5 ways to beat back pain

Lifting, pulling, reaching, twisting, and juggling kidlets in the folds of our arms or on our waist. These are just a few of the movements a Mum does everyday - which are all bound to take its toll on your back. Especially when you consider the 'seismic activity' that your body undergoes during those nine months of growing a baby.

Funny thing is, you kinda expected when you had the baby that everything would just glue itself back together didn't you? No one really told you about pelvic instability or abdominal separation or even how just being pregnant changes the way that your back looks and behaves.

If you have a bad back, it's unlikely to be because of the changes caused by pregnancy to your posture. It's more to do with how your muscles have adapted to your changing body. The muscles of your back, belly and pelvic floor are designed to move and support the joints of your back and pelvis and as your 'baby belly' grows, it can become harder to do their job properly.

So what can I do to beat lower back pain? Try these 5 tips to avoid back pain:

1. Strengthen your core. If you're a new Mum or Mum-to-be, forget about the six-pack abdominals. Focus instead on strengthening your transverse abdominal muscles that help support your back. If you're having trouble working out how to target the right muscles, try re-connecting your core - ie. get your pelvic floor, diaphragm, abdominal and low back muscles to switch on and 'talk to each other'. [Top tip for Mums-to-be: use pelvic tilts to help protect your back. Also, coming down onto your hands and knees on the floor, and holding your belly button in to your spine to contract your abdominals helps relieve the pressure].
   
2. Keep mobile throughout the day. Move regularly and at least once every hour, by moving your arms, back and legs, or walk a few steps to loosen your back. If you do have low back pain, reduce your activity and intensity levels but try to stay active (eg. walking if it doesn't cause pain).
   
3. Stretch regularly. Holding stretches for about 30 seconds at a time, and make sure you stretch the back and hip muscles regularly, and not only after you exercise.
   
4. Reduce the load. Be conscious of picking up your baby or toddler. Avoid long periods of  balancing those kidlets on one side of your waist. Bend your knees and squat, holding your belly button in towards your spine, to pick up ANYTHING. If out and about, and you need to pick up a few groceries, use a backpack to carry to make sure you have even weight distribution.
   
5. Wear proper footwear. We all know that stilettos are not a Mum's best friend, but also make sure that your everyday 'shoe' is fit for purpose! And what about your sneakers? Even if you do a lot of walking, you should be fitted with a proper running shoe that is suitable for your foot type and the surface that you're walking/running on.