Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms | Stop pain, fix biomechanics, improve function

Do you constantly feel like your neck, shoulders, hips, or back are tight? Have you been stretching the same muscles over and over—but nothing seems to change? What if that “tight” feeling isn’t actually caused by muscles that need more stretching? In this episode of Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms, we’re unpacking one of the biggest misconceptions I see as a physical therapist. You’ll learn...

What does spending days crawling under a house have to do with back pain, body mechanics, and working motherhood? A lot. This week, my husband and I took on one of the most physically demanding home projects we’ve ever tackled. We expected to end the week sore, stiff, and exhausted. While we were definitely tired, we were surprised by what didn’t hurt—and the reason why reinforces everything I tea...

  Do you end the day feeling completely wiped out… even when you didn’t technically “work out”? Maybe your neck hurts.  Your back aches.  Your hips feel stiff.  And you wonder… Am I out of shape?  Getting older?  Doing something wrong? In this episode, I’m challenging a belief I hear from moms all the time: “I just need to get in better shape.” What if the issue isn’t motivation… but mismatch? You...

Most moms don’t develop posture problems from sitting at a desk all day. They develop them from how they move, lift, hold, and carry kids all day long. In this episode, I break down the 3 most common mom posture habits I see that lead to neck pain, back pain, hip tightness, and that “always sore” feeling.       In this episode we talk about 1. The Mom Lean (standing on one hip) Standing with all y...

  You bought the ergonomic chair. Maybe you added a standing desk, lumbar support, or a fancy footrest too. Yet somehow your back still aches, your neck is tight, and your shoulders are screaming by the end of the day. If you’ve ever thought, “I did all the things, so why do I still hurt?” this episode is for you. As working moms, we often assume pain must mean we need better equipment. But in my...

Do you struggle with back pain, neck pain, or shoulder tension after driving? The solution may not be stretching your neck or forcing your shoulders back. It may start with your pelvis. In this episode of Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms, I explain how proper lumbar support can improve your entire driving posture through a simple chain reaction. When your pelvis is positioned well and your nat...

Today we’re talking about two underrated ergonomic chair adjustments that can completely change how your body feels during the workday. If you end your day with tight shoulders, an aching back, tension headaches, or that “why does my whole body feel stressed?” feeling after sitting at your desk, your chair setup may be contributing more than you realize. In this episode, I’m breaking down two simp...

Maycember is here, summer is starting, and suddenly your calendar is packed with graduations, field days, cookouts, beach trips, and long days on your feet. And if your feet are hurting more than usual—you’re not imagining it. In this episode, we’re talking about why foot pain, heel pain, and plantar fasciitis tend to spike this time of year, and how your shoe choices may be playing a bigger role...

You adjusted your desk setup.  You fixed your car posture.  You bought the lumbar pillow.  You keep reminding yourself to sit up straight… So why do your shoulders still slump forward by midday? Why do tension headaches keep creeping back in? And why does your neck still feel tight by the end of the day? Because posture isn’t just about awareness.  It’s about endurance. In this episode, we’re talk...

You’ve fixed your lifting mechanics. You’re using your legs, keeping your child close, engaging your core… So why does your back still hurt? In this episode, we’re digging into the missing piece most moms overlook: resiliency. Because the truth is—back pain in motherhood isn’t just about how you lift. It’s about how much your body can handle, over and over again, throughout the day. From picking u...

Back pain from carrying your toddler? Hip pain from holding your baby all day?  If you’re a working mom dealing with constant aches from carrying your kids, this episode will show you why it’s happening—and how to fix it with simple, realistic changes. Carrying your child is one of the most physically demanding parts of motherhood. Whether it’s holding your toddler on your hip, lifting them in and...

Bunions are often blamed on genetics or years of wearing the “wrong” shoes—but that’s only part of the story. In this episode, I’m breaking down what a bunion actually is, why it forms, and how your daily habits—from the shoes you wear to the way you walk—play a much bigger role than you might think. As a physical therapist (and someone who wore pointe shoes and heels for years), I’ve personally r...

If you’ve ever left your kid’s game more sore than they are… this episode is for you. Between hard bleachers, hauling all the gear, and sitting in awkward positions for hours, it’s no surprise so many moms deal with back pain after sports days. But the good news? You don’t need more time, more workouts, or a total routine overhaul to feel better. In this episode, I’m walking you through simple, re...

Have you ever lifted the infant car seat out of the car and felt that little tweak in your back? That 15–25 lb seat plus your baby might not seem heavy… until it’s your low back, shoulders, and core feeling the strain.   In this episode, I share the exact car seat lift that protects your back, shoulders, and core — plus a few tricks most moms don’t know. You’ll learn:   Why lifting a car seat hurt...

Spring cleaning can cause a lot of back pain for moms, especially when you’re bending, lifting, scrubbing bathrooms, and hauling laundry baskets in one long cleaning session. In this episode, learn simple ergonomic strategies to help you clean your home without wrecking your back, neck, or shoulders. If your back aches after vacuuming, scrubbing bathrooms, or carrying laundry baskets, you’re not a...

Motherhood asks a lot from your body.   Think about what your body does in a typical day as a mom: lifting kids, carrying awkward loads, bending down to pick up toys, standing while cooking, sitting at a desk, driving to activities, and helping with bedtime routines.   It’s constant physical work.   And yet most moms are never taught how to support their bodies through these demands.   In this epi...

If your neck hurts at the end of the day, you’re not alone. Many working moms experience constant neck pain from a combination of desk work, phone use, driving kids around, and everyday parenting tasks.   This “tech neck” posture happens when your head spends hours tilted forward while texting, scrolling, working on a laptop, or looking down throughout the day. Over time, that extra strain can lea...

Infant car seat back pain is incredibly common — especially in the postpartum months. If you’re dealing with wrist pain from carrying a car seat, arm fatigue from the infant carrier, or shoulder and low back pain after lifting the baby seat, you’re not alone.   Carrying an infant car seat places uneven load through your wrist, shoulder, and spine, and most moms were never taught how to lift or car...

If your neck and shoulder start hurting every school year when activities pick back up… you are not imagining it.   More driving. More sitting. More carrying backpacks, sports gear, and tired kids.   It adds up fast.   Last week, my own neck and shoulder locked up after a sudden increase in driving time, school drop-offs, and carrying my toddler barefoot across parking lots.   But here’s the impor...

If you’re a working mom dealing with back pain, neck pain, shoulder tension, or constant physical exhaustion, you are not alone.   So many moms struggle with pain from:   Sitting at a desk all day Holding and carrying their kids Feeding, nursing, and daily caregiving tasks Poor posture and unsupportive workspaces     And most moms assume this is just part of motherhood.   But it’s not.   In this e...

Ending every workday with a headache isn’t normal—and it’s not just stress.   In this episode, I break down why desk work commonly leads to headaches and walk you through my 3-Step Simple Support Framework using one of the most common pain complaints I see in working moms.   We talk about how your desk setup, screen habits, and daily movement patterns quietly contribute to head and neck tension—an...

Feeling sore, stiff, or wiped out after daily mom duties? If you’re constantly lifting toddlers, bending for diaper changes, or reaching into car seats, your body is taking a beating—and it doesn’t have to. In this episode, we’re breaking down how to move smarter, lift safely, and strengthen the muscles you actually use every day as a mom.   You’ll learn:   How small environmental tweaks can make...

If you’ve ever ended the day with neck pain, back aches, or wrists that feel completely overworked—and told yourself “this is just part of being a mom”—this episode is for you.   Ergonomics is often talked about as something only office workers need. But the truth is, motherhood is one of the most physically demanding jobs there is. And no one taught us how to support our bodies while doing it.  ...

If your low back feels clunky, unstable, or tight—but stretching never seems to help—you’re not alone.   In today’s episode, we’re breaking down spinal instability: what it actually means, what it doesn’t mean, and why it does not mean you’re fragile or broken.   Spinal instability simply means the structures supporting your spine aren’t providing the level of stability your body needs during move...

Pumping shouldn’t feel like rowing upstream—but for many moms, it does. In today’s episode, we’re diving into practical, easy-to-implement strategies to make pumping more comfortable, efficient, and pain-free.   You’ll learn:   How upright posture improves milk flow and prevents strain The simple towel-roll trick to support your low back while sitting in a chair How to sit back instead of leaning...