Posture Focus: Picking up your kids

𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆. 😱 That’s how many times we guess you’re probably picking up a kid (or two..or kid + something else heavy!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Keep your back in check with these modifications! (Not to mention, this really helps you get the disappearing mom butt back!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here are some things to look out for:

❌ 𝗛𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 + 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 + 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱- this creates the rounded back curve you see in this pic – and guess where the pressure of that cute kid goes in this scenario? Yep, you guessed it, right into your lower back. OUCH!! ❌ 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱- this is a pretty common pattern for mamas. Our pelvic floor and core get weak so we end up clenching our glutes to find support. This position just reinforces the glutes taking over for the muscles that should be working. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And some tweaks!:

✅ 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – this helps you engage your core better! ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 so you can use your glutes WITH your pelvic floor. Inhale as you bend down, 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲 + 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 as you pick them up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The best way to know you’re doing it right? Have someone take a video of you picking up your kids and watch it in slow motion. Take screenshots, post in your stories and then tag us in them. 😉

Resources & Links

Looking for support to stay active during your pregnancy or start your postpartum recovery? Here are some options to get you started on a great path forward:

1) Take the Pelvic Floor & Core Strength Quiz. After taking the quiz, you'll get a score and based on your results, guidance on what steps to take to move you forward in your recovery.

2) Check out our podcast listening guides: Download the Pregnancy Listening Guide or Postpartum Listening Guide.

3) If you're pregnant, want to be way more active than you have been, AND want connection with other mothers, but don't know where to start…join the Expecting to Flourish™ Membership - a mom-driven and expert-guided virtual space empowering moms with a new approach to prenatal fitness and birth prep that actually prepares you for the physical and emotional hurdles of motherhood.

If you’re postpartum and ready to get moving, need to heal your body but you don’t know where to start…join us for Postpartum Repair & Restore LIVE, a science-backed and fun-stacked, Diastasis and Pelvic Floor Strength program. Start healing your diastasis and eliminating leaking in 8 weeks or less with our guidance.

4) Do you prefer working one-on-one, or have a high risk pregnancy, a severe diastasis or leaking that won’t quit? You might be a candidate to work with us privately. To find out, take this quick self assessment! If you qualify, you'll be invited to schedule a complementary Postpartum Strategy Session with us where we'll take a good look at what's not working in your repair process, and come up with a great plan just for you.