Day 232.

After 4.5 years of breastfeeding, babywearing, constant picking up children, leaning over to care for them, leaning over to play with them, and just general tiredness and slump posture, I now feel like I'm learning how to stand up straight all over again.

I am grateful for good posture.

I have been going to Physical Therapy for a month now, and I have been really impressed. I have been dealing with chronic neck, shoulder and back pain, coupled with bad headaches. It seems to have gotten worse in the last year, so I needed to do something about it. My primary care physician, bless his heart, gave me a prescription for PT, not medication, and I am so much better for it!

I have learned what terrible posture I have developed - most of it probably in the last five years. My pecs have gotten incredibly strong, while my back is incredibly weak. So, five weeks of shoulder exercises, back exercises, core work, intense muscle work, and good ole stretching, and I am feeling a lot better. Most importantly, I'm keeping an eye on my posture throughout my day, and I can't describe what a difference that has made. I seriously want to encourage every one of my mom friends with young kids - go get some tips from a physical therapist about posture! Have them give you some exercises to increase your ability to have good posture...you will not regret it. Motherhood is hard on your body, thank goodness for Physical Therapists!