How to fixx rib flare
How to FIXX Rib Flare!
By Kris Minear, L/PTA
One of the biggest complaints we get from moms who are >6 months postpartum is that, despite returning to working out and feeling strong again, their bras and shirts still don’t fit the way they used to before they were pregnant. Not surprisingly - research shows that on average, a female’s ribcage will expand 2-3’’ over the course of her pregnancy due to the growing uterus displacing the diaphragm and abdominals, causing the ribs to flare forward or laterally. This is not just a fashion issue - postpartum rib flare is often associated with a weak core, pelvic floor dysfunction, poor breathing mechanics and low back pain.
Some clients know they have rib flare because they need to go up in bra sizes, but for other clients, the difference is so subtle that they only find out about their flared ribs during their initial pelvic floor PT exam (and then a lot of their other symptoms start to make sense!) Ribs can flare forward, laterally, or to one side, so it’s important to have a PT assess you so they can make the best exercise recommendations for you! While flared ribs may be an inevitable consequence of growing a human, they aren’t permanent!
Check out some of our favorite exercises to address rib flare below, and email kristina@fixxedstudios.com to schedule your free 20 minute phone consultation to get your pelvic floor PT initial exam scheduled!
Half-kneeling Pallof Press
The Pallof press is a go-to at FIXXED for establishing spinal stability as well as strengthening all parts of your core including your rectus abdominis and obliques. Strong obliques in particular help to pull front ribs back down. Pallof presses can be done in a variety of positions, but we love half-kneeling to help stabilize the pelvis and add in a hip flexor stretch. Try 10 on each side - Inhale to prepare with elbows by your ribs and band at your chest, and exhale as you punch the band forward.
Dead Bug with a Theraball
Dead bugs with a Theraball are a great way to fire up your core and re-train the diaphragm, helping to knit the ribs down. Inhale as you flatten your low back to the mat, and use your strong exhale to firm up your core and tap one heel down to the ground. Feel pelvic pressure, low back pain or abdominal coning during this exercise? Take it to an isometric Dead Bug and use the exhale to press hands and thighs into the ball without moving your legs. To progress this exercise, try extending your opposite arm back as you tap one leg down. Try 20 total.
Deep Squat with a Lat Stretch
As the diaphragm weakens and ribs flare forward during pregnancy, the lower back muscles tighten up, which can cause the pelvis to tilt forward and put more pressure on the low back and posterior pelvic floor. A great way to counteract this postpartum is to stretch out the lats and paraspinals while focusing on back breathing with a self-assisted stretch. Find a deep squat while holding onto something overhead like a squat rack or a doorframe. Let your back round and take full inhales and exhales. On each inhale, relax the belly and pelvic floor and imagine the back side of your ribs expanding backwards and out, and on the exhale breath, make a “Shhhh” sound to contract your abdominal muscles and lift your pelvic floor. Hold and breathe fully for 1 minute.
