Exercise Your Back Health Article

Exercise helps reduce back pain by increasing the flexibility and strength of your back's supporting muscles. With daily workouts, back exercises may bring an added bonus: you may stay more active. Practice the stretches in the morning to loosen tight muscles, and do the strengtheners throughout your day to help you relax. As your pregnancy progresses, your doctor may suggest using the alternative exercise positions to ensure adequate blood supply to both you and your growing baby.

When you exercise during pregnancy, remember that you're breathing and moving for two. Adapt to the growing baby-exercise with care.

Breathing for Two

To ensure that both you and the baby get enough oxygen during exercise, use your abdominal muscles for deeper breathing. These tips may make abdominal breathing easier:

• Place your hands on your abdomen, with fingertips touching.

• As you inhale, allow your abdomen to expand until your fingers no longer touch.

• When you exhale, feel your abdomen sinking and your fingers meeting again.

During exercise, inhale as you set up (or return to) the starting position. Exhale as you stretch or lift your body.

Special Instructions

Follow these guidelines to help ensure a safe, healthy workout.

• Drink liquids before, during, and after exercise to maintain your body fluids.

• Avoid jerky, bouncy movements to prevent injury to loosened joints.

• Change positions slowly to avoid dizziness or falling.

• Call your doctor if you have an irregular heartbeat or dizziness that does not go away after resting.

Pelvic Tilt

This exercise stretches the gluteal and low back muscles, strengthens your abdomen, and helps "set up" good posture.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. (Most doctors recommend not lying on your back after 20 weeks into your pregnancy.)

2. Tighten your abdomen and press down until your low back flattens against the floor. Hold 30 seconds; repeat 10 times.

Neck and Shoulder Stretch

Reduce upper-back tension by stretching the muscles that support the curve of your neck. Practice this stretch either standing or sitting.

1. Wrap your arms around your shoulders and hug yourself.

2. Gently lower your chin to your chest. Hold 15 to 30 seconds; repeat 5 times.

Low Back Stretch

This exercise helps your low back remain flexible by stretching the back muscles that tighten as your uterus expands. Your gluteal muscles benefit, too.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. (Most doctors recommend not lying on your back after 20 weeks into your pregnancy.)

2. Grasp your right leg below the knee, slowly pulling it toward your chest and keeping your left foot flat on the floor.

3. Gently bring your head toward your chest. Hold 30 seconds. Switch legs, repeating 5 times with each leg.

Stomach Strengthener

This exercise works the front and side muscles of the abdomen, which brace your back and support your expanding uterus.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your stomach.

2. Exhale and tighten your abdominal muscles. Gently raise your shoulders off the floor, no more than six or eight inches. Hold 5 seconds; repeat 5 times.

3. Repeat this exercise with your arms palm-down at your sides. As you lift your shoulders off the floor, cross your right arm over your body. Reach with both arms to the outside of your left knee. Hold 5 seconds; repeat 5 times on each side.

Hamstring Stretch

This exercise makes it easier to stand and push correctly by increasing the flexibility of your hamstring muscles.

1. Sit on the floor and extend both legs, with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Bending at the hips and keeping your back straight, lean toward your toes as far as you can go. You should feel the stretch in the back of your thighs. Hold 20 seconds; repeat 5 times.

Wall Slide

Protect your low back and make lifting easier by strengthening your quadriceps, hamstring, and gluteal muscles.

1. Stand with your back against a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart, about a foot from the wall. Keep your pelvis level and your shoulders relaxed.

2. Sink down until you feel your upper leg muscles working. Hold 10 seconds. Use your legs to slide your body back up along the wall. Repeat 5 times.