Lower back pain is probably the number one problem women in my classes complain about, whether in pregnancy, postnatally, or just in general!

Back ache can have multiple contributing factors including:

• our core tone or lack of (which is definitely affected by pregnancy & postnatally)

• the way we sit, and how long for (most of us modern humans do a hell of a lot of it!)

• how we carry weight(s), including little ones!

• the amount of movement we manage to engage in every day. Science is now very clear that movement is essential in the management and treatment of back pain, even when it feels like the last thing we’d like to do

So here are 5 easy yoga practices and stretches to help relieve a sore back, or even prevent it! These are suitable and positively beneficial for all, including during pregnancy and the early postnatal period.

1 - Sitting well

Ok, so you might not necessarily see this as a yoga practice as such, but finding good alignment when sitting is probably one of the most effective practice you can do. And come back to, over and over again!

The fact is that most of us sit on our tailbone, with our pelvis tilted under, which puts a lot of strain on the lower back. It also weakens our core muscles (our ‘scaffolding’ muscles), or prevents us regaining good strength in the core, which then reinforces our tendency to slouch, in a sort of vicious circle!

And, if you’re pregnant, this also tends to encourage baby to come lie back-to-back, which can make birth much longer.

Instead, try sitting on top of your sitbones, spreading the weight equally between left and right, with your ribcage stacked over the pelvis (without over-curving or over-arching the lower back). Make sure your feet can rest flat on the ground to help support you.

2 - Pelvic tilts

From all fours, starting in neutral back alignment, curl your tailbone under to round the back of the pelvis & lower back, then untuck to come back to neutral. Keep the movement very small to start with to really get into the lower back area, making sure you breathe fully/fluidly.
Gradually, you might let the movement grow into the class cat pose, spreading the stretch of the spine from tailbone, to midback, to back of the head, before returning to neutral.

3 - Floor ‘scrubs’ and ‘hand shakes’

From a neutral all fours, slide one hand forward along the ground, keeping the plevis over the knees, then return to start. Alternate arms, moving with the breath, exhaling to slide forward, inhaling to come back.

For the hand shake version, reach one arm forward in line with your ear while gently sending yuor hips back to get a lovely stretch sensation, then change sides. As above, exhale as you stretch. This is also a great yet gentle core strengthener.

I hope you find these helpful!

For more support, why not join us in class, look at my recorded online offerings, or arrange 1-1 support.