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One of the most significant contributions to a healthy pregnancy is good posture. As your baby grows you may need to change how you sit, stand up or even simply lie down. Much of the back pain that you may experience throughout pregnancy is related to strain in your back muscles. This is due to the weight of your little one.
Even though you are required to train your mind and body, good postures can prevent and relieve pain. In some cases, it can also ease the process of naturally birthing your baby. One such exercise is the ‘tailor sitting’.
What is a Tailor Sitting Position?
You might be familiar with the phrase “sitting cross-legged”. Tailor sitting is comparable to it and followed by a lot of expecting mothers for improving posture and for relieving back pain.
This exercise helps you relieve strain on your back and at the same time works on your posture during and after pregnancy.
Tailor Sitting Versus Ring Sitting
The distinction between ring sitting and tailor sitting is where the feet are placed. Contrary to tailor sitting, where your feet will be crossed over one another, ring sitting involves your feet lying sole to sole to make a ring. Ring sitting offers similar health advantages to customized sitting since it strengthens and stretches the same parts of your body, including your pelvis and inner thighs.
How to Do The Tailor Sitting Exercise?
The Basic Tailor sitting Position
1. Firstly, sit on the floor with your feet in front of you. You can also use a yoga mat. Your spine should be straight.
2. Bring your right foot close towards your left sit bone and your right knee on the sides of your body.
3. Bring your left foot close to your right sit bone, crossing your shin bones.
4. Make sure you keep your spine erect and relax your shoulders. You may also align your back to a wall for support.
5. Keep your head straight up and stretch your neck and. Allow your knees to relax back on the floor. If your hip and thigh muscles feel uncomfortably stretched, then keep two rolled towels under each knee to assist this position.
6. Breathe deeply and hold this position for 30 seconds and slowly work your way up.
The Tailor Press Exercise
1. Begin with the tailor sit position, by following the steps mentioned above.
2. Now place your hands under your knees (left hand under left knee and right hand under right knee).
3. Breathe in, as you gently push up with your hands and down with your knee. This creates a counterbalancing force.
4. Keep pressing for five seconds and then release as you exhale.
5. Do this as many times as you may desire.
Tailor Sit and Trunk Turn Exercise
1. Sit cross-legged on the floor, and keep your spine erect.
2. Put your right hand on your left knee. Now, rest your left hand on the floor or yoga mat to support yourself and balance.
3. Slowly turn your head, shoulder and chest as far left as you can, comfortably. But don’t move your hips, knees, and feet.
4. Hold for 5 counts.
5. Then slowly come back to your initial posture and repeat it on the right side.
5 Benefits of Tailor Sitting Position During Pregnancy
The tailor sitting position provides much-needed sitting relief by helping with your back pain. The tailor sit is also recommended as one of Bradley’s Methods of natural childbirth method. Here are some of the benefits of tailor-sitting during pregnancy:
- It encourages good posture, which eases your back pain and improves your blood circulation.
- It helps your uterus to move forward, which in turn helps your baby move into a more favorable position for birth.
- It strengthens your hip and thigh muscles along with your pelvic region.
- Along with strengthening, this posture also helps you stretch your inner thigh muscles and groin. This helps you become more flexible in these areas.
- Correct Tailor sitting Position can also help you in preventing uterine prolapse and urinary incontinence after delivery.
Even though there are many advantages of tailor sitting exercise, a few precautions must be taken during pregnancy and also if you have any previous injury in your hip, thigh, or groin.
Precautions to Be Taken During Tailor Sitting
The tailor sitting exercise is considered safe and doesn’t hurt at all, but a few things are to be kept in mind while doing it during your pregnancy.
1. If you have any previous injuries in your pelvic region, hip, and thigh muscles, you can use yoga blocks, rolled towels, or blankets to support your knees during this exercise.
2. If the exercise hurts, try to tone down the intensity and the frequency. You can also discontinue the exercise and switch to something that you find comfortable.
3. Contact a doctor in case you experience back pain and pelvic pressure as they can be signs of early or premature labor. Some of the other signs may include:
- Contractions at regular intervals
- Abdominal cramps
- Vaginal fluid
- Spotting or bleeding
- A sudden change in your vaginal discharge
Final Takeaway
The tailor sit is a wonderful exercise that helps you ease your pain and fix your posture. It can also help you strengthen and stretch your muscles, especially in your hip, back, thigh, and pelvic region. Amidst all the stress of pregnancy, this exercise helps you tune in with your body as well as with your baby.
Always remember, that good posture can help you look and feel better and may prevent some of the discomforts that can happen later in pregnancy.
