Coach Zoe Try these at home postpartum back pain exercises, stretches, and tips to find relief and build strength that supports you after pregnancy.
You just had your baby weeks or maybe even months ago. You expected it would take time to recover, but you may not have expected back pain that just won’t go away!
After I had each of my 3 kids, I experienced sharp, acute, dull, achy, and even burning postpartum back pain that lingered for months.
I had frequent muscle spasms, severe weakness that prevented me from bending forward to pick up my baby, and extreme discomfort after bouts of sitting or standing.
It reduced my desire to exercise, do chores, and worst of all, interact with my little ones. But with consistent effort and daily mindfulness, I was able to find relief.
How long does postpartum back pain last?
Back pain can last weeks to months after pregnancy due to muscular imbalances, poor posture, and joint instability.
The duration and intensity of your postpartum back pain is dependent on how severe these and other factors are and may need medical intervention. If you are having pain it is always a good idea to be seen by your physician.
Although someone’s postpartum back pain may need medical intervention, others may need a consistent and structured exercise plan to reduce muscular imbalances and to improve posture.
This was the question I asked myself after months went by and my back was bothering me as much as it did after my third pregnancy. I figured with some time and rest that my body would magically go back to normal, but I was wrong.
What I didn’t consider was the months I spent carrying around extra weight (i.e. my pregnant belly) that caused me to move, sit, stand, and essentially do everything differently.
During pregnancy, I had to adjust how I carried my weight as baby grew and my abdominals became stretched and weakened. Causing my back to lose support and left to literally carry the weight of my baby.
Now after months of this imbalance, it was only natural for my body to continue this adjusted posture postpartum.
Hips that find their way forward with a tuck butt. Otherwise known as a posterior pelvic tilt.
Now, I am demonstrating with a bit of exaggeration, but you can see how my low back is affected. My low back became overworked and very tight.
Then, caring for my baby only encouraged this poor posture. Lots of sitting with a slouched posture because babies are always needing fed, held, burped, changed, etc. Holding my baby on my chest also caused me to stand as exaggerated as the picture above, so their head could lay supported against me. These are things I was doing all day, everyday.
So, of course the few abdominal exercises that I threw into my workouts with minimal frequency wasn’t correcting anything. If I wanted to relieve my postpartum back pain, I was going to have to get serious.
Most likely, since you are reading this, you are having a similar experience and are looking for some relief to this problem. Don’t worry, it is simpler than you think and I have some resources to help guide you!
How can I relieve back pain after pregnancy?
Relieve back pain after pregnancy by correcting muscular imbalances and fixing poor posture with consistent stretching and low-intensity strength training. Specifically, focus on stretching the pectoral, hip flexor, and hamstring muscles and strengthen the glute, abdominal, and back muscles.
This is because the areas of weakness include back, abdominals, and glutes. Whereas the areas of tension include chest, hip flexors, and hamstrings.
| Muscle Group | Problem | Exercise Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Pectorals, Hip Flexors, Hamstrings | Tight/Tense | Stretch |
| Back, Abdominals, Glutes | Weakened | Strength Train |
As you improve these problem areas, you want to be mindful of your posture throughout the day as you sit, stand, and move. Pay attention to your posture as often as possible. If you find yourself in a poor position, realign yourself.
That is an easy habit that you can start with immediately! For more postpartum posture tips, check out my post 7 Postpartum Habits To Avoid For Better Posture After Pregnancy.
If you have Diastasis Recti, be sure to strengthen your deep core frequently. Diastasis Recti is the separation of the rectus abdomis muscles and can lead to long lasting core weakness and back pain if it does not heal.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it usually heals on it’s own within 8 weeks, but some women can still have it by 6 months postpartum.
If you are unsure if you have diastasis recti you can check yourself at home or have a healthcare provider check for you.
How do you check for Diastasis Recti?
Lay flat on your back with your knees bent, pointing toward the ceiling. Tuck your chin and place your fingers just above your belly button pressing down gently. If you can fit 2 or more fingers between the gap of abdominals you may have diastasis recti.
I had checked myself after my pregnancies, and although I was under 2 fingers, it still took over 6 months (while incorporating these deep core corrective exercises) to feel the gap return to normal and my back pain to cease.
Just because you may not have a large gap, does not mean your abdominals are back to pre-pregnancy strength. Take time to strengthen your core after pregnancy on a regular basis.
You can get started using vacuums and pelvic tilts, as these are going to be the most effective and safest ones to start with. These will be the exercies you will want to incorporate through your entire postpartum recovery.
They target your deep transverse abdominal muscles and are responsible for stabilizing the spine and pelvis. These exercises will be the foundation you set for proper core mechanics.
They are the first step to every other core exercise you will ever do. Start by adding these in to your workouts two to three times a week. From there, gradually increase the frequency until you are ready to add more exercises and progress. (pssst! I have an entire post on how to do this right HERE!)
If you need some help, I have created a Postpartum Core Strength Workout video designed for new moms! Just follow along and you can visit this workout every week to help improve your deep core strength.
Postpartum back pain exercises
Strengthening exercises that you can incorporate into your fitness routine for back pain relief are…
- Vacuum–
- Targeted Muscles: Abdominals
- How to: Begin by sitting upright and expand your belly as you inhale. Next, exhale and draw your belly button in towards your spine. Repeat.
- Pelvic Tilt-
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Abdominals
- How to: Lay flat on your back with knees bent and pointed up. Gently tuck your pelvis as you press your low back toward the floor, lifting your tailbone gently. Return to start.
- Chin Retractions
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Back
- How to: Sit upright with a neutral spine. Keeping your chin level with the floor, retract your chin backwards to make as if you are making a “double chin.” Return to start.
- Birddog-
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Abdominals, Glutes, and Back
- How to: Start on hands and knees in table-top position. Keeping the core engaged, reach one arm out in front and the opposite leg backwards until full extension of each is reached. Return to start.
- Reverse Fly-
- Target Muscle Groups: Back and Abdominals
- How to: Stand at a 45 degree hinge with a neutral spine and engage core while holding dumbbells towards the ground, arms extend. Maintain a slight bend in the elbows and hinge in the hips as you lift the dumbbells towards the ceiling until parallel to the ground. Return to start.
- Glute Kickback-
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Glutes and Abdominals
- How to: Begin in table-top position on hands and knees. Keeping knee bent at a 90 degree, contract glute muscle and extend hip as you “kick” upwards. Return to start.
- Glute Bridge-
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Glutes, Back, and Abdominals
- How to: Lay flat on your back with knees bent and pointed up. Pushing feet into the floor, lift hips off the ground until full extension is reached. Return to start.
- Hip Abduction
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Glutes and Abdominals
- How to: Start standing upright. Keeping your weight on one foot, raise the opposite out to the side until full range-of-motion is reached. Return to start.
- Clam Shell
- Targeted Muscle Group: Glute
- How to: Start on side, knees bent at 90 degrees. Externally rotate top hip until full range of motion is reached. Return to start.
Incorporate each of these exercises into your weekly workout routine to help relieve your back pain. Each day choose 2-3 different exercises and complete 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps each.
After 2 weeks you can add in another set or increase each set by a few more reps instead. You can continue to incorporate these movements until you feel relief from your back pain.
Stretching exercises for back pain relief you can incorporate are…
- Overhead Reach Stretch
- Wall Pectoral Stretch
- Neck Rolls
- Trapezius Stretch
- Child’s Pose Stretch
- Cat/Cow Stretch
- Runner’s Stretch
- Laying Quad Stretch
- Supine Hamstring Stretch
For more postpartum stretching tips check out my post, Postpartum Stretches For Relief and Better Rest. Then you can download my Postpartum Stretches PDF for a quick reference whenever you need!
For those of you that would rather have a high-quality progressive workout routine designed around your postpartum abilities and goals, you can get started with my Postpartum Workout Program!
Designed for new moms that want follow-along workout videos with clear instruction, demonstration, and motivational coaching. My program is deisgned to help you rebuild your strength and endurance in a safe way after pregnancy so you can feel strong and confident again.
This 4-week program will focus on rebuilding your deep core strength and stability as we improve full body fitness using minimal equipment.
Postpartum back pain exercises to avoid
Deep core twists, high impact movements, deep squats with heavy weight, and intense crunching and back bends that increase intra abdominal pressure should be avoided until back pain ceases or your cleared by your physician.
All of these movements can further increase Diastasis Recti if it is not healed fully. These exercises could potentially cause injury due to lack of strength and support.
Does walking help postpartum back pain?
Yes, walking is a low impact, low intensity form of exercise that can help strengthen your core, pelvic floor, and lower body muscular endurance to help reduce postpartum back pain.
As with any exercise routine, gradually progress your duration, frequency, and intensity in increments while listening to your body. Start with short durations like 10-15 minutes at a time on a flat surface with a speed you can easily hold a conversation at. Then increase your pace and duration by 5-10 minutes every 1-2 weeks as desired.
You can start with 2-3 sessions per week and gradually increase frequency every 1-2 weeks as desired.
Below you can find a postpartum walking plan below that you can follow to progress your fitness level.
| Week(s) | Duration | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 5-10 Minutes | 2 days/week |
| 3-4 | 10-15 Minutes | 3-4 days/week |
| 5-6 | 15-20 Minutes | 4-5 days/week |
| 7-8 | 20-25 Minutes | 5-6 days/week |
It can be hard to go for walk, due to weather, landscape, or safety. If you prefer to walk inside, find access to your nearest treadmill or you can try my at home Postpartum Walking Workout video designed for new moms!
This workout is completely bodyweight and can be done at home where you are comfortable. I offer modifications as needed and you can repeat this workout as you increase your effort and fitness level as well!
Pin it for later or send to a friend!
