Active Moms Club

Active Moms Club


New Momma Wrist Pain

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New moms experience all different types of aches and pains as they care for their little ones. While often unexpected- pain in the wrist, hand and thumb-are very common for new moms.

Pain or ache in the wrist and hand come from repetitive lifting of the newborn, holding the head while nursing, carrying the car seat, and repetitive twisting of the hand and wrist.

This blog on momma wrist pain includes:

  • The Don’ts that can lead to pain
  • The Do’s to help decrease stress on the wrist and hand
  • Stretches and activities to help relieve the pain

Wrist pain

Wrist pain can start from poor carrying and lifting techniques as well as wrist posture when returning to work outs. Holding the car seat with one hand can really stress the wrist tendons and forearm muscles.

Instead of carrying the car seat with one hand with a bend at the wrist,

try carrying the car seat with 2 hands when you can and keep the wrist in a neutral position.

If you are experiencing wrist pain but still want to return to working out. Try to avoid wrist stress in the push up position and keep a neutral wrist to relax the tendons of the wrist and forearm.

If this position is painful for push-ups or planks,

try this position to continue your workouts with less wrist pain.

Carpal tunnel pain 

Carpal tunnel pain (usually occurs along the middle of the wrist on the palm side and can cause numbness and tingling into your palm and fingers) does not always end when your baby arrives. It can linger into post-partum life and be very disruptive to the day to day with a newborn. Try these wrist and nerve stretches to relieve lingering carpal tunnel pain:

 

For stretching and nerve glide instructions, click here for wrist stretch and here for nerve glide stretch information on the ErgoMomma blog.

The New Momma Thumb (aka De Quervain’s syndrome)

The New Momma thumb (aka De Quervain’s syndrome) is a condition where the tendons along the thumb to the wrist become inflamed and can cause mild aches to severe pain on the thumb side of the wrist. The Mayo Clinic does a great job describing the pain if you are looking to see if you may have the condition (click here for their article).

The pain is located along the tendons of the thumb seen below.

New momma thumb pain usually starts from lifting the baby frequently and holding the head of the baby when nursing. Lifting the baby with the “L” shape of the thumb and hand under the baby’s arm stresses these tendons. Try picking the baby up with your thumb close to your hand and keep the thumb more neutral than strained.

Holding the head of the baby when nursing tires these tendons and can cause inflammation. Try using a pillow to rest your arm and support your hand while nursing.

Hand glides can help reduce hand and thumb pain if performed daily

If thumb pain increases, try the use of ice to decrease pain and swelling: 15 minutes of ice on the thumb per each hour. Consult your physician about the use of a splint to help immobilize the thumb or if pain persists.

We know how SUPER busy you are, and we understand you cannot lift perfectly all the time. However the more often you do lift correctly the less likely you are to injure yourself.

Sarah Hammett, MPT founded ErgoMomma with the mission to provide busy moms with education and resources to help reduce aches and pains of momma-hood. Sarah combines 10 years of physical therapy experience with her momma brain to guide ErgoMomma’s ergonomic tips and stretches. (UPDATE: Sarah Hammett is no longer operating ErgoMomma— but we thank her for sharing this useful information with AMC!)

Live in Chicagoland area? Learn more about Active Moms’ Club classes and fitness & nutrition programs. We provide fitness through all stages of motherhood: Prenatal Fitness and mom and baby postnatal recovery class, postnatal small group training, and nutrition programs. We can help you safely kickstart your after baby workouts.

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 Other related articles from Active Moms’ Club blog:

Diastasis Recti: From How to Assess to Safe Exercises to Heal – A Few of My Favorite FAQs

Your Body After Baby And Exercise

New Mom’s Postpartum Body: From The Baby Blues to Kegels – A Few of My Favorite FAQs

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5 Reasons Why Women (Especially Moms) Should Lift Weights

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Research shows that women can significantly benefit from lifting weights. Yet, despite study after study, many women opt for cardio over weight training. Lifting weights gives you the edge over belly fat, aches & pains, stress, heart disease, cancer – and it is also a great way to make you feel empowered and look svelt! So what are you waiting for?

Here’s 5 reasons why it’s time to hit the weights (at least once a week):

1. You’ll Lose Belly Fat

While it is true that you can’t spot reduce—your body is born with pre-conceived places it wants to store fat (hello baby bearing hips)—a University of Alabama study found that the women who lifted weights lost more intra-abdominal fat (deep belly fat) than those who just did cardio. It’s critical to boost resistance training to help boost growth hormone—which is aids in fat-burning. This not only helps you slim your waistline and feel better in your clothes, but it also lessens your risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers.

WeightTraining_ActiveMomsClub2017

2. You’ll Feel Empowered

Lifting weights—and building strength as a result—comes with a big self-esteem boost. Your strength will not only show in your lean, toned body, but also in your attitude and ability to tackle parenting. “I feel so bad-ass, and empowered when I lift weights. I love AMC workouts”.

3. Your Clothes Will Fit Better

Research shows that between the ages of 30 and 50, you’ll likely lose 10 percent of your body’s muscle mass. And unfortunately, muscle will likely be replaced by fat over time. This change increases your waist size, because one pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space than one pound of muscle.

 

4. You’ll Prevent Injury

Achy hips, sore knees, and a bothersome back do not have to be a part of how your day starts. Strengthening core muscles, and those surrounding and supporting your joints can help prevent injuries by helping you maintain good posture, as well as strengthening joint integrity. As you know, it’s a lot of strenuous work to take care of your little one(s)!

5. You’ll Increase Your Metabolism & Torch Body Fat

You may have been told that cardio is the ultimate fat burner, but that effect stops the minute you hop off the treadmill. Build more muscle and you’ll keep your body burning fat all day long. In fact, a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who did weight training burned an average of 100 more calories during the 24 hours after their training session ended.

As a mom your personal, self-care time is precious. Make the most of your workouts by incorporating weights into a high intensity circuit workout with Active Moms’ Club Fit & Fab Small Group Training and reap the benefits for yourself. Join us, we’ll show you how to hit the weights.

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 Other related articles from Active Moms’ Club blog:

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Your Body After Baby & Exercise

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The conception and birth of a child is a miraculous event – and let’s not candy coat it – birthing a baby is a painful event. A women’s body is a temple and should be treated as such. Honor your post-baby body; allow it ample time to rest, and be thoughtful on how you return to exercise. New moms are committed to losing baby weight faster than ever, but doing too much too soon can cause more harm than good.

The physical changes that occur to a woman’s body after childbirth can vary from individual to individual. Here are five changes to be aware of and suggestions on how to navigate them.

Abdominals

Abdominal wall muscles are overstretched during pregnancy. Ideally you would perform moves to shorten these muscles to stimulate muscle memory, before engaging in strengthening exercises. Example of shortening exercises include: pelvic tilts, deep breathing, and heal slides. 

Hormones

Hormonal effects, such as joint laxity, can be present up to 16 weeks postpartum (longer if you are nursing). It is recommended to gradually progress into higher impact activities such as running NO LESS than twelve weeks postpartum. Listen to your body while exercising. If what you are doing doesn’t feel good, avoid pushing through it. “No pain, no gain” is NOT applicable to a post-baby body.

Body Realignment & Posture

During pregnancy, your center of gravity shifts forward deepening the “S” curve in your spine. Your goal is to gradually return the spine to its pre-pregnancy alignment, which helps to prevent future back pain and injuries. Being conscience of your posture, and adding gentle back stretches and exercises to your exercise program will help facilitate body alignment.

Diastasis Recti / Abdominal Wall Separation

Diastasis may occur during pregnancy or during delivery. It is a condition in which the two large parallel bands of muscles that meet in the middle of the abdomen separate. It doesn’t hurt, and you may not even be aware that it exists. It’s important to check, a separation may lead to increased low back pain, pelvic instability, urinary leakage, or reduced functional strength of the abdominal wall. There are specific exercises that can be prescribed to help mend the separation.

postnatal diastasis-recti, abdominal wall separation
Photo credit to Healthy Moms® Fitness

Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor muscles are the main muscle group responsible for pushing your baby out during delivery. They undergo extreme stretching during a vaginal birth, but they also undergo constant stress during the last few months of pregnancy supporting the weight of the uterus and baby. Practice pelvic floor exercises (also known as ‘Kegels’) as soon as possible to help restore muscle memory. Sorry to report mommas, suturing will not restore the function of the pelvic floor. Weakened pelvic floor muscles may cause urinary incontinence, lower back pain, and other related issues.

These are a just a few physical changes your body is adjusting from post baby. When you are ready to return to exercise, be kind to your body. Listen to the small aches and pains. Ask your healthcare provider to check for diastasis. Consider physical therapy if you had a cesarean section – it is major abdominal surgery. Know that urinary leakage a few months after childbirth is not normal. Seek out experienced prenatal / postnatal fitness professionals, like the trainers at Active Moms’ Club, to help you navigate safely and effectively back into exercise.

Chicago Moms

AMC’s “From the Core: Postnatal Recovery” class and Post-Baby Body Express Training addresses all of these changes and provides professional guidance for new – or experienced – moms. If you are a Chicago mom and need more guidance in your postpartum workout routine visit our website to learn more about our classes and personal training.

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Other related articles from Active Moms’ Club blog:

What You Should Know About Postpartum Pain & Childbirth Injuries

Diastasis Recti : From How To Assess to Safe Exercises to Heal – A Few of My Favorite FAQ’s

Mom’s New Postpartum Body: From the Baby Blues to Kegel’s, A Few of My Favorite FAQ’s

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What You Should Know About Postpartum Pain & Childbirth Injuries

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A new, nine-week postpartum client expressed to me that she feels heaviness in her pelvis. She already had her six week follow-up visit—receiving permission to resume all regular activities and exercise—and her obstetrician said her discomfort was ‘normal’ and to give her body time to heal. Sounds counterproductive right? She assumed this is typical postpartum discomfort, that’s what the doctor said…and it’s her first baby, she doesn’t know otherwise.

This heaviness is not normal nine weeks postpartum, but rather a side effect of childbirth that needs to be addressed.

PelvicFloorEvaluation

Cosmopolitan magazine published a honest and insightful article, “Millions of Women are Injured During Childbirth. Why Aren’t Doctors Diagnosing Them?” Yes, the headline is a little dramatic but it got our attention. Postpartum recovery is a real thing, please don’t take it lightly. This article does a great job bringing awareness to topics many woman don’t want to talk about, but we have to talk about them and seek help, or we’ll continue to suffer in silence.

Childbirth_Injury Stats2

Childbirth injuries and postpartum pain are common but they should NOT be the new normal. Urinary incontinence, pain during intercourse, back pain, tailbone pain, pelvic pain, feeling heaviness in pelvis, prolapse bladder, muscle tears, soft tissue tears, numbness, cesarean scar discomfort/numbness, hairline fractures in pubic bone, or excessively tight muscles in hip capsules are examples of  common childbirth injuries or postpartum pain. These issues may potentially go undiagnosed and/or untreated after childbirth, especially since they could surface AFTER your six week checkup.

PelvicDiagram_Stats

“Last August, researchers from the University of Michigan likened childbirth to running a marathon — only before a marathon, you train. The researches gave 68 women MRIs seven weeks after birth. The MRIs showed that 29 percent of them had evidence of fractures they never even knew they had in their pubic bones, while 41 percent had undiagnosed tears in their pelvic floor muscles, which wrap around the vagina and anus. Childbirth is a well-studied traumatic experience for women’s bodies, yet modern medicine still leaves far too many mothers debilitated.”

How To Prepare for Childbirth, Recovery & Beyond?

  1. Expecting moms, if you are experiencing a healthy pregnancy it’s extremely beneficial to have a prenatal fitness program that focuses on strength training to prepare your body for labor and delivery. A marathon training program is 16-20 weeks long, it’s never too late to begin training for birth.
  2. Once your baby is born, seek a script and recommendation for a Women’s Health Specialist. (A WHS is a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic pain/dysfunction, a regular physical therapist may not have the experience or knowledge to treat such issues). In other countries, going to physical therapy is standard practice after delivering a baby, vaginally or via surgery. If you’re in Chicago, check out AMC’s trusted and recommended Women’s Health Specialist here – they’re the best of the best.
  3. Even if you received the green light to return to exercise, and stayed active through your entire pregnancy, seek out a postnatal recovery exercise program in your area, like AMC’s From the Core: Postnatal Recovery class.  Your body just went through a traumatic event, muscles are stretched and weakened; it’s imperative to restore and rebuild core muscle strength before returning to your regular pre-pregnancy exercise routine. “Returning to exercise” is relative post-baby. Running and lifting heavy weights should be avoided (for a few months) and added gradually AFTER rebuilding core strength and addressing any postpartum issues.
  4. If you have older children and still experiencing any of the childbirth injuries mentioned above, seek help. A knowledgeable Women’s Health therapist can diagnose and help treat your issues. When in doubt, seek a second or third opinion. Knowledge is power; empower yourself.

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Other related articles from Active Moms’ Club blog:

Prenatal Exercise: Why It’s Important & How To Get Started

Diastasis Recti: From How to Assess to Safe Exercises to Heal – A Few of My Favorite FAQs

Your Body After Baby & Exercise

New Mamas Wrist Pain

K is for Kegel

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Behaviors vs Outcomes: How to Make Living Healthy Happen

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Making change is a skill. A skill you can practice. And improve.

And if you want to make big changes, you have to take small, consistent daily actions.

In fact, your behaviors are the only things you can control.

Those are powerful words. Small. Consistent. DAILY actions. Your behaviors. 

If you have a fitness goal to get stronger, or weight loss goal in mind— any goal for that matter, it’s your behaviors — small, consistent daily actions that what will lead you to your outcome. 

Behaviors vs Outcomes

  • If you want to sell your house for a good price, you can renovate it and give it a fresh coat of paint. But you can’t control the real estate market.
  • If you want to have a picnic, you can pack a basket and blanket and plan your route to the park. But you can’t control the weather.
  • If you want to lose weight, you can eat well and stay active. But you can’t control your fat cells.

You can’t make your body lose 20 pounds on command any more than you can make your house worth a certain amount when you sell it.

In other words, you can’t control the outcome.

But you can control the behaviors that lead to the outcome you want.

Outcomes are WHAT you want. But outcomes don’t tell you what to do.

Behaviors are HOW you’ll get there. Behavior goals give you an action plan.

Set behavior goals

So instead of setting “outcome goals”, set “behavior goals”.

Here are a few examples showing the difference, just so you get the picture:

Outcome goals

  • Run a 5K race in 30 minutes
  • Lose 10 lb
  • Squat 80 lb

Behavior goals

  • Run for 20 minutes three times per week for the next month, gradually increasing the duration and speed
  • Practice eating slowly at every meal, and eat until 80% full
  • Show up and set your intentions every day
  • Start giving piggyback rides regularly, or use your kids as weights!

You get the idea. Notice how all of the behavior goals are a commitment to do a specific set of actions or tasks that lead to the outcome you want.

Also, notice that:

  • behavior goals are things you do consistently and regularly;
  • behavior goals are small, manageable tasks that are within your control; and
  • behavior goals are often things that you can do right now, today or in the near future.

Again: You can’t control the outcome.

But you can control the behaviors that, when done consistently, will move you in the right direction.

The 4 Circles

Here’s an exercise that will help you see how outcomes are connected to behaviors.

Take out a piece of paper and draw four circles. Label them:

  1. Outcome: 6 months from now
  2. This month
  3. This week
  4. Today

4 circle graphic_PN.

In the first circle, identify what you want as your health or fitness goal outcome to be in the next six months. 

In “this month”, “this week”, and “today”, write what you will do to get to the “Outcome: End of six months”.

Notice how what you do right now — and in the near future — contributes to the outcome you seek.

Set yourself up for success

  • Be realistic with what you can do. For now, under-estimate your capacity.
  • Better to start small and succeed than go big and feel disappointed for “failing”.
  • Focus on doing one small, achievable behavior at a time. Then high-five yourself when it happens.

This article has been shared as part of my Precision Nutrition Coaching certification program. 

Precision Nutrition is the world leader in nutrition education for professionals. I’m partnering with them to deliver a life-changing curriculum that AMC will roll-out in the Fall! The cool part, I’ll actually be leading the process as your coach—helping moms AND dads (yes, DADS too!) to get active and eat better, so that as a team, you both can lead your family by example.

I’m so excited to introduce this program! No diets. No meal plans. No juice cleanse. No gimmicks.

It’s a program that MOTIVATES you, INSPIRES you, and TEACHES you how to maintain a healthy weight FOREVER with behavioral change.

Are you as stoked as I am?

Stay tuned, details will be rolling out next month!  

 

 

 

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