| Often overlooked in all fitness programs, but | | | | performing side lying leg raises with your hip in |
| especially for pregnancy is hip strength. Yes hip | | | | internal rotation is another great exercise to keep |
| strength is very important during pregnancy. | | | | the hip strong and even out the strain around the |
| Working on your hip rotators, flexors and | | | | sacroiliac joint. |
| extensors can help prevent some low back | | | | Hip flexor stretches are great as well when |
| discomfort. Your pelvis is changing and sometimes | | | | pregnant. As your pregnancy progresses and |
| on a daily basis. Your muscles are changing in | | | | your pelvis is tipping anteriorly, you hip flexors are |
| length too, you need to keep them strong so | | | | in a constant shortened position. Tight hip flexors |
| they do not become too tight, too loose or too | | | | are another big culprit of back pain. Perform a |
| weak on any one position. | | | | simple standing quad stretch and push your hip |
| Your hip rotator muscles run from your sacrum | | | | bone forward, this will get into your hip flexor |
| to the head of your femur. You will notice | | | | muscle. For more strength and stretch pregnancy |
| particular tightness around your outer thigh at the | | | | exercises visit Baby Bump Pregnancy Fitness. |
| top of your leg; this is the head of the femur | | | | After your hip flexors are stretched you will want |
| where hip rotator muscles attach. Important | | | | to strengthen them in extension. |
| exercises to do to help this is using the foam | | | | When performing hip strength exercises later in |
| roller and doing self myofascial release. Now the | | | | pregnancy you can complete them standing. Doing |
| other attachment is at the sacrum. I am sure you | | | | a simple standing hip extension or lateral raise can |
| have heard of SI joint pain during pregnancy, well | | | | do the trick. Be sure not to hike your pelvic with |
| the hormone relaxin and a changing pelvis are the | | | | either of these moves. If you experience low |
| culprits of this. Again you can roll you sacrum on | | | | back pain during standing hip extension this is a |
| the foam roller as well as perform some | | | | red flag to discontinue this exercise. Your best bet |
| abdominal bracing exercises to take the strain off | | | | is to perform closed kinetic chain leg moves to |
| you posterior change from pregnancy posture. | | | | prevent any pelvic shearing that you become |
| Specific strengthening exercises you want to do | | | | more prone to later in pregnancy. By closed |
| are standing and rotating your leg from the hip | | | | kinetic chain I mean both feet fixed on the floor, |
| ball and socket joint as far as you can in each | | | | like in a stationary lateral lunge. |
| direction 10x without hiking your pelvis. Also | | | | |