Pregnancy is not an easy journey, and most times, it is a story of back pain, but the side lying clam is what you need.
Not so many exercising routines sync with expectant mothers, but this one does – besides that, anyone else can do it.
Why is it an important exercise routine for pregnant women? Because it helps alleviate back pain which is common during the pregnancy period.
Over and above that, this workout activates your abdominal, core, and butt muscles since it is callisthenic.
In this article, you learn everything there is to know about the side lying clam workout. Here are the steps to follow in doing it.
- To begin, lie on your back.
- Bend you under your head or neck to provide support.
- On the elevated side, place one hand on the hip.
- Let the torso be straight down to your knees.
- Bend your knees so that your legs are at a 45-degree angle, and keep your feet firmly on the ground.
- Keep your torso and feet firm while performing this movement.
- Kneel as widely apart as you possibly can.
- Then, bring back the knees to their initial position.
- Perform the moves again on the other side before switching sides.
WHAT MUSCLES DO SIDE LYING CLAM WORK?
Since the side lying clam exercise is a bodyweight workout, it targets primary and secondary muscles.
Therefore these are the primary muscles on target.
GLUTES
No muscle in your body compares to the gluteus maximus in terms of power and endurance. The gluteal region has three muscles: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus.
To maintain proper posture and balance, it is essential to have powerful glutes, which control hip mobility and stabilise the pelvis.
These butt muscles are the only primary muscles that the clam works. However, it works more secondary muscles.
They include:
HAMSTRINGS
Biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus make up your hamstrings. They perform the sole function of flexing the knees and extending the hips.
HIP FLEXORS
It’s hard to deny that side lying clam exercise works the hip flexors just as hard as the core.
The three hip flexors muscles enable you to raise your leg during the workout.
LOWER BACK
Your lower back is a bony structure with 24 vertebrae. Muscles here house the spinal cord and facilitate the extension, rotation, flexing and stability of the vertebrae during exercise.
SIDE LYING CLAM BENEFITS
As a bodyweight exercise, the side lying clam has a lot of advantages. Here they are.
STRENGTHENING YOUR HIPS
Most of the action centres around your hip region meaning that consistency with the exercise strengthens the hip region.
Besides, your glutes, the primary muscles working in this workout, also get more power.
TONED BUTT
Not many workouts work your butt muscles like the side lying clam does. Thus, you end up with a toned butt.
REDUCES BACK PAIN
As earlier mentioned, pregnant women can do away with back pain through this workout. It works your lower back muscles, thereby ensuring that your spine is correctly aligned.
YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE
You need no equipment to do this. An exercising mat is enough to get you started.
ALTERNATIVE TO SIDE LYING CLAM
You can try several side lying clam variations to increase your fitness training. Some only require your body weight, while others may need gym equipment.
They include the following:
SIDE HIP RAISES
Adding side hip lifts to your workout programme is a wonderful way to strengthen and balance your hips. It mostly targets the muscles in your lower body.
Technique:
- To begin, lie down on a mat or on the ground, facing the right side.
- Place your feet on top of each other and keep your back straight.
- The best approach to support your head is by cradling it in an arm, either straight on the floor or slightly bent at the elbow.
- Rest your left hand on your leg or hip, or place it in front of you for additional support.
- As you exhale, gently lift your left leg off the lower leg.
- obliques and lower back begin to contract as soon as your leg is raised.
- Take a deep breath in, then lower your right leg toward your left leg. Your feet should now be stacked in the same manner.
- On each side, perform 10-12 repetitions of the exercise, then switch.
SIDE-LYING LEG LIFT
To perform side leg lifts, you must abduct or push your leg away from your midline, strengthening your outer thighs.
Technique:
- Straighten your legs while lying on your right side.
- Use your right hand to prop up your head.
- Gradually reduce the angle of your lifted leg before softly lowering it.
- This concludes one set of reps.
- Perform 12–15 reps on one side, then the other.
CURTSY LUNGE WITH KICK
The kick element in this workout fires up your glutes and hip muscles.
Technique:
- Position your feet so that they are about shoulder-width apart.
- Grip a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, and your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Rest them on your shoulder.
- As you take a step back with your right foot, bend your left knee near the ground.
- Bend your front knee to roughly 90 degrees, and keep the rest of your leg straight.
- Return to a standing position by pushing through your right heel and straightening your left leg.
- Kick with the left side as you return to an upright position.
- Perform 8–12 reps on one side, then switch sides and repeat.
SIDE LYING CLAM MISTAKES TO AVOID
Bodyweight exercises such as side lying clam require correct form. However, you may end up making the following mistakes.
- Extending the spine to extreme levels
- Backward turning of the pelvis
- Poor posture – always maintain a straight line up as you do the exercise while lying on an exercising mat.
- Tensing your muscles.
- Holding your breath
CONCLUSION
While side lying clam is a fantastic workout option for pregnant women, it is also a good warmup for other trainers. The glute isolation principle that it employs enables you to perform many other bodyweight exercises that require strong glutes.
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