Well, there is proper technique and things that need to be focused on when pushing your kids in the stroller. It’s important to protect your body, protect your spine and make sure that you can enjoy being outside with your kids as you get some exercise too. So here are some tips and things to consider:
Keep the stroller close to you
Don’t push it so far out in front if you are climbing a hill. It will be easier on your body if the weight of the stroller and little people in it are closer to you who is doing the pushing. The farther away the stroller is from you, the more strain it puts on your spine. Don’t let the stroller get away from you and keep it close to your body.
Master hills
Don’t fall into the trap of pushing your stroller out with your head facing the ground and sticking your bottom out. Instead focus on using your gluteals as you power up the hill making your body work for you.
Think about using your abdominals when you push
Intermittently check-in with your abdominals to engage them while you walk and push your little ones. Your lower abdominals are the muscles on the inside of your hip bones. They activate when we laugh and if you put your fingers on the inside of your hip bones and say “ha, ha, ha”, you will feel these muscles pop into your fingers. Another way to think about using the abdominal muscles is if you put on a tight pair of pants and needed to zip up the last little bit of the zipper. Tighten your abdominals gently throughout your walk so that you can still breathe and move easy as you push your kids.
The body follows the eyes
Think of a diver in the pool who tucks their head and then the rest of the body follows. Well, it starts with our eyes, then our head and then the rest of the body follows the movement. If you look down at the ground or at your feet, your body will start to flex or curl down negatively affecting your posture. Keep your eyes looking ahead and in front of the stroller to keep your posture and body upright.
Walk, don’t push
You want your legs to do the work, not your back or arms. So, focus on just walking as the stroller just happens to be in front of you.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and hands low while pushing
make sure that you don’t lock out your elbows as this will elevate your shoulders causing neck and shoulder pain. Put your hands around waist height to also prevent extra stress on the shoulders. Do some shoulder shrugs or shoulder circles to ensure that you are relaxed in this position as you push your kiddos.
Hips should be stacked under the ribs
You want to make sure that your ribs are not flaring up and out because it puts extra pressure on the whole pelvis. Think about your ribs being stacked on top of the hips so that your breath can go down into your diaphragm as you breathe. This will also prevent tension along your lower back and make it easier for your abdominals to naturally engage.
Postural alignment is key
at the end of pregnancy, our belly pulls our pelvis forward. This allows our abdominals to relax, but also puts an excessive amount of stress on our lower back. After having our children, the body needs to be reminded of what is a neutral pelvis because you now don’t have a baby in your stomach pulling you forwards. We have to actively think about bringing our pelvis into a neutral position and this should be paid attention to when we are in standing and walking.
That was a lot of tips and some technical thoughts too. So, let’s talk about some exercises that will help you promote awareness of your abdominals and pelvic neutral so that it translates into your walking posture.
Try these movements as a warm-up before you go walking with your littles in the stroller. Then try all the tips to protect your spine and back while walking.
If you continue to have back or neck pain while walking or just feel like you need some more individual guidance on how to take care of YOUR body the best after having children, we would love to help. Our dedicated pelvic floor physical therapists can guide you on your road to recovery! Start with a FREE consultation to talk more with our specialists about how we can help you have the best health possible!