The Benefits of Clinical Somatics Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of big changes. Your growing belly puts physical strain on your body, and hormones and upcoming life changes can be emotionally stressful. There is no better time to start taking care of your body and releasing the tension in your nervous system with Clinical Somatics exercises.

Clinical Somatics exercises are an ideal way to prepare your body for pregnancy. The exercises allow you to release your chronic muscle tension and balance your posture so that you can naturally adjust to carrying the weight of your baby as they grow. After giving birth, the exercises allow you to start moving again in a safe, gentle way. You can use the exercises to regain use of your core muscles, release muscles that have tightened up from caring for your baby, and relieve your stress.

In this post, I’ll discuss the benefits of practicing Clinical Somatics exercises before conceiving, during pregnancy, and after giving birth. I’ll also list the exercises that are most helpful for preventing and alleviating common aches and pains experienced during and after pregnancy.

Note: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice. If you are beginning a Clinical Somatics practice during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, take it slow and only do what feels right for your body. If you have any diagnosed health conditions, you should consult your doctor before starting to practice Clinical Somatics or any other new type of exercise while pregnant or soon after giving birth.

The benefits of practicing Clinical Somatics exercises before conceiving

In an ideal world, I’d advise every woman to start practicing Clinical Somatics exercises before getting pregnant. It is much easier to address postural imbalances and chronic muscle tension before you start going through the physical changes of pregnancy.

Back pain is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy, mainly due to the back muscles having to work harder than usual to balance out the weight of the growing belly. By practicing simple exercises like the Arch & Flatten, Back Lift, and Iliopsoas Release daily, you can release any tension you have in your lower back before your belly starts to grow, making it much less likely that you’ll experience back pain during your pregnancy.

Clinical Somatics exercises also allow you to gain full voluntary control over your abdominal muscles, which is important for preventing back pain. I recommend practicing the Arch & Flatten, Arch & Curl, One-sided and Diagonal Arch & Curls, and Side Curl in the months leading up to becoming pregnant. The more control you have over your core muscles going into your pregnancy, the better able you’ll be able to retain that strength and control as your belly grows.

The weight of your growing belly will put strain on your entire body, so it’s important to address any postural imbalances or pain issues beforehand. Common issues that can become more problematic during pregnancy are scoliosis, functional leg length discrepancy, sacroiliac joint pain, hip and knee pain, and plantar fasciitis.

Even if you have no pain or tension issues right now, I recommend starting your Clinical Somatics practice at least one to two months before conceiving. It is much easier to learn and get comfortable with the exercises while you still have your pre-pregnancy body. Then you’ll know how the exercises are supposed to feel, and you’ll be able to adapt the exercises as your body changes.

The benefits of practicing Clinical Somatics exercises during pregnancy

If you have started your Clinical Somatics practice before conceiving and are comfortable with the floor exercises in the Level One & Two Courses, you will likely feel comfortable practicing modified versions of them throughout your pregnancy.

If you are starting your Clinical Somatics practice while already pregnant, you may be more comfortable using the Chair Exercises until after you give birth.

As described in the previous section, one of the most common pains felt during pregnancy is back pain. It is important to practice exercises that release tension in the lower back and maintain strength in the abdomen throughout your pregnancy in order to prevent back pain and properly support your growing belly. The exercises in Levels One & Two that I recommend for this are:

LEVEL ONE COURSE

Arch & Flatten: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Back Lift: Only during the first trimester (Chair version can be practiced throughout pregnancy)
Arch & Curl: Only during first trimester
Side Curl: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a smaller range of motion as belly grows
One-sided Arch & Curl: Only during first trimester; Practice as One-sided Arch & Flatten as belly grows
Iliopsoas Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion
Diagonal Arch & Curl: Only during first trimester; Practice as Diagonal Arch & Flatten as belly grows
Flowering Arch & Curl: Only during first trimester; Practice as Flowering Arch & Flatten as belly grows

LEVEL TWO COURSE

Pelvic Clock: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Lower Back Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Separate legs or do one-legged version as belly grows
Proprioceptive Exercise 1: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Proprioceptive Exercise 2: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Diagonal Curl: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Proprioceptive Exercise 3: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Proprioceptive Exercise 4: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Standing Hamstring Release: Only during first trimester; Can practice with legs separated as belly grows

During pregnancy, the ovaries and placenta produce a hormone called relaxin. Relaxin prevents your uterus from having premature contractions and also loosens ligaments throughout your body. Loose ligaments can cause joints to become unstable, and can lead to lower back and hip pain because those areas of the body are under a great deal of strain while pregnant. Unstable joints are also at greater risk of injury.

Clinical Somatics exercises can help prevent problems caused by loose ligaments. The exercises improve muscular control, postural alignment, and internal sense of body position. By building control and awareness, you can more easily shift your posture into natural, healthy alignment and prevent injuries while exercising.

In addition to the exercises listed above that work with the lower back, the following exercises can be used to prevent hip pain:

LEVEL ONE COURSE

Iliopsoas Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion
Hip slides & Hip raises: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion
Hip Circles: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion
Hip Rotation: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion

LEVEL TWO COURSE

Inversion & Eversion: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Stay in a comfortable range of motion
Gluteal Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Can be modified by rolling onto supporting side instead of lying on the back
Iliotibial Band Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Modify by sliding working leg down below 90°
Hip Directions: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy

As the belly grows, leg muscles have to do more and more work to support the weight of the body. It is normal for the legs and feet to become fatigued, tight, and sore. In addition to taking time to rest your legs throughout the day and wearing comfortable, supportive footwear, here are the exercises that will be helpful for releasing your tight, tired leg and foot muscles:

LEVEL ONE COURSE

Hamstring Release: Only during first trimester

LEVEL TWO COURSE

Lower Back Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Separate legs or do one-legged version as belly grows
Quadriceps Releases: Version 1 only during first trimester; Version 2 can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Gluteal Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Can be modified by rolling onto supporting side instead of lying on the back
Iliotibial Band Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy; Modify by sliding working leg down below 90°
Calf Release: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy
Standing Hamstring Release: Only during first trimester; Can practice with legs separated as belly grows
Foot Exercises: Can be practiced throughout pregnancy

Positions to avoid and be aware of during pregnancy:

1. You should not lie on your stomach after the first trimester, or sooner if your belly is growing or if you are uncomfortable lying on your stomach. This means that you should not practice the floor versions of the Back Lift or Hamstring Release after the first trimester.

2. It is generally recommended that you not do abdominal curls after the first trimester, as they compress the abdomen. However, please read the section below on maintaining core strength, and use your best judgment. In any of the Curl exercises, you can substitute a Flatten for the Curl.

3. Be aware of how you feel when lying on your back. When lying on your back, the weight of your belly can compress the vena cava, a major blood vessel. If you feel nauseous, dizzy, short of breath, or feel your heart rate speed up while lying on your back, your vena cava may be compressed, and it is important that you move to a different position.

Lying on your back for a short period of time—like the length of time needed to do a few Somatics exercises—is generally safe for most women. It’s longer periods of time, like sleeping on your back all night, that are more likely to be dangerous. But everyone is different, so it’s important to listen to your body and avoid lying on your back if it does not feel right to you.

Maintaining core strength and preventing Diastasis Recti

Diastasis recti is the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle down the linea alba (a line of connective tissue that runs vertically down the center of the abdomen). A separation of the abdominal wall at the linea alba of more than the width of two fingertips is considered diastasis recti. Many pregnant and postpartum women experience diastasis recti, and there is conflicting information regarding the best ways to prevent and recover from it.

While crunches are typically considered off-limits for pregnant women, this article from the National Academy of Sports Medicine cites studies showing that crunches, when practiced correctly, are a safe and effective way for pregnant women to maintain core strength and prevent and recover from diastasis recti.

This 2016 study found that when crunches are performed by first engaging the transverse abdominis and then curling up, it reduced the gap at the linea alba. The study suggested that this is potentially the safest way for pregnant and postpartum women to practice abdominal crunches. To engage the transverse abdominis, you simply need to hollow out your belly, as we practice in the Arch & Flatten. So to practice a crunch as described in this study, you would first hollow out your belly, then curl up, engaging your rectus abdominis.

It is agreed that maintaining core strength throughout pregnancy is the best way to avoid diastasis recti. This article and this article describe some safe and effective exercises you can use to strengthen your core and prevent diastasis recti while pregnant.

The benefits of practicing Clinical Somatics exercises after giving birth

I found practicing Clinical Somatics exercises after having my daughter to be an incredible experience. Even though I practiced the exercises throughout my pregnancy and for many years before, getting used to not having a person inside your belly is a big adjustment—and it happens very quickly, as opposed to the gradual growing of the belly for nine months beforehand!

The exercises allowed me to start moving safely and gently within the first few days after giving birth. They allowed me to be aware of my posture as I adjusted to not having a belly and holding my baby instead. They released my muscle tension, relieved my stress, and gave me a period of time each day when I could focus completely on taking care of myself.

After giving birth vaginally, the only restriction in regard to practicing Clinical Somatics exercises is how you’re feeling. You should start by practicing the exercises extremely slowly and gently and staying in a small range of motion. When it comes to working with your core muscles, I recommend starting by doing just the Arch & Flatten until you feel ready to do other exercises. Exercises that work with the shoulders, arms, lower legs, and feet are safe to do right away.

After having a C-section, it is recommended that women wait six weeks before resuming exercise. However, your doctor may approve of doing gentle Arch & Flattens before the six-week mark; please get your doctor’s approval before practicing this or any movement that uses the core of the body before the six-week mark.

When you’re ready to start exercising with no restrictions, you can practice the following exercises, which will help you regain control of your core muscles.

LEVEL ONE COURSE

Arch & Flatten
Back Lift
Arch & Curl
Side Curl
One-sided Arch & Curl
Iliopsoas Release
Diagonal Arch & Curl
Washcloth
Flowering Arch & Curl

LEVEL TWO COURSE

Diagonal Curl
Steeple Movement
Proprioceptive Exercises 1, 2, 3, and 4

During pregnancy, it’s common for postural shifts to occur as the body adapts to carrying a growing belly. Women may find that their lower back becomes more tight and arched (hyperlordosis), or that they have shifted into swayback posture (hips pushed forward).

More postural issues can occur after giving birth. It’s common to develop rounded shoulders from holding your baby and breastfeeding. It is also common to develop imbalances between your right and left sides from holding your baby with one arm or on one hip. This can lead to functional leg length discrepancy, shoulder tension and pain, and can worsen scoliosis.

Since all of these postural issues are caused by tight muscles pulling the spine out of alignment, they can all be fixed with Clinical Somatics exercises. Practicing the exercises also improves your proprioception (internal sense of your posture), making it easier to avoid slipping into poor posture in the future.

After giving birth, it’s normal to want to spend all of your time and energy taking care of your baby. But you will be much better able to take care of your baby if you can find some time each day to take care of yourself! A little self-care each day is essential in you being the best mother you can be, so don’t ever feel guilty about it.

Practicing Clinical Somatics exercises regularly not only releases your muscle tension, but also releases tension throughout your nervous system and reduces overall stress. A daily practice is an ideal way to take care of yourself before, during, and after pregnancy. As a parent, I truly don’t know what I would do without Clinical Somatics exercises!