Author: Monica

Break Yo Mama's Back (Body Mechanics Part II)

Break Yo Mama’s Back (Body Mechanics Part II)

Posted on by Monica
Body mechanics
basic body mechanics
Body mechanics to avoid back pain

I know what you might be thinking; “body mechanics again?…boringggg, not reading this post.” But stop! Don’t go! My number one goal is to try and help moms (or anyone who cares for children) avoid or treat their everyday aches and pains. And changing the way in which we perform our everyday movements is one of the easiest ways to avoid pain and injury. 

One of my first ever blog posts (Basic Baby Body Mechanics) was about simple tips to avoid back pain as a new mom with a new baby. But unfortunately the opportunities for body mechanic errors doesn’t end after the newborn or baby phase. Motherhood in its entirety is a high risk job where potential for body aches, pains, and strains lurks around every corner.

After I had my son I had terrible low back pain from constantly bending over too low to change his diaper, or pick him up out the crib, and carrying the car seat. And gosh darn it, I’m a physical therapist!… I should know better!

So I quickly righted my wrongs and changed how taking care of my baby and my back pain went away. Thank the lord! But if I knew what I should be doing and wasn’t even doing it I imagine there are a lot of other moms or child caregivers out there making the same body mechanic mistakes.

So I thought it was time for a mom body mechanics part II post. Between holding your kids, bath time, laundry, and groceries moms need to be extra careful about how they are performing these everyday tasks. Please don’t break your back mama! Forget about cracks, check your mechanics and make sure your are doing these activities correctly.

Holding Your Child

How to hold your child

Don’t Do This:

Avoid holding your child on one hip or with one arm. Avoid holding your child for prolonged periods of time if possible. This can lead to neck and back aches and strains.

Do This:

Hold baby, or toddler, (or 9 year old…no judgement) with two arms near your body center. If possible wear your baby using a baby carrier or wrap. Stagger your feet to reduce the pressure placed on your low back. I have these two below and they are life savers (well actually back savers) 

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Grocery Shopping

how to avoid back pain

Don’t Do This:

While shopping don’t load up a basket at the store with more than four light items. If your basket will weigh more than 5-10lbs just grab a cart. Avoid leaning over far into your car to reach and pull out groceries. Avoid loading up one arm with several heavy grocery bags.

Do This:

Always use a shopping cart (instead of a basket) at the store if you are picking up more than four light items. Before taking heavy grocery bags out of your car pull the bags as close as possible to you and then pick them up. Try holding the bags as close to your body center as possible. Avoid over loading your body with heavy bags.

Giving a Bath

Giving baby a bath

Don’t Do This:

Avoid standing and bending over at the waist to reach your children. Avoid lifting kids up out the bathtub using your low back. Avoid being in a prolonged position being bent over reaching or bathing your kids.

Do This:

Use a folded up towel or a knee pad product to kneel down as close to the tub as possible. Keep your back straight and core tight while kneeling. Quickly wash, rinse, etc and then return to tall kneeling or take a seat while watching your kids (assuming your kids are old enough to sit and play in the tub safely independently). Lift kids up out of the bath by bending your legs.

If bathing a small baby place the baby bathtub on the counter or bath the baby in a sink so you can stand with the baby at waist height. (Obviously NEVER leave the baby unattended)

Doing Laundry

how to avoid back pain

Don’t Do This:

Depending on the set up of your washer and dryer this can be a tricky one. Try to always bend at the knees and not the waist. Avoid picking up too much laundry at one time and avoid twisting your back while keeping your feet planted. Try not to carry a laundry basket on the hip or with one arm.

Do This:

Bend down to grab or put in clothes using your legs, not your back. Always keep nose over toes and turn your whole body or take a small step to put clothes from the washing machine into the dryer or into a laundry basket. Carry laundry basket with two hands close to your body center.

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Final Thoughts About Body Mechanics:

Ok listen. I’m a realist and I know that some things are unavoidable or out of our control. Parenting is busy, messy, craziness and sometimes you just need to get sh*t done. I get it. But help me help you and try to remember these tips to protect your low back; especially if you already suffer from low back pain.

You can find some easy stretches for low back pain here. And the besides practicing good body mechanics the best way to prevent low back pain is to have a strong and stable core. Learn some great core stabilization exercises. here.

Good luck!

–Monic

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4 for 4 (Four Resistance Band Exercises for 4 Muscle Groups)

4 for 4 (Four Resistance Band Exercises for 4 Muscle Groups)

Posted on by Monica
4 resistance band exercises
4 band exercises

I recently had a patient who told me he wasn’t doing his home exercise program because felt like “he wasn’t getting much out of the exercises”. Ohhhhhkayyyy, not the greatest excuse. I guess he felt as though the exercises were too “low key” and he wasn’t making the most out of his time. Upon further discussion I learned that he enjoyed exercises that strengthened more than one body part. And I totally get it. I mean when you only have so much time in your busy life you want to be efficient and effective. So I thought I would share these four simple band exercises that are highly effective for prevention of pain in four different body parts.

If you only have a minute to squeeze in exercise you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck, right? Well I’m going to share with you four exercises that are good for your core muscles, your hips, your knees, and even your pelvic floor. All you need is an exercise band and something to hold onto if your balance is less than ideal.

Resistance band Exercises

These exercises are a favorite amongst therapists in the clinic and loved by patients. They are easy to work into your day because you can do it while watching TV, waiting for food to warm up in the microwave, or as part of your daily exercise program.

So don’t wait any longer and give these four band exercises a try:

4 Way Hip Standing Resistance Band Exercises:

1. Hip Abduction:

Hip Abduction

Place the band around your ankles. Stand upright with your core braced and your shoulders down and back. Use a chair, countertop, or other support surface for balance. Keeping your body in an upright standing position kick your leg out to the side slowly and with control. Keep your knee locked straight and avoid leaning your body. Repeat 10 x on each leg.

 

2. Hip Extension:

Hip extension

Perform the exercise with the same instruction as above. However, kick your leg backwards keeping your knee locked straight. This is a small movement and you should feel it in your gluteal region. Repeat 10 x each leg.

3. Hip Flexion:

hip flexion

Perform the exercise with the same instruction as above. You will likely want to turn sideways and hold onto the support surface with one hand only. Kick your leg forwards keeping your knee locked straight. Keep you core brace and your hips tucked under your shoulders. Repeat 10 x each leg.

4. Hip Adduction:

hip adduction

Stand upright with your core braced and your shoulders down and back. Keeping your body in an upright standing position kick your leg across your stabilizing leg. Keep your knee locked straight and avoid leaning your body. You should feel this working your inner thigh. Repeat 10 x on each leg.

Repeat these exercises for 2-3 total sets.

A word about resistance bands:

There are many different resistance bands on the market. I personally use therabands. Resistance bands have varying resistance levels based on color. Generally the lighter the color the easier the band. The Theraband brand in order of lightest to hardest resistance level goes yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple. For all exercises that require use of a band find a color that makes it challenging to complete the full 10-12 reps. As you get stronger you should think about increasing the band resistance or increasing the repetitions.

 

If you are just starting to exercise you can perform these without the band. But using the band requires your moving leg, your stabilizing leg, and your core to be tight and activated throughout the routine. These exercises build strength in your TA core muscle, your gluteal muscles, and your stabilizing pelvic muscles which are important in prevention of pain in your low back, hips, knees, and pelvic floor.

What’s next?

These 4 moves are a great compliment to any workout routine. Those who suffer from back, hip, and knee pain would highly benefit from incorporating these stability exercises. These moves are also great for runners to increase pelvic and core stability.

For more great exercises check out some of my earlier posts:

5 Exercises for A Better Belly

6 Pelvic Stability Exercises You Should Be Doing

How to Get Rid of the Mommy Pooch

HIIT the Stairs!

Happy stabilizing!

-Monica

Is it Normal to Pee When You Sneeze?

Is it Normal to Pee When You Sneeze?

Posted on by Monica
pee when you sneeze after babt
pee when you cough postpartum

So you had a baby… congrats! Isn’t it amazing what your body was able to do? You grew a child! You literally grew a few tiny cells to a full blown 6, 7, 8… maybe even 10lb sweet baby. How beautiful. But perhaps now you are experiencing some things that aren’t so beautiful? Maybe your friend says something hilarious; or your hay fever has you sneezing; or you cough after taking a sip of water and…oops…a little pee comes out. Yikes. But that’s normal after having a baby, right? FALSE! Peeing when you sneeze, cough or laugh is common, but it is NOT normal.

What is the pelvic floor?

So let’s start with a little anatomy lesson. Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that hold the bladder and rectum in place. Think of your pelvic floor as a hammock. It lies on the bottom of your core supporting all your internal organs, and perhaps, a growing baby. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles, and therefore it can be stretched and/or strengthened.

Pelvic floor during pregnancy and postpartum

So now let’s think about pregnancy. For months you grow a baby in your uterus that sits on the pelvic floor. And the combined weight of the baby, the placenta, and extra fluid places quiet a bit of extra weight on these pelvic floor muscles. This causes the pelvic floor to stretch out and the muscles that close the urethra (where the pee comes out) to become weak.

What is normal?

As previously mentioned the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports our bladder and rectum. When they are strong and functioning properly we are able to contract and relax them in order to control when we go to the bathroom. Normal pelvic floor function means you should be able to run, jump, etc. without unexpected urine leakage.

What is not normal?

Urinary leakage in women (especially postpartum) is common, but not normal. You shouldn’t leak urine just like you shouldn’t need glasses for “normal” function. When we cough, laugh, sneeze, run, or jump there is increased pressure inside the core and excessive stress is placed on the pelvic floor. This can cause an involuntary leakage of urine and is referred to as stress incontinence.

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles and connective tissue that surround the urethra become weak, which is common after pregnancy. When extra stress is placed upon the pelvic floor these muscles are unable to appropriately contract in order to keep the urethra closed. If left untreated the muscles can continue to get weaker making leakage more common.

Aging and weakness

New moms are not the only women to suffer from pelvic floor weakness and stress urinary incontinence. As we age our muscles and connective tissue can also get progressively weak. Again this can lead to unexpected urine leakage during times when the pelvic floor is unable to withstand extra pressure placed upon on it. Other signs of pelvic floor weakness or dysfunction include trouble having a bowl movement, low back pain, and pain with sex.

How can we fix it?

So what can be done if you believe you have pelvic floor problems? Start with talking to your doctor. Every pregnancy is different and every woman is different so you should always speak with the appropriate medical professional regarding your unique case.

Exercise:

Just like with any muscle, the best way to make it function properly is to make it strength and length. And one of the most common exercises for specifically strengthening the pelvic floor is a kegel. A kegel is a contraction of your pelvic floor muscles. Many describe a kegel as stopping the flow of urine while peeing. Personally my favorite cue for performing a kegel is to imagine drinking through a straw with your vagina. Go ahead and laugh but I bet you’re doing it right now.

But pelvic floor is not just about kegels. The body is a chain and the pelvic floor does not function solo. There are many other muscle groups that need to be considered if you are suffering from incontinence (refer to my “Pop- Can” core post). Some of these muscle groups include your core and your pelvic stabilizers.

Physical Therapy:

If you are peeing when you cough, sneeze, laugh etc. the best thing you can do is seek a referral for women’s health physical therapy. Depending on where you live in the U.S. you may need an script (order) from your doctor.

Physical therapists who specialize in the pelvic floor are are able to evaluate and treat your unique symptoms. No two pregnancies and no two women are the exact same. The muscles that are weak or too tight will not be the same for every woman.

Why do women in the U.S. think it is normal?

So why do so many women think it’s normal to pee after having a baby? The answer is because there is a significant lack of knowledge and discussion about pelvic floor function. Did you know in France women are required to go to a pelvic floor therapist at 6 weeks postpartum and each woman has on average 10 pelvic floor therapy appointments? In the U.S. we have one postpartum visit with our OB, and pelvic floor function is not readily discussed. Hopefully, that can change.

What’s next?

This post just scratches the surface about pelvic floor function and dysfunction. And while this might be longest post I have written to date I wanted to try and keep it fairly short and sweet for now. We could dive much deeper into pelvic floor function, treatment, and prevention but I will save that for another day. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message with any questions you might have about pelvic floor therapy. Let’s open up about pelvic floor function! 

–Monica

HIIT The Stairs (A Total Body Stair Workout)

HIIT The Stairs (A Total Body Stair Workout)

Posted on by Monica

I used to belong to a gym. The gym had loads of fancy strength equipment, various free weights, a pool, and a wide variety of cardio machines. Years ago when I would work out I spent way too much time on the cardio machines. I think I was intimidated by the crowds on the strength equipment and a little too obsessed with burning calories opposed to building strength.

At home workout with stairs

But these days I don’t have a gym membership and many of my workouts are just made up at home. And I love it so much more and honestly my body is stronger and healthier looking than when I stuck to straight cardio. Having more exercise variety keeps my muscles guessing and also it’s kind of fun to mix it up. Not to mention it’s far more convenient to workout at home.

I don’t have much fancy equipment. And one of my favorite ways to workout at home is to use my stairs. Exercising on the stairs can be great for cardio and strengthening. Just be careful because it does involve a bit of balance and coordination at times. And if you have a 1 year old who is obsessed with crawling up the stairs (like I do) you need to keep a watchful eye.

Total Body Stair Workout

So check out these great moves for at home, total body exercise routine using just your stairs.

Total Body Stair Workout

1. Quick feet toe taps

Quickly alternate tapping your feet on the 1st or 2nd step. Repeat for 30 seconds.

2. Push ups

Place your hands on the second step for a modified push up. Repeat 10x

3. Mountain climbers.

Place hands on second step and quickly bring knees up towards your chest. Repeat for 30 seconds

4. Tricep dips into hip flexion kick

Place hands on second step facing outwards. Perform tricep dip and then raise one leg upwards keeping your knee straight. Repeat 10 x each leg.

5. Single limb lunges

Place on foot on 2nd step facing outwards. Stand upright and perform a lung ensuring that your knee does not go beyond your toes. Repeat 10 x each leg.

6. Single limb squats

Stand sideways and place your leg on the second step with your knee extended. Squat down ensuring you are seating back into your glutes. Repeat 10 x each leg.

Ensure you are maintaining good form with core braced throughout.

Repeat the circuit for 3-4 sets. Increase reps, sets, or try holding weights for more of a challenge.

Next, curse my name.

Then, throw in a load of laundry.

And finally, be proud of the total body workout you just completed. You’ll never look at the stairs the same way again.

You can find more at home workouts below:

My At-Home, No Equipment, Full-Body Workout Routine

-Monica