Mommy MONDAYS: Postural Exercises

Getting postural exercises down perfectly can take some practice but if you want to have a pregnancy term as comfortable as possible, don’t give up until they are mastered. The benefits you reap from proper body alignment will make you never want to slouch again – during OR after pregnancy!

BEGINNER
Stand with your back pressed against a wall and your feet about a foot from the wall. Slowly and carefully do a posterior pelvic tilt. à Tuck the buttocks or tail bone in and under, and press your lower back into the wall by pulling in the belly (think bellybutton to spine). Your head, shoulders, and entire backside of the torso should touch the wall at the same time. As easy as it may sound, this can be very difficult-especially when you’re pregnant.
Return to the beginning posture with the same carefulness as your started and make sure you are breathing normally.
The image below shows the beginner version, the advanced will look the same with the arms straight over the head.




ADVANCED
Once you mastered the above version, you should begin this one. Everything starts off the same way as the beginner version. Once you are in the beginner posture, hold the pelvic tilt and slowly lift your arms in front of you-using your upper back muscles as opposed to your shoulders-until they are straight over your head, as close to the wall as possible. This is a much harder exercise to master because your lower back wants to move from the wall as your arms rise. You must maintain the integrity of your back and shoulders away from the ears. Lift your arms only as high as they can go without arching your back from the wall! Once this is mastered, the entire back of your torso and arms will touch the wall.

So, you’re not pregnant? Or you know some people who could use some help with their posture? These exercises can (and should) be done by anyone, any fitness level.

Until next time team, keep practicing good posture-its just good manners! ;)

Health respect & happiness,
Beki