6 Postpartum Back Pain Exercises

Back pain is a common complaint for many new moms thanks to the physical strain of pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for a newborn. However, regular exercise can help alleviate much of the discomfort. Use these postpartum back pain exercises to regain your strength and make daily tasks easier.

As a Certified Strength Coach and a mom of three, postpartum back pain is brought to my attention a lot.

And much of the time it leaves new moms feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, especially if you go down the google rabbit pain relief hole!

So know this: there is a lot you can do to alleviate back pain.

Unfortunately, there is not one thing that fixes it.

Causes Of Postpartum Back Pain

Much of the time when it comes to niggling back pain in new moms it’s caused by a combination of the following:

• Poor posture (from breastfeeding, carrying, and sleeping wth a babe)
• Weak abdominals and some diastsis recti
• Loose ligaments leftover from pregnancy.

Exercises For Postpartum Back Pain

Because there are multiple causes for the back pain, you can’t just look at one thing. That’s why these postpartum exercises are a combination of building strength, supporting your pelvic floor, and improving mobility in “stuck” areas like the upper back.

They are all body weight exercises that help in postpartum recovery.

You can learn more about glute exercise for postpartum in a podcast I did with my favorite doula as well as use these breastfeeding stretches for neck and back pain.

For the back pain relief exercises below, you can make them into a little circuit and perform them daily (takes about 6 minutes) or work them into any current training program.

Many of these exercises are ones to target the abdominal muscles just like I use in my Heal your core program as diastasis recti will be a big cause of back pain.

1. Pelvic Tilt

• Lay on the floor on your back with your feet flat and close to your bum.
• Think of lifting up the lower half of your bum so you feel as if you're drawing your belly button into the floor
• Think of tucking your pelvis under or bringing your hip bones towards your ribcage.
• Your upper body shouldn't move, you are simply tilting your pelvic to stabilize.
• Hold 5-10s
• Release fully

Perform 8-10 repetitions. 

2. Paused Glute Bridge

• Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels close to your bum. Feet shoulder-width apart roughly.
• Push through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes. Do not excessively arch the lower back.
• Pause at the top for three seconds with a maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bringing the hips back to the starting position.
• Perform anywhere from 8-25 repetitions.

3. Thread The Needle

This move can be done from a tabletop position (all fours) or a child's pose position.

1. Come into a table top position on your hands and knees.
2. Take your right arm and thread it through the gap between your legs and left arm.
3. Place the right shoulder on the floor and look to the left. Pause.
4. Twist from your upper back and not your lower back so that you feel the stretch in the back of your right shoulder.
5. Bring the arm back up toward the ceiling and repeat.

Use the floor as resistance to twist from the upper back while keeping the hips squared so that the low back is not twisting.

Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

4. Wall Pulses

1. Stand a foot away from the wall and place your palms flat on the wall at head height.
2. As you lean forward, keeping your low back locked in, press your chest toward the floor and sink the heels down.
3. Do not arch the low back. Aim to extend the upper back and feel a stretch in the underarms.
4. Come back up to the starting position and repeat.

Perform for 12 repetitions

5. Bridge With Adductor Squeeze

1. Lay on your back with the knees bent color to your bum. Place a ball or block between your knees.
2. Tuck the ribs down and the hips towards the ribs so that your low back is on the ground.
3. Use your bum muscles to raise the hips towards the ceiling. While you do this, squeeze the ball slightly so you feel your inner thighs fire up. release the squeeze and return to the starting position.

Perform for 10 repetitions

6. Clamshells

• Lay on your right side with your legs stacked and knees slightly bent. Make sure your shoulders, hips, and heels are in one line.
• Place your top hand on your top hip. Keeping your heels together, squeeze your glute while opening up at the knees.
• Release the squeeze and return the knees to meet each other. You should feel the muscles under your hand contract.
• Perform 10-15/side.

7. Long Lever Glute Bridge

1. Lay on your back with your legs straight out (knees slightly )bent.
2. Walk your feet out until your knees are wider than a 90-degree angle.
3. Posteriorly tilt the pelvis, press into the heels, and lift your bum off the floor.
4. Pause and release the engagement to lower back to the ground.

Perform for 10-15 repetitions

Sick Of Feeling Self Consciousness About Your Stomach?

If you feel frustrated with your body and disappointed that you didn’t “bounce back” after pregnancy.. you’re not alone!

Healing diastasis recti and cutting the mom pouch can be done at any stage postpartum (yes, even years later!).

It’s time to reclaim your pre-pregnancy confidence.

Through a 7-week, strategic, home workout program, I help you retrain your core muscles so that you’re stronger and more confident.

In just ten minutes a day and with only your living room furniture and a mini band, you can finally start feeling good about your tummy muscles.

Don’t let diastasis recti hold you back, embrace a stronger core, reduce the niggling “mom aches”, and learn how to Heal Your Core for just $39

More Postpartum Resources For Moms

 Your next steps in postpartum recovery should be about continuing to strengthen your core muscles (after you've mastered engagement) while avoiding these exercises.

You'll also want to start strengthening glutes so that you can carry kids easier (check out the best mom workout to get you started too!).

Lastly, develop a workout program and learn the best ways to make time for fitness as a mom! And of course, use some yoga modifications as your psotpartum body shifts and shapes!

• How to reduce back pain
• Exercises to AVOID as a new mom
• Benefits of strong glutes
• Ab exercises better than sit ups
• Pelvic floor health
• 10 Minute diastasis recti workout
• Glute workout finishers
• Follow along home workouts
• Strength training for beginners
• SMASH home workout plan for moms

Frequently Asked Questions About Postpartum Back Pain