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
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
I’m so glad you posted these! My back has started bothering me on anything more than about 3 miles of distance, I definitely need to put some stability exercises back in to my routine!
Ugh ya. Back pain is the worst, especially when you’re just trying to be good and do something healthy like run. Thanks for following my blog! I’ll have lots more stability exercises coming in future posts.