Strengthen your core muscles are stretched and weakened during pregnancy, which means it’s important to do targeted exercises postpartum to regain your strengthen and stability. When your provider gives you the all clear, simple movements like tightening your belly button towards your spine, roll ups, and knee folds can help tone this area. You’ll want to be careful, though, if you have diastasis recti or any other complications, and potentially seek additional advice from a pelvic floor therapist to guide your recovery.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- What is the core?
- Why does my core strengthen change during pregnancy?
- How to strengthen your core after pregnancy
- Postpartum core exercises
- What to know before you start exercising postpartum
What is the core?
Your core is made up of your deep abdominal muscles – which include the obliques, rectus and transversus abdominus muscles. These muscles act as corset around your torso, providing support to the abdomen, pelvis and back. Maintaining a strong core is the best way to make sure your spine and abdomen have the support needed to avoid strain or injury.
Why does my core strengthen change during pregnancy?
When you’re pregnant, your expanding belly causes your abdomen to expand outward to make room for your growing baby. As your abdomen presses outward, the connective tissue that joins the two sides of the rectus abdominus muscle begins to thin and widen, making the muscles less effective at contracting. The widening of the connective tissue is called a “diastasis recti” and it’s a normal response to the expanding belly during pregnancy.
Although your rectus muscles may not be able to work as efficiently during pregnancy, it’s still important to include abdominal exercises that can help keep the muscles of your core strong so you can quickly return to ab exercise postpartum.
Even if your core wasn’t part of your exercise routine before pregnancy, there’s no better time than the postpartum weeks to start. You can build a strong core for your overall health, and to protect your back while you heal – and while you carry your baby around.
Core changes during pregnancy are completely normal and will improve with time, especially combined with safe and effective ab exercises.
How to strengthen your core after pregnancy
When you picture core muscles, you may think of building a six pack, but the core runs much deeper than those recti muscles, and includes some major players such as the transverse and oblique muscles. Here’s how to focus on core exercise, avoid injury, and build back up your abdominal wall during the postpartum period.
Engage your pelvic floor muscles
When you engage the transverse abdominal muscle, the pelvic floor muscles engage too, so they’re considered part of the core. Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles (for example, with Kegel exercises, where you contract the muscles that you use to stop the flow of urine) and you can add one more benefit to the list, too: You’ll be less likely to experience incontinence problems.
Avoid incorrect movements
Many people do abdominal exercises incorrectly by lurching when coming up in a sit-up or crunch, pulling on the head and neck, making it impossible to bring the belly button back to the spine and hold it there
To avoid this when doing ab exercises, remember to emphasize drawing the belly button in toward the spine and holding it there while doing the exercises.
Focus on your breathing
When you’re doing abdominal exercises, remember to exhale as you perform the contraction and inhale as you relax. Think of pulling your belly button towards your back as you exhale and then expanding your belly as you relax and inhale.
Postpartum core exercises
You’re probably wondering what exercises are safe postpartum, and remember, you’ll want to check with your doctor before getting started.
Follow this five-minute regimen four or five days a week, and your core will be stronger in about six to eight weeks. Remember to keep your navel drawn in toward your spine throughout each move.
The key to keeping the exercises safe and effective is by monitoring how well you’re able to hold the contraction as you do the exercise. If you notice that your abdominal muscles aren’t able to effectively contract and hold (your back starts to arch or you have to use other muscles to be able to lift or hold the contraction) it’s a sign that your muscles aren’t ready for that level of exercise. Modify the exercises by:
- Decreasing the distance you move your body during the contraction.
- Reducing the repetitions.
- Change your positioning by using a wedge or pillow to raise your body up to avoid having to start from a supine position.
Roll Ups
- Lie on your back with your feet flexed, legs together long and slightly bent. Inhale as you raise your arms toward the ceiling. Exhale and bring them over your head, but don’t touch the floor.
- Inhale to curl your head and shoulders off the floor while keeping your head between your arms. Exhale and continue rolling up, one vertebra at a time. Your legs will bend as you come up.
- Straighten your legs when you reach the top; reach your body forward, keeping your head between your arms.
- Inhale as you start to roll down, allowing your pelvis to tuck under. Then exhale and uncurl one vertebra at a time until you’re back in the starting position. Repeat five more times.
The Hundred
- Lie on your back with your legs together and bent at a 90-degree angle, and your pelvis in a neutral position (neither tucked nor arched). Extend your arms down alongside your body, and draw your shoulders down away from your neck.
- Inhale as your head and shoulders curl off the floor, keeping your lower back in contact with the floor as you exhale and extend your legs toward the ceiling or slightly past 90 degrees. Heels stay together and arms reach long as they float about 2 inches off the floor.
- Pump your arms up and down slightly as you inhale slowly for five counts and exhale slowly for five counts. That’s one set; repeat nine more times. (If this is too difficult, modify the move by keeping your legs bent in chair position or placing your feet together and flat on the floor; it’s more important to control your abdominals and keep your back flat on the floor.)
Knee Folds
- While lying on your back, place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Lay your hands at your sides, palms down, pressing slightly into the floor.
- Inhale, then exhale while keeping your hips still and floating the right leg up to a 90-degree angle, then inhale again. Exhale as you float your left leg up to meet the right, so you look as if you’re sitting in a chair.
- Inhale as you lower your right leg, keeping your abdominal muscles drawn in. Exhale when your leg reaches the bottom. Inhale to lower your left leg and exhale as your left foot touches the floor. Repeat twice more, alternating legs.
What to know before you start exercising postpartum
The first six weeks of postpartum life has long been known as the rest and recovery phase. When you can safely return to exercise depends on your rate of healing (both with vaginal and cesarean section delivery and whether you’re still experiencing vaginal bleeding). However, most women can include light stretching, walking, and Kegel and isometric core strengthen exercises that involve simply drawing the belly button toward the spine and holding. The duration of the hold can be increased as you feel your muscles becoming stronger.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology now recommend that with an uncomplicated delivery, low intensity exercise can resume just a few days after birth, or when you feel ready. Allowing enough rest time helps prepare for more difficult and taxing exercises later, and gives your body time to heal from labor.
Before starting exercises, ensure you are cleared by your ob-gyn. If you suspect diastasis recti, or other postpartum issues, they might recommend you see a physical therapist or pelvic floor therapist to oversee your recovery and your core exercises. Almost any abdominal exercise can be modified to safely strengthen your core muscles, but if you’re unsure on how to modify an exercise, it’s helpful to work with a trainer who has experience and training in postpartum fitness. Following these protocols leads to the highest chances of success in rebuilding your core.
While a full ab muscle recovery can feel long and require some serious patience, the result is worth it so you can carry your baby and get back to your regular exercise routine as soon as possible (which is good for both the mind and body!).
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