Day#5: Unlock those muscles

Focus of the Day

• Stretch your entire body every time you are in the bathroom today.

Background

As new mothers we often sit with the baby in our arms for long periods of time. And often we end up in bad positions with our shoulders drawn up and rounded a back. Thos results in locked muscles and joints that among others things can cause tension headaches.

The best remedy for sore and stiff muscles is simply movement. Movement and stretching straightens out the joints and get the muscles back to full length. It provides an increased blood flow that vitalizes the body, transports waste away and causes the whole body to work better in general.

Stretch yourself where it intuitively feels good. Move stiff muscles and joints several times during your day. Thos way you avoid that the muscles tense up and get stuck in poor postures.

For example you can try moving your spine in all directions: Do a few side bends. Round and sway back. Rotate in your spine. You can do this by e.g. to stand with your back against a wall. Then you stretch your hands around to touch the wall first on the right side of you, then the left side (without moving the lower body significantly).

You can also stretch your hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors (front of hip). If these muscles are too tight, it may lead to your pelvis being "pulled away" from neutral position, which can cause soreness and pain in the pelvis and back. 

Bonus Tip 

• Massage your feet as often as you can. It boosts blood flow not only in your feet but throughout the body, because our feet are filled with reflex points associated with the rest of the body.

You can almost use anything to massage your feet with: Your hands, massage balls, tennis balls or even a rolling pin. Try it out.