Yoga for "Mummy Tummy’s" and Lower Back Pain

Do you have a ‘Mummy tummy’ and lower back pain? If so, they could be connected. Here’s why…

For many women, lower back pain can be brought on by pregnancy as their posture and centre of gravity changes to accommodate their growing baby.

But what we often don’t realise is that we can still hold ourselves in the same way as we did when we were pregnant long after giving birth. Not only can this result in lower back pain, but it’s also one of the reasons why many Mums have what is loving referred to as the ‘mummy tummy’.

The image on the left shows me standing with a neutral spine. The image on the right shows me standing with my pelvis tilting forwards (an anterior pelvic tilt).

As you can see, this makes not only my stomach stick out but also my bum! 😆 And actually, I can still feel the ache in my lower back now as I type this 5 minutes later and that was after only standing like this for a few seconds. You can imagine the impact this type of posture has on your lower back if you were to stand like this all the time.

Do you think you might have an anterior pelvic tilt?

To find out, stand side on next to a full-length mirror, or take a photo of yourself standing side on. Notice whether your lower back is curved or straight.

If it is curved, consciously engage your stomach muscles whilst you rotate your pelvis forward and look in the mirror again or take a new photograph and notice the position of your lower back.

How to fix it:

If you find it difficult to maintain this, you should do some gentle yoga to begin to strengthen your core and stretch into your psoas muscle (the muscle that runs from the spine, through the pelvis to the top of your leg) This will help to support your spine so it can remain in a neutral position.

This short yoga sequence below is a great place to begin as it stretches into your lower back and your psoas whilst also gently working into your core. It’s also only 15 minutes long and includes a 5-minute relaxation!