Back pain: exercises?

[LightTripper]

Hi all.

Still early days for me, but a couple of months ago had big back spasm that left me stuck on floor for a couple of hours. I had started to do back strengthening exercises, but have had to lay off due to sickness. As soon as I feel better i would like to try to do some more strengthening befor the bump gets big... Can anybody recommend any exercises they've done during pregnancy, or any other tips for those of us starting out with a weak back?

Pilates. And consistency. I have a weak back too and have learned the hard way that you HAVE to keep doing your exercises, make it a way of life, otherwise you are just waiting for a relapse. Definitely worth motivating yourself to get going on it now before you start changing shape! Good luck.

Ask for a referral to physio as well. They will be able to give you a bump support belt which helps support the weight which should help reduce any worsening of back pain.

Thank you both! I will make a physio appointment, good idea.
Do you do special Pilates, or just normal and tell the teacher?

I originally joined a gym to strengthen my back on the advice of physio following bad back spasm which landed me in hospital.

By the time I fell pregnant the gym was a way of life as advised by op, bur had also become more than that to me.

I have slowed down now, but try to go two or three times a week to do spin and body balance. However, the change in weather combined with the ever expanding bump (25+6) I twinged my left side of my back on Sunday night.

It has meant taking a couple of days off work and employing the use of my mat pillow, but it has been completly manageable with just a few paracetemol.

I believe this is down to keeping excercise going and I plan to keep doing something even after I get too big to heave up on to spin bikes :)

I also went to a physio drop in session for pregnant ladies and was actually shown how to do pelvic floor excercises which I do daily and I also believe they have helped maintain and build my core strength.

Mainly, listen to your body and rest when it tells you to

I don't know if this is any help to you, but wanted to share my experience as I share your initial fear.

Thanks Carole, that is really helpful!

It's good to be aware that pregnancy, especially as you get bigger, puts strain on different parts of your back to normal. I have hip problems and I have found in this pregnancy that they have been exacerbated by tightness in my mid-back, where it normally is caused by tight hip ligaments. I think my hips are looser, thanks to the hormones, and my back is taking more strain.

The best treatment I've found is using a tennis ball between me and the wall to massage the muscles of my mid-back, on either side of my spine. It does hurt a bit, but I can feel my muscles relax straight away. I do this every night and then yoga stretches every morning and I've mainly kept out of pain.

Hi Lightripper, I have had back problems for 10+ years and also had a bad spasm a few months ago at about 22 weeks pregnant where I couldn't move for a few hours. I second what you have been told about Pilates and consistency - the only reason my back went is because I stopped doing my usual back strengthening exercises as I was feeling so ill / exhausted. Since then I have made sure I do something every day even if it is just sitting on my gym ball doing pelvic tilts and circles. A normal Pilates class should be ok as long as the teacher adapts the exercises for you - some are better at this than others.

The main thing I have found a life saver in this pregnancy is swimming. Because of back pain, PGP and round ligament pain I was struggling to do anything by week 30 but since then I have been swimming about 5 times a week and at 39+5 I am still doing 50 lengths each time and everyone tells me how mobile and strong I seem. It's definitely down to the swimming! Front crawl only though as breaststroke made my PGP worse.