Upper Back Strength: Importance during Pregnancy

As your breasts and uterus grow throughout your pregnancy, your centre of gravity shifts forward and it is important to strengthen the muscles of your upper back to help counteract that shift.

You may find yourself leaning back in order to stay balanced and this puts a strain on your lower back.

Strengthening your upper back as early as you can help to make you stronger and more able to handle the extra stress placed on these muscles.

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁:

☆ Muscles between your shoulder blades (traps, rhomboids)
☆ External rotator cuff muscles
☆ Core stabiliser

𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲:

☆ Seated banded rows & facepulls,
☆ Single-arm dumbbell rows,
☆ TRX Rows,
☆ Band pull aparts,
☆ Cban rotations, lateral raises, etc.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆?:

Strengthening the upper back muscles, along with the muscles of your shoulders (think overhead pressing and lateral delt raises), prepares you for the lifting, carrying and holding that you will do as a new mum.