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Some are expected: bigger boobs, swollen feet, stretch marks, etc.
Some arentlike mom butt, aka the loss of glute muscle.
Yep, your derriere may deflate during pregnancy.
physical therapist at Core Exercise Solutions
Chalk it up to anotherstrange pregnancy phenomenon.
Your gluteus maximusthe largest muscle in the bodyplays a big role in your everyday life.
For one, it helps keep your body upright.
Its the reason you’ve got the option to climb a flight of stairs.
All this to say, a strong backside is essential.
All of this can lead to glute loss.
Here are a few more things that can contribute.
But in this elongated state, your abs cant support your body as much.
This means theyll stay super tight.
physical therapist at Core Exercise Solutions
So what does glute gripping look like?
Glute gripping further compresses the back of the pelvis, shortening the posterior hip musculature, she says.
When your posterior hip and glute muscles grow shorter, they cant reach full extension.
In other words, they wont move well within the pelvis.
And if these muscles dont function optimally, they can grow weak and waste away.
As if thats not crappy enough, glute gripping can affectpelvic floor functiontoo.
Your pelvis may tilt forward
As your belly grows bigger, it might pull your pelvis to the front.
This can also create posterior compression, affecting how the abs and glutes can function.
Problem is, this just increases the tightness in the back of your hips.
So when its forced to take the brunt of the work, things can go wrong.
But toddling like a penguin while pregnant can affect your glutes.
During pregnancy, our pelvis changes position to accommodate the growth of the baby, Hammond says.
The top of the pelvis is wider and the bottom becomes narrower.
Toddling like a penguin while pregnant can affect your glutes.
The thing is, by doing so, the body ends up sacrificing mobility for stability, Hammond says.
And this is why you do the pregnant waddle.
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Again, shortened glutes dont work very well.
All bad news for your butt muscles.
SAFETY TIP
Before you do any physical activity, always check in with your ob-gyn or midwife.
Some pregnant people have conditions that may make certain exercises unsafe.
Similarly, some movements may be too strenuous in the early postpartum period.
Try postural tweaks
There is no such thing as the perfect posture, Hammond says.
The goal is just to be better stacked.
Withbetter alignment, your body will be more stable, and your glutes will have to do less gripping.
And it doesnt take a whole lot of changes.
Youd be surprised how small tweaks to posture can make a big difference.
This doesnt mean thrusting your ribs up and lifting your chest.
Instead, imagine as if someone is pulling your pony tail straight up toward the ceiling, she says.
Posture should be fluid, Hammond says.
So showing them some love through deep breathing can have a positive downstream effect below in your butt.
In fact, a little belly breathing can go a long way.
For one, theres less space in the abdominal cavity, Hammond says.
Plus, your ribs widen to accommodate the growing baby bump, she says.
Just be patient, take a stab at relax, and do the best you’re able to.
To combat this, you should probably work on eccentric lengthening and internal rotation, Hammond says.
Eccentric glute lengthening will help get your femur back in the socket, she says.
And your glute muscles will too.
Strengthen your adductors
Your inner thighs (i.e., adductors) play a pivotal part too.
As we know, proper femur placement is key for healthy hip extension and glute function.
Engaging the inner thighs during leg work can also offset the deep hip rotators when theyre tight.
When you squat, squeeze in on the block.
Its as simple as that.
This tiny tweak will fire up those inner thigh muscles.
Hamstring activationcan help combat this anterior pelvic tilt problem and support postural alignment, Hammond says.
This sets up the glute muscles for better function.
Try this simplehamstring activation exerciseby Core Exercise Solutions.
Pregnancy not only affects the glutes but the pelvic floor and core as well.
And if you have any pain in your sacroiliac joints or pelvis during exercise, stop doing it ASAP.
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