Safe Lower Back Exercises During Pregnancy: A PT's Advice

Question
I have a weak lower back and have been taking some physical therapy sessions recently to strengthen it during my pregnancy

Most of the exercise are centered around lower back stabilization. Are these safe? and uptill what week can I do them?

I used to do cruches and exercise to help with it prior.

I am 13 weeks pregnant.
thanks,

Answer
Your PT is correct, lower back stabilization exercises are what you need. Keep doing them. Theses types of exercises work best when you perform them slowly and with a lot of mental focus. This way you can feel if you unintentionally roll or twist your pelvis.

Crunches do not help lower back problems and are not advised after the first trimester of pregnancy. On my web site I give two safe abdominal exercises for during pregnancy. They can be found at www.befitmom.com, select Strength and Core Conditioning and scroll down to the bottom of the page.