , Blog


If you have just found out that you are pregnant, now is the time to start looking after your back health. Over the course of your pregnancy, you are going to gain a significant amount of weight; as you go through your pregnancy, the weight of your baby will put a lot of pressure on your back. In order to ward off lower back pain that can develop as your pregnancy progresses, you need to take steps now.

Incorporate Exercise Into Your Weekly Routine

One of the easiest ways to keep your back muscles strong throughout your pregnancy is to exercise. This will be easier if you were exercising before you found out you were pregnant; however, even if you were not physically active before you found out you were pregnant, you can still safely increase your physical activity with the assistance of your doctor.

You should work with your doctor to develop a safe exercise routine. You should try to exercise at least two to three times a week. Some safe cardiovascular exercise includes walking, swimming and riding a stationary bike. These types of exercise are safe even if you were not exercising before your pregnancy. These types of exercise are fluid and will not cause additional strain on your back.

You should make sure that you stretch before and after you exercise to minimize the chance of hurting your body. Of course, if you feel any discomfort or notice any usual symptoms, such as dizziness, you should stop exercising and take a break.

Exercising regularly throughout your pregnancy will keep your back and body muscles strong and will make it easier for your body to bear the weight of your pregnancy.

Pay Attention To What You Wear

Another way to reduce the stress on your back when you are pregnant is by paying attention to what you wear. Wearing high-heeled shoes can stress out your back even when you are not pregnant. When you are pregnant, balancing on high-heeled shoes can cause additional strain to your back that you don't need.

Instead of high-heeled shoes, you should stick to wearing tennis shoes and flat shoes that provide you with adequate arch support. Shoes that really support your feet will reduce stress on your back during your pregnancy.

Get Plenty Of Rest

Finally, make sure that you get plenty of rest. Your body is experiencing a big change, and getting enough sleep every night will take the stress off your back. However, sleeping can be a little difficult when you are pregnant. Try to sleep on your side, and keep a pillow between your knees. This will help distribute your weight more evenly while you sleep and will keep the pressure off your back.

If you find it difficult to balance on your side, you can purchase a body pillow or pregnancy wedge pillow to help you sleep comfortably while you are pregnant.

If you want to reduce the stress on your back while you are pregnant, you need to exercise regularly to keep your back muscles strong and wear comfortable shoes and get plenty of rest. Finally, be sure to talk to your doctor about other ways of reducing the strain on your back while you are pregnant. 

For more information, contact Spring Mountain Women's Health or a similar location.


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