Reclaiming Strength and Stability: Conquering the 'Mom Butt'
To all you incredible mamas (and anyone else who needs to hear this), let’s talk about something that’s near and dear to me and for any postpartum warriors’ hearts – the infamous “mom butt”, or “pancake arse”. Yes, it’s a real thing, but fear not, because it’s not a life sentence! In fact, with the right exercises and techniques, you can reclaim your strength and stability in no time. So, let’s dive in.
Understanding the Mom Butt Phenomenon
So, why does this happen? What contributes to these unshapely butt cheeks and lack of glute strength?! During pregnancy, your body undergoes a myriad of changes. As your baby grows, your center of mass shifts forward. Accompanied by a more exaggerated forward tilt of the pelvis (anterior pelvic tilt) This often leading to lower back pain, an exaggerated arch in the lower back, and a sense of instability and weakness in the core muscles as the baby grows.
Postpartum, you’re suddenly faced with the task of balancing the weight of your precious bundle (on a preferential side) while feeling a bit wobbly in the core stability department. It’s no wonder many moms find themselves unintentionally tucking their pelvis under and pressing their hips forward in search of stability – hence, the “mom butt.”
This lack of strengthening and then subsequently constant clenching and squeezing in the buttocks, along with the tightening of the pelvic floor muscles, can lead to discomfort, pain, and even dysfunction if left unaddressed.
Your ENTIRE pelvic floor is probably NOT tight…. But certain portions may be! Most likely you have a tight posterior pelvic floor and an over-lengthened front half of your pelvic floor. The best way to find out is to visit a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist to assess you! Don’t guess, but find out.
Reclaiming Strength and Stability
However, fret not, dear mamas, for this blog post is just the beginning of your journey to reclaiming your strength and stability! Let’s start with releasing tension before diving into building strength. If you’re feeling tight or struggling to breathe in this area, it’s a sign that you need to prioritize releasing tension first.
So, how do you release tension?! We can adjust our position and target our breathing!
Part 1: Release and Restore
Begin by focusing on releasing tension in the hips and pelvic floor. Incorporate gentle stretching exercises and mindful breathing techniques to help relax the muscles and restore balance to the pelvis. For expecting mamas, these exercises can also aid in preparing the body for childbirth by opening up the pelvic outlet.
Check out the instagram post below for some great exercises that will help you to find length and breathe into that tight back pocket!
Part 2: Strengthen and Stabilize
Once you’ve released tension and restored balance, it’s time to amp up the strength and stability. Incorporate exercises that target the glutes, hips, and core muscles to help build strength and support in these areas. Remember to focus on proper form and alignment to avoid exacerbating any existing imbalances or discomfort.
Part 3: The Ultimate Move
Now that you’ve laid the foundation with releasing tension and building strength, it’s time for the grand finale – the ultimate move to unlock resilient, springy, and mobile hips and pelvic floor. This move combines stretching, strengthening, and mobility exercises to help you conquer the “mom butt” challenge once and for all.
See the posts below for more examples of the moves you can use to incorporate.
Additional Tips and Considerations
In addition to targeted exercises, it’s important to be mindful of your posture and daily habits. Avoid common postural habits that can contribute to imbalances and discomfort, such as forward head posture, jaw clenching, shallow breathing, and shifting off to one side. Instead, focus on maintaining proper alignment, engaging your core muscles, and distributing your weight evenly.
The biggest culprit for the ‘mom butt’ is the need to thrust your hips forward and clenching down the glutes and hips. Often, but not always, accompanied with locked out knees that can add more stress and pressure to the system. This unconscious habit can happen throughout the day. For example, when you are brushing your teeth, or cooking in the kitchen, and especially when carrying your babes around.
As with all things, it takes conscious awareness of your daily postural habits and a little mindfulness! Focusing on your breathing is a great place to start. It won’t happen overnight, but you can start to unravel it once you start to see the difference.
To Sum It All Up
In conclusion, the journey to reclaiming strength and stability postpartum is a process that requires patience, dedication, and self-awareness. By incorporating targeted exercises, mindful breathing techniques, and conscious posture habits into your daily routine, you can overcome the challenges of “mom butt” and emerge stronger, more balanced, and more empowered than ever before. Remember, you’ve got this, mama!
If you need guidance or support along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you every step of the way on your journey to reclaiming your strength and stability. Together, we can conquer the “mom butt” challenge and embrace the incredible strength and resilience of the human body. Keep shining, mama!
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