3. Shoulder strengthening
Shoulder pain is a common complaint in babywearing. This is due to the weight of carrying the child, especially in front carry, that tends to bring the shoulder into forward flexion, leading to rounded shoulders. The muscles in front of the shoulder will tend to be tighter and the shoulder blade muscles will tend to weaken over time. By strengthening the shoulder muscles and ensuring the carrier is fitted well, you will help to prevent shoulder pain over time.
How to do the exercise:
- Looking in the mirror, ensure the shoulders are relaxed, elbows bent to 90 degrees, arms kept by the side of the body.
- Visualise that you have a ball that is placed in the middle of your upper back, in between the 2 shoulder blades.
- Pull your elbows/arms back as your squeeze the shoulder blades together to squeeze the “ball”.
- Hold and count to 5 before letting go.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
- Once you are comfortable with this exercise standing straight up, you can try adding squats to challenge yourself (like in the pictures below)!
These exercises will help to build up muscle strength essential for babywearing.
In general, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as well as having a properly fitted carrier can help to ensure unnecessary strains while babywearing.
* Note: Exercises can be done with or without baby in a carrier. For beginners, start off without baby and slowly progress to trying with baby in an ergonomic buckled carrier, wrap or meh dai, with baby in front (inward facing) carry.
Special thanks to Victoria Lim (@thepinksoldier) – awesome mummy and fabulous personal trainer – for modelling for us!
Originally published here.
Rynette is the Founder and Managing Director of 13Thirteen. She is also one of the most experienced Certified Babywearing Consultants in the industry, having used a huge variety of baby carriers to carry all three of her children. Rynette has a background in Communications and Psychology, and enjoys sharing about babywearing in relation to a child’s development.
Louise returned to Singapore in 2006 after studying in Scotland, and has worked in an array of rehab settings in Singapore, from public hospitals (Changi General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Heart Center), Ministry of Defence, nursing homes, private hospital Mount Elizabeth Orchard, before settling to private practice and specialising in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and spinal physiotherapy.
13Thirteen (pronounced “thirteen thirteen”) is a consultancy, retail and distribution business specialising in Babywearing, based in Singapore.
wow. I never knew I could exercise while baby carrying.
I will add this to my exercise routine.