Shilpa shares back health tips for new parents

Actress and yogini Shilpa Shetty Kundra welcomed her second child, baby girl Samisha in February this year. Even though the lockdown kept her super busy taking care of her family, the actress too experienced pangs of pain some new parents know too well. The back pain, which comes with carrying around your child.

Back pain is a common problem faced by new parents

Strain and pain around the back is a common issue that parents face in the first year, considering the time one spends over holding, lifting the baby or just running around doing errands. While a pain like this can't stop you from bonding with your baby, Shilpa, who is known to be one of the fittest in the industry shared a motivating post, talking about some of the yoga asanas which helped her manage the pain and relax.

Shilpa shows you three easy yoga asanas which you can do

Sharing a post, Shilpa said that while yoga is part of her normal life, a change in lifestyle, courtesy the lockdown made her more "rusty" and "inflexible":

"Our bodies are getting rusty without the same movement, agility, and exercise we were accustomed to; before this pandemic hit us. Daily travels have drastically reduced for a majority of us, leaving us with very little physical activity. For me, carrying my 5-month baby is affecting my lower back... So, I’ve been practising a combination of yoga asanas like Vyaghrasana, Marjariasana, and Utthana Vyaghrasana. This combination gives my body some much-needed stretches & flexes, strengthens my back, and stretches the abdominal muscles. It also improves mobility in the hips, relieves stiffness in the lower back, and improves the body’s balance.

Ah! A great way to start my day. How have you begun yours, tell me in the comments?

Tag someone who needs #exercise #strengthening."

Demonstrating the yoga moves for her fans, the healthy mama talked about the benefits of three asanas- Vyaghrasana, Marjariasana, and Utthana Vyaghrasana.

We explain to you the benefits of the same:

01/ Vyaghrasana

Also known as the Tiger Pose, Vyaghrasana is often practised as part of rehabilitative care to reduce sciatic pain and stiffness in the spine. Not just that, regular practise of this asana helps strengthen and elongate core muscles around the neck, back and the arms. Since it allows for you to stretch, blood flow around the mid-section and glutes is improved and helps ease out movement.

02/ Marjariasana

Marjariasana, aka, the Cat stretch is a yoga pose which holistically works out all core muscles in your body, without straining you out. It makes your spine more flexible, boosts agility and the relaxed pressure on your spine makes sure to relieve you of any pain and aches and improve blood circulation in the affected parts. Not just that, the pose is also immensely beneficial for your digestive system. It also exercises some crucial muscles groups in the body, such as the wrists and the shoulders, which can often be neglected in your regular lifestyle.

03/ Utthana Vyaghrasana

This one is a variation of the Tiger pose and just as helpful. With the emphasis on relaxing and strengthening the entire body, regular practise of this asana helps balance out coordination, movement, fix your posture as well as takes care of any ailment. This variation of Vyaghrasana is good for toning and working out your diaphragm, shoulders, back, abdominal muscles and balances our energy flow in the body.

Practising 3-5 repetitions of these poses can help manage pain in a better way.

What else can you do?

Back pain is a chronic problem which can hamper your lifestyle and quality life you spend with your baby. If you are a new parent or someone who has chronic back issues, making certain tweaks can help avoid straining your body unnecessarily:

-Avoid carrying the baby on your hips, which exposes your back muscles to more stress. Distribute the weight equally and if you can, alternate carrying your child on both sides.

-Do not stretch your arms while trying to pick the baby up. Reach closer to the baby and then lift your child.

-Try and sit in a good back positioning chair or furniture while nursing the baby and not slouch.

-Baby strollers and carriers are a good option which can lessen the load.

-Maintain a good posture which would help lessen the load.

-It's important for both parents to remain fit and active. For moms, starting out an exercise regime just as it is cleared by the doctor can be a good way to stay physically and mentally fit and agile.

from LifeStyle