Row With Twist
Row with twist is a fun exercise suitable for both pregnant and postnatal women, incorporating many benefits that are specific to the needs of this population.
Watch Sarah, Unite Health Director, preform the Row with twist in our short video below.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/embed/miBveePxsjI[/embed]
As pregnancy progresses, it's common to develop a more protracted shoulder posture and increased thoracic kyphosis. The row component of this exercise engages lower traps and rhomboids, encouraging an improved scapular position.
You can modify the resistance of the theraband to challenge this component as strength improves. As well as addressing these important postural muscles, the rotation component mobilises the thoracic spine which is commonly stiff in many of us, but especially breast feeding mums!
Adding the rotation also engages the obliques in a safe way for pregnancy and the early postnatal period when loaded rectus abdominis exercises are not adviseable. To enhance the activation of the anterior oblique sling, which would be especially useful for women who require increased force closure around the pelvis (for example those suffering from pelvic pain) the use of a block between the knees throughout the movement, to encourage adductor activation can be a nice modification.
To learn more about APPI Ante/Post Natal Pilates click here for course info.