Motherhood is no doubt a boon, but it also comes with its fair share of pains and limitations. A new mom spends most of the time taking care of the child, carrying the baby, changing clothes and diapers, lifting strollers in and out of cars, and much more. Right after pregnancy, it is not surprising that the mother suffers from neck and shoulder ache at the end of the day.
To relieve these supermoms from shoulder pain and prevent any formation of poor posture, a set of five exercises have proved to be quite beneficial. These five exercises include stretching, massaging, and lengthening that will help you feel relaxed and refreshed from the core. This easy set of exercises will not only relieve pain and prevent poor posture formation but also, increase mobility and prevent any future injury. This set of exercises requires not more than 5 minutes, so even if your busy schedule tires you out incredibly, this set of exercises will easily fit in your routine.
All the tools you will ever need to practice these exercises are a mini foam roller and a tennis ball.
Upper Back Foam Roller Massage
This exercise must be practiced for 60 seconds.
1. Lie on your back and place the foam roller under your shoulder blades.
2. Grab both your shoulders by crossing your arms over your chest.
3. Roll up and down so that your upper back muscles are massaged.
4. Spend 60 seconds rolling out the upper back.
Important tip
You can keep your butt lifted off the floor so that more pressure is exerted on the foam roller and you can roll up and down smoothly.
Tennis Ball Neck Massage
1. Sit comfortably.
2. Stretch your neck by tilting your head to one side.
3. To massage the muscles, press the tennis ball into the neck and roll it around.
4. The massage should be done for 20 seconds on each side.
Neck Side Stretch
1. Sit comfortably.
2. Bend and leave your left arm down towards the ground to touch the ground with your fingertips.
3. Tilt your head to the right side.
4. Pull your head gently with your fingertips so that you can increase the stretch in your neck.
5. Stretch each side for 20 seconds.
Important tip
Take a deep breath to focus on the relaxing and lengthening of the muscles.
Side Lying Lat Roll-Out
This exercise has to be done for 30 seconds on each side. The steps of this exercise must be followed in this way:
1. Lie down on one side and bend your knees.
2. Under the shoulder on the bottom, place the foam roller.
3. Place your hands behind your head.
4. Roll up and down to massage the latissimus dorsi muscle, i.e., the muscle that runs down on each side from the shoulder to the ribs.
5. For 30 seconds, roll out each side.
Important tips
1. You may turn your chest slightly toward the ceiling to get deeper into the lat muscle and avoid touching the armpit as it is sensitive.
2. If you feel any knot in your muscle, you may spend some time massaging it and breathe deeply so that the muscle relaxes itself.
Tennis Ball Shoulder Massage
This exercise must be done for 30 seconds on each side.
1. Stand by placing your back against the wall.
2. Take a tennis ball and place it behind one shoulder blade.
3. Cross both your arms over the chest.
4. Take a step about 6 inches away from the wall.
5. Bend your knees slightly so that they are pressed into the wall and pressure is exerted on the ball.
6. Move slightly in circular motion so that your shoulders are massaged.
7. Work on each side for 30 seconds by focusing on rolling out of the knots.
Important tip
If you want to exert more pressure to work on the smaller spots, a golf ball serves the purpose.
With regular practice of these exercises, your shoulder pain must reduce significantly and help you enjoy a comfortable new life of motherhood.
