Hip Strength. Any mums who attend pramfit, who are reading this, will know that I talk so much about hip strength. I will shout coaching tips from across the room to reinforce great movement and technique.
“Jemma, knees out, Push the ground away from you”
Or
“Jess, Hips back first, then bend the knees”
(The box squat is a fundmental exercise we use at Pramfit to help mums rebuild hip strength and good movement patterns.)
Ive used Jemma and Jess because these are two prime examples of women who came to Pramfit after pregnancy and birth has done a bit of number on their movement. Fast forward and its such a genuine pleasure to see these women getting stronger and stronger. Although every time I mention the glute brand they do let out a little moan.
If you want to see what they have to say check out our instagram or facebook and look at the videos. But why is Hip Strength so important? I will try to keep it brief because not everyone is interested in reading about this.
1. Even before birth we spend a lot of our time seated. Work, driving & watching tv. Yes you may run and exercise but the ratio to how much time you send seated is still a lot higher. Now don’t get me wrong your hips here will be okay, yeah there’s room for improvement but unless your experiencing pain do not stress too much.
2. During Pregnancy as you know the body changes a lot. Now to add to this you are slowly growing life which means extra weight. This extra weight/life effects our posture, adds pressure to our core (everything south of the shoulders and everything north of the knees).
(The Glute Bridge and its many variations is another great exercise for rehabbing the hips!)
3. It requires strength and stability to be able to hold your body upright without the extra weight of a baby growing. Think about what it is like trying to carry a heavy bag of shopping from the car and trying to keep your body upright and safe. Coupled with a lack exercise the body and those important areas of the body lose their strength and stability which result in them being weakened.
4. Many expecting Mums stop exercising during pregnancy. Honestly I get it, it must be tough. However this is probably one of the most important times to be exercising. It doesn’t have to be strenuous or tough. Its just a case of keeping the body strong and healthy.
Hope this has helped! If you want to find out more information about what we do click the link and get in touch!