Rib cage discomfort is a common area of complaint for folks during their pregnancy, especially as the diaphragm’s movement is restricted by your growing baby! As baby grows, the diaphragms range of motion is decreased, so our rib cage mobility can be affected which can cause discomfort.
Let’s explore three rib mobility exercises we can do to find some relief from this discomfort during pregnancy and all phases of life!
The Rib Cage: Postural Tendency
Similar to the pelvis, we tend to have a postural tendency for how we position the rib cage. The rib cage acts counter to our pelvic position. If we are more oriented forward with the left hip and backward with the right hip, we tend to compress on the right side of the rib cage and the left side of the rib cage tends to be more flared and the left posterior rib cage tends to flatten instead of round.
We want to focus on finding more expansion or length in the right side of the body, more expansion or rounding in the left posterior upper back, and then compression on the left side of the body.
The mobility work that we focus on should focus on helping us find a more neutral rib cage position or counter this postural tendency!
Our prenatal fitness programs are focused on help you find more movement in your pelvis and rib cage to support a more comfortable pregnancy. We offer our programs in an app and on-demand!
Feel strong and move comfortably throughout your entire pregnancy. Our program syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start at any time!
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3 Rib Cage Movement Patterns
Next, we want to understand that the rib cage moves in three planes of motion:
- the frontal plane (lateral bending)
- the sagittal plane (front to back)
- the transverse plane (rotationally)
Our mobility work should reflect these three planes of motion! We may find that we are more restricted in one plane and this is causing issues or discomfort.
1. Release the Side Body: Frontal Plane Mobility Work
The right side of the rib cage tends to be more compressed as we side bend into that side while we rotate towards our more backward oriented hip. Mobility work can focus on finding more expansion in the right-side body!
One of my favorite exercises to do is this side seated rib release exercise. We can also incorporate some sagittal plane elements to find more expansion in the left posterior rib cage too to counter that rib flare positioning.
Steps to do this exercise:
1) Start in a side seated position with the right arm
straight.
2) Allow the right-side body to sink towards the floor. You should feel a big stretch in the right-side
body.
3) Reach forward with the left arm and think push the chest
away from the hand to feel the upper left back expand.
4) Take a few deep breaths here.
2. Release the Backside: Sagittal Plane Mobility Work
The left upper back tends to flatten and lose its curvature as we shift towards the right side to match the pelvic position. This flatten can make it harder to take a deep breath and cause other compensation issues down the kinetic chain.
We can focus on finding more expansion in the upper back by dropping to the forearms and pushing the chest away from the arms.
Steps to do this exercise:
1) From a seated or table top position, bring the forearms to the floor or your elevated surface.
2) Tuck the chin, and think push the chest away from the forearms to feel the upper back expand.
3) Take a few deep breaths here to feel the upper back expand.
4) Option to favor the left side by straightening the right arm, and adding a side bend to the left side to find length in the right side.
3. Thoracic Rotation: Transverse Plane Mobility Work
We tend to rotate more oriented to the right side to compensate for a backward right hip position. We may find that rotating in one direction feels more “stuck” than the other, and it could be due to pelvic position impeding the rotation and/or lack of mobility in that direction.
One of my favorite ways to find rotation in my spine is to use a PVC pipe or this stick mobility prop to twist in my upper spine as I shift my weight from leg to leg.
Steps to do this exercise:
1) Wrap your arms around a long stick behind your upper back.
2) Spread the legs out wider than hip distance, and begin to shift your weight from leg to leg.
3) As you shift your weight to the left leg, think belly to thigh and reach the right arm down towards the floor for a rotation to the left.
4) Come back to a standing position, and switch to the right side.
5) Pause at the bottom of each rotation to take time to take a few deep breaths to feel the rib cage expand with the rotation.
We incorporate rib cage mobility in our prenatal and postnatal fitness programs to keep our spines moving! We are meant to move, and we want to support your comfort throughout your fitness journey. Explore our programs here.
Rib Cage Discomfort: Find Mobility!
The rib cage can move in three directions: front to back, laterally side bending, and then rotationally. We want to ensure that we have freedom of movement in all three directions to maintain comfort throughout our pregnancy!
Our diaphragms range of motion is restricted throughout pregnancy as your baby grows, so we may find that rib cage discomfort is more common as these postural tendencies become more prominent! Focus on finding movement in the rib cage can help us find a ton of relief!