Prenatal
It’s vital as your body changes during pregnancy to pay special attention to your feet. This is because your feet will have to cope with increased pressures, a decrease in stability as well as the development of laxity within your joints.
Things you can do to assist during this period of time includes:
- Avoid standing for long periods
- Massage your feet to help reduce discomfort
- Raise your legs when sitting at the end of the day
- Start a tailored stretch program by Melbourne Sports Podiatry
- Wear good, supportive footwear
- Avoid thongs, high heels and unsupportive footwear
- Apply cream to your feet daily
- If you cannot cut your toenails during your pregnancy – Have it professionally done by a Melbourne Sports Podiatrist
Melbourne Sports Podiatry ensures if you are keen to return to an active lifestyle after birth that you are given every chance to. Hence we assist your lower limb strength and biomechanics during your pregnancy by using one or all off the following options: soft insoles, lower limb massage and safe strength work.
Postnatal
After pregnancy, it’s common for you and other mums to feel a disconnect between your body and movement. This is primarily because of ligamentous laxity which occurs as a result of a dramatically increased level of progesterone during pregnancy as well as the secretion of a hormone called relaxin which remodels collagen to increase the elasticity and relaxation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Hypermobility through lax ligaments leads to poor activation of the muscles protecting joints in the foot, ankle, leg and pelvis. Thus it’s vital to start training your movement patterns as quickly as possible once the birth of the baby has occurred.
Melbourne Sports Podiatry offers new mothers an opportunity to safely return back to exercise with clear and specific treatment programs to assist strong balanced movement.