EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES DURING PREGNANCY: STANDING

The majority of people, if they stand for any length of time, tend to stiffen and become fixed, particularly in the lower back and the legs. It is in fact quite a tiring activity. As every pregnant woman knows, carrying the extra weight of the baby can make standing even for a short time exhausting. Another unpleasant consequence is that you may feel faint, and indeed may faint. The blood from the legs is pumped back to the heart by the movement of the muscles in the legs. The faintness is caused by the fall in blood pressure which occurs as the blood pools in the legs because there is no movement in the muscles to pump the blood back.The most important advice we can give is first and foremost to avoid standing for long periods wherever possible. It puts a lot of strain on your body and the less unnecessary stress you can give yourself the better. Having said this, of course in real life there are situations where it is unavoidable. Here are some general hints about standing which will help you both while pregnant and in your everyday life afterwards.A very common habit of faulty use in standing is to stand with more weight over the balls of the feet, and the joints in the legs locked. It is therefore worth reminding you that to counteract this tendency you need to give your Alexander directions so that your weight shifts back towards the heels and is evenly distributed through the front and the back of the feet.Some women find mat standing with the feet wide apart, which gives a broader base, can seem more stable, but this is in fact deceptive. With the feet wide apart there is no firm base of support directly underneath the torso. As a result the whole trunk sags and ‘drops down between the legs’. With this stance it is also very easy to ‘rigidity’ or fix in the legs and this interferes with freedom of movement. It is preferable to stand with the feet directly below the hips and the toes pointing out at a slight angle, so that the weight of your torso is transmitted directly through your legs into the ground.Another very common habit is to stand with all the weight on one leg, tilting the pelvis and dropping down into the hip, which twists the spine. A practical alternative – which looks both relaxed and poised – is to stand with one foot slightly behind the other. Many of Alexander’s students were performers who had to stand for a long time and Alexander used to teach them to stand like this. You can slide one foot back an inch or two and let the weight rest mainly on the rear foot. By sliding one foot back, rather than putting one foot in front you are less likely to sink down into your hips. This gives you a freer base with more mobility and springiness. Take care to alternate this stance at intervals, by changing the foot that is behind because even in this position it is possible for your muscles to fix.Even if you are thinking about maintaining your good use, it is very easy for your muscles to stiffen when you are not moving, because the limited number of muscles and ligaments supporting you are under a constant strain. The following are movements that will make standing less tiring.Standing in a very slight monkey allows the muscles of the lower back to stretch out. Where possible, make use of any available support. You can lean your bottom (or whole back) against a wall, or you could lean on a table, allowing your hands to share the weight. Take special care to inhibit the temptation to slump against the support you use.Another possibility in monkey is to gently rock from one leg to the other. This is advantageous because it alternates the weight going through the pelvic ligaments. You can rock from side to side while standing with your feet parallel, or you can slide one foot back an inch or two then rock backwards and forwards. Alternatively you can walk on the spot, without actually taking your toes off the ground. Go up on your toes on one foot and then up on the other. Directing your knee forwards, let tire heel ‘peel’ off the floor, so that the weight goes out over the toes. Take care to keep the length in the back – it will help if you think of staying back over the supporting foot while moving the other. This is useful if you feel faint as it exercises the calf muscles which have a strong pumping action helping the return of the blood to the heart. (It is also, alas, a movement that can easily trigger habitual misuse, so ask your Alexander teacher to take you through it.)*44\346\2*

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