Tag: postpartum running

6 Pelvic Stability Exercises You Should Be Doing

6 Pelvic Stability Exercises You Should Be Doing

Posted on by Monica

I love my kids dearly.

But handing my two little dumplings off to their daddy so I can go out for a solo run is what gives me life some days. So after each of my respective pregnancies I was eager to get back to running. You can read my post about my return to running journey here.

Unfortunately, I was surprised by my ability to run and some other unexpected “experiences” which you can read about here. Pre pregnancy (and even at some points during pregnancy) I was able to run 5, 6, 7, miles no problem. However postpartum was a different story. Once I started getting up to that 3-4 mile range I really began to struggle. My hips would start to ache after just 3 miles. My knees would have little twinges of pain and my low back would hurt. 

Um, not ok. 

Why Pelvic Stability is Important

Running After Baby

 

The number one culprit for back pain, pelvic pain, hip pain and knee pain is often core weakness and pelvic instability, especially postpartum. In order to be successful with running it is imperative to have a strong core and sufficient strength in the muscles that stabilize your pelvis. These muscles include your abdominals, obliques, and especially your glutes. 

To be completely honest I have not always practiced what I preached and pelvic stability exercises weren’t high on my priority list in my workout repertoire. Butttt  I knew it was what I needed in order to improve my running endurance and to feel generally better. (And spoiler alert, stability strengthening has really grown on me). 

How To Improve Your Pelvic Stability

So below are 6 great, no equipment, strengthening exercises to improve core and pelvic stability. These exercises are good for anybody… especially postpartum, and especially if you plan on resuming regular exercise. I started with these exercises below and noticed an improvement after just a few weeks. 

Back pain, byeee.

Aint nobody got time for that.  

For each exercise focus on quality. Perform slow and with good form. Keep core tight. Perform 2-3 sets of each exercise. Plan on doing this exercises regularly for 4-6 weeks to notice an improvement in your pelvic stability strength.

  1. Clamshells

Lay on one side with your knees slightly bent. While keeping your feet together, slowly lift your top knee up. Keep your core tight and your trunk stable. Aim for 10-15 reps each side.

  1. Bridges

Lay on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to lift your hips upward. Keep your pelvis even and your core braced. Aim for 10-15 reps.

  1. Plank

Support yourself on your elbows and the balls of your feet. Activate your core and squeeze your glutes to prevent your back from dipping down or hiking up. Hold for as long as you can maintain good form. Aim for 30-60 seconds

  1. Side plank

Lay on your side. Lift your hips off the ground so you’re supported on your elbow and your foot. Try to keep your body in a straight line with core activated. Hold for as long as you can maintain good form. Aim for 30-60 seconds each side.

  1. Bird dog

Start on your hands and knees. Extend one arm forward and raise the opposite leg backwards. Brace with your core. Aim for good form. Hold for 10 seconds and switch arms and legs. Perform 6 reps.

  1. Fire hydrants

Start on your hands and knees. Keeping your core braced raise one knee up to the side while the knee remains flexed at 90 degrees. (Like a dog using the bathroom on a fire hydrant…get it? hehe) Raise leg so that it becomes parallel to the ground. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for 10 reps each leg.

View the full routine below:

 

Have fun and happy stabilizing.

You can read more about the changes our body goes through during pregnancy in my post about the pelvic floor and the “Pop Can Core“. If you are looking for more core exercises be sure to check out these 5 great core moves.  And you can continue to work on pelvic stabilization with these 4 band exercises. 

-Monica

Pelvic Stability Exercise

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5 Things No One Tells You About Postpartum Running

5 Things No One Tells You About Postpartum Running

Posted on by Monica

Yay! So you had your baby and you’re ready to get back on that horse and hit the pavement. Way to go mama! But before you lace up your kicks there are few things you should know about postpartum running.

Firstly, I recommend starting a gradual return to running after baby beginning with a walking program. But once you start actually running you may encounter some unexpected….we will call them “experiences“. Below are 5 things you may experience that you might not have expected once you begin to run postpartum.

1. Your boobs will hurt

Chances are that after giving birth to your baby your boobs will be the largest they have ever been. They usually are quite big right after your baby is born and then gradually decrease in size as your milk supply regulates.  However, they are usually still much larger postpartum if you are nursing your baby. This can lead to added pain when you start to run. Wearing a very

2. You might pee a little 

Your pelvic floor muscles may be extra weak or abnormally tight after having your baby and running places extra stress on the pelvic floor. If you are having issues with incontinence during postpartum running I recommend speaking with your health care provider about a referral to a women’s health therapist. They can work wonders!  Performing pelvic floor exercises can help with incontinence during running. To learn more about the pelvic floor check out my post

Is It Normal to Pee When You Sneeze

or

The “Pop Can” Core

3. Your hips and back might hurt

Core, pelvis, and hip weakness is very common postpartum. Additionally, the hormone relaxin that helps loosen your ligaments and  joints in order to prepare your body for childbirth may still be prevalent in your body, especially if you are breastfeeding. Relaxin can remain in your body up to 12 months postpartum.  I found that strengthen my hip and core muscles. Added bonus that I could pull those suckers up over my mommy pooch.

Great Exercises to Help Strengthen Your Core and Pelvis:

4. You are going to go slower

You likely lost some degree of your fitness during pregnancy. Between muscle weakness and decreased cardiovascular endurance you should not expect to bounce back to your pre-pregnancy running pace or distance. Expect to start gradually and go slow. With continued training you can reasonably expect to gradually work up to your pre baby fitness level. It just takes time. 

Running after having a baby

5. You might not want to leave your baby

When the time comes you may find it hard to leave your baby due to mom guilt or other reasons. My advice to you is just do it. Get out of the house and go for that walk or run.  Dad or Grandma or whoever will be fine alone with the baby while you enjoy some mommy time. Just 20 minutes of exercise is not only good for your physical health but it can do wonders for your mood and emotional health. I strongly believe that you need to take care of you in order to best take care of your baby.

All of these experiences will get better with time or with taking the appropriate actions (i.e. strengthening your core and pelvis) so don’t get discouraged. You got this.

Running Postpartum

-Monica

My Postpartum Return to Running

My Postpartum Return to Running

Posted on by Monica

I love to run. My high school self would kick my adult self’s arse right now because “who the frick runs just to run?”  Well, these days, I do. Running helps me feel like me. It’s a chance to get out of the house by myself and listen to the music I like to listen to while those wonderful exercise endorphins do their thing.  It also lets me feel less guilty about eating a bowl of ice cream or having a glass of wine…or two…or three.

Eager to Start

Shortly after having both my kids I was eager to get back to running. I ran short distances throughout the majority of both my pregnancies but around the last month I gradually stopped because it just became wayyy too uncomfortable to have a 7 lb baby bouncing up and down on my bladder. So after each of my babies were born I was already planning how to get my body back in running shape so I could eventually start to feel like me again. 

running postpartum

I want to preface my tale by saying that I am fairly well in tune with my body. I know its capabilities and I know it’s limits. It’s very important to tune into your body and not to jump into anything new or any exercise you aren’t yet ready for. Also, I had fairly typical, uneventful pregnancies and deliveries.

How I Started Gradually

So my return to (eventual) running started around 2 weeks postpartum. I began to feel well enough to start walking for exercise. I started with 25-30 min walks that gradually increased to 60 min walks.  After about a week or so  of walking with no adverse response (pelvic pain, pressure, abdominal pain, etc) I started to add in short jogging intervals.  This went something like walk 5 minutes, jog for 1 min, repeat. Again gradually (this is the key word here), I began to lengthen the time of jogging intervals so it was something like jog 5 min and then walk for 1 min. Around week 5 or 6 postpartum I was feeling stronger and began to increase my speed and my length of time.

running after baby

Also I was “cleared” for exercise by my OB which was a green light to start gradually increasing my running distance. Gradually (note the frequency in which i use this word)  I worked up to running 1 mile, then 2 miles, then 3 miles and so forth. 

Pelvic Pain Hiccups and How I Solved Them

However, as I  increased my running distance beyond 3 miles I did begin to have some pain in my low back and pelvis area. Consequently, I began to incorporate several core and pelvic stability exercises to improve my running endurance and decrease my pain. You can check out some great core and pelvic stability exercises great for postpartum moms who want to get back into running.

The 6 pelvic stability exercises you should be doing

The Mommy Pooch (& how to get rid of it)

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

Resistance band Exercises

This is my postpartum return to running journey. Again there are so many factors that can come into play and need to be considered before resuming running. A few important details that need to be remembered in my tale is I was an avid runner prior to and during my pregnancies; I had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery; and I am very in tune with my body. 

You should always consult with your doctor before beginning any vigorous exercise postpartum. The general recommendation is to wait until your 6 week postpartum follow up to be cleared by your OB. 

But again, my goal is to help any mama or mama- to- be feel encouraged and motivated to return to running if that’s what makes them feel happy and strong. I hope that by sharing my story other moms can feel inspired to lace up those kicks and get back out there. 

Read my post about the 5 Things No One Tells You About Postpartum Running for more information about running after having a baby. 

We run this mother.

Running after Baby

 

Find out more about what changes happen to our bodies during pregnancy in my posts:

The “Pop Can” Core (understanding core function)

 

What Causes Pelvic Pain

 

Some of my favorite postpartum running products:

 

-Monica

 

 

Hi and welcome

Hi and welcome

Posted on by Monica

I know what you’re thinking.

“Greeeeeat, another fitness blog”. Nope. I’ll never have the six pack abs or bootylicious hindquarters to compete with those ladies. Mad props to them. And while I do my fair share of dabbling in Instagram workout routines I unfortunately like cake and beer too much.

“Another Mommy blog?” Not exactly. I’m often the one seeking advice and by no means have the experience or confidence to dish any out. Like a lot of moms I simply do my best to get by. Are my kids alive, mostly clean, and happy? If yes, it’s a good day.

My blog is about sharing what I know as a physical therapist or what worked for me as a mom to stay active and address any body pains during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. Being a mom is hard A.F. and we are really hard on our bodies. I would bet 99.9% of you could think of an ache or pain you have experienced at some point in motherhood (or prior) that really just kinda ruined your day, or week, or year. Furthermore, sometimes these musculoskeletal issues prevent us from doing the things we enjoy or make us feel good.

I know from personal experience how much it sucks when you hurt your back or your neck and that is literally all you can think about because every little movement hurts so you lay on your family room floor and cry because all you want is for the pain to go away. Been there. Done that.

So why the blog? Because over the past few years I have had countless mom friends ask me questions about pelvic pain, back pain, neck pain, wrist pain, pain with running, incontinence, running during pregnancy, running after pregnancy, how to exercise safely and honestly I LOVE talking about it. LOVE. IT.

The number one question I get asked by patients is “Why did you become a physical therapist?” 

My answer. “Because I love the body.”

It’s fricken amazing. The things it can do are crazy. And if you strengthen or stretch the right muscles you can basically make it do whatever you want. So cool, right? But it’s also important to be aware of the everyday activities and positions we are putting our bodies in because if you are doing it wrong your body is gonna let you know. Cue persistent back pain.

Annnd, I like helping people. I like building relationships and helping others feel the best they can so they can do the things they want in life. Maybe you’re a mom-to-be, a new mama, an old mama, a grandma, a dad (stay tuned for future blog post about my husband’s wrist pain), or heck, maybe you just have pain (cuz who doesn’t) then I want to help you with some tips to help you take care your body and to just generally feel good. I mean it’s your body and you only get the one.

So here goes nothing. Me, doing my best to navigate the blogosphere, use appropriate punctuation (not gonna happen) and give you content you all find helpful or informative. I have a lot of post ideas but would love to hear what you would like to see. Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments. 

Sincerely, Best wishes, Regards, Cheers,

(Working on coming up with something catchy)

–Monica

Working out with kids