So I have previously mentioned that I have been experiencing some back pain, hip pain, & knee pain when I run since becoming pregnant. I have always had back pain bc several years ago I herniated my disc not once but twice. 聽I tried to deadlift very heavy & I lost grip on one side which is how I initially injured myself and the second time I believe I just pushed myself too hard & flared that injury up again. I had to go through several rounds of steroid injections in my spine to help this injury both times which was not really fun plus I had to really minimize my activities bc I physically just couldn’t do them. 聽I could barely walk or stand at points so it was no joke!
Since then I have been very careful about any back pain I get. 聽Now back pain and pregnancy is very common so I am trying to make sure I do not push myself too hard for my health and also for my little guy. 聽The pain I am experiencing while running is nothing severe so let me get that straight right away. 聽I am just more sensitive to any back pain bc I have learned my lesson to take it seriously! 聽
So bc of this pain I have cut my running pace down and my mileage per week. 聽Currently my exercise routine consists of 3 days of strength training (1 upper body specific, 1 lower body specific, & 1 that is a mix of both plus core exercises with all of them). 聽I will post a more in depth breakdown of exactly what I am doing sometimes soon. 聽I do not have any pain while doing any strength training routines. 聽I am also running 2x a week logging about 9-10 miles. 聽Generally one 4 miles run plus one 5-6 miles run at an easy pace for me (10-11 minute per mile). 聽I was experiencing some minor back pain running so that is why I sought out a potential remedy.
So I found this Gabrialla Maternity belt posted on a few blogs and read comments about other users using it for exercising. 聽I do not have any pain generally just walking and doing normal activities btw. 聽This may change but atm it is only when running. 聽So I decided to try this belt out for running. 聽I got the strong one in size small. 聽It was about $40 from Amazon.
I like to to wear this belt fairly tight. 聽If you have been following me for awhile you know I love Sweet Sweat and their ab belt. 聽I really think having some compression on my back helps my back and makes me feel more supported during certain exercises. 聽Obviously I cannot wear my Sweet Sweat belt or use it while pregnant so this is a pregnancy friendly solution. 聽I will advise you not to wear it too, too tight though bc it will make you feel like you have to go to the bathroom lol!
This belt is very easy to adjust and wear. I have no problems sitting and stretching in it after running. 聽It does go very high up your back (see pic above) so if you are petite or have a very short torso you may not like this. 聽Also it is distinguishable under clothing which I don’t mind but you might. 聽If you are just buying this for back support around house or everyday activities you may want to just get the medium support. 聽It is cheaper and not as tight.
For the record I have used this 4x so far which I think is a good enough trial to post a review. 聽I really like it for several reasons. 聽One it does help with back pain!! 聽It is not perfect but my back feels pretty darn good while running with this on! 聽Two it also helps with that jiggling feeling in your tummy. 聽Maybe that’s a weird way to explain it but since my belly popped it feels like my stomach is bouncing up and down when I run which is a very uncomfortable feeling and makes me feel like I have to pee (maybe TMI but whatever hahaha!). 聽This really helps with that! 聽I would definitely recommend this belt to anyone with a similar situation.
On a side note for my hip and knee pain I have really found that compression sleeves or socks help a lot with that! 聽I have been wearing these Run Forever compression sleeves (pic above) since before my half marathon and have noticed a major difference since wearing them. 聽Highly recommend those also for running while pregnant. 聽Also purchased on Amazon (slight obsession with that site lol!)
Hope you enjoyed this review!! 聽I will be posting a more in depth 6 months pregnant blog post soon along with comparison photos of how I am progressing & struggles, successes, etc. 聽Thank you all so much for all the love & support so far on this journey!! 馃挆馃挆馃挆
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