5 Ab Exercises for pregnancy
GAIN CORE STRENGTH DURING PREGNANCY WITH THESE 5 AB EXERCISES TO SUPPORT LABOR AND BIRTH. REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF DEALING WITH DIASTASIS RECTI AFTER BABY.
5 Ab exercises for Pregnancy to Reduce Diastasis Recti
Congrats you are PREGNANT Momma!
AND you are now wondering; Oh MMM GEE..how can I keep my fitness game up without doing crunches?! Wait, are ab exercises safe for pregnancy? How can I do ab exercises while pregnant to reduce diastasis recti?
ARE AB EXERCISES SAFE DURING PREGNANCY?
Yes, ab exercises CAN be safe during pregnancy and you SHOULD do them; however there is a right and a wrong way to do them. Keeping your core strong during pregnancy is a MUST in order to reduce common pregnancy ailments. Having a strong core also enables you to be prepared for the demands of labor & birth.
These 5 ab exercises for pregnancy I share with you today are based on research & backed by the science of how our bodies work during this time. It is vital that you understand how to connect to your deep core, breathe through your diaphragm & engage your pelvic floor.
Staying connected to your deep core throughout all these moves will allow you to control your intra-abdominal pressure which is KEY in reducing diastasis recti and for building that strong inner core so you can push out your baby.
I demonstrate beginner to advanced movements in the video so you can continue to do these same moves but challenge yourself when you are ready for that uplevel.
These exercises are also extremely beneficial for you when you are postpartum, they are great for rebuilding that core back after baby.
- Breathe through your Diaphragm
- As you inhale, expand laterally into the ribcage-put your hands here to guide you and continue to expand out & down your belly until your pelvic floor. On the exhale your pelvic floor will come up, your belly will tighten slightly and your ribcage will close. If your hands are here you will feel this to check.
- Bridge
- Start on your back, neutral pelvis, hands down by your sides, shoulders down neck long, ribs in. Imagine a safety pin hooking the bottom of your rib cage to your hip bone; so your ribs are never flared out except for expansion when you breathe. As you bring your hip bones together on the exhale, squeeze your glutes as you raise your bum off the ground. You have the option to take deep breaths here, you can pulse, you can raise your heels of the ground for more advanced moves.
- Bird Dog;
- Start out on all 4’s, inhale and exhale a few times. On the exhale you can extend a leg out and then bring it in, Exhale and repeat. To uplevel this you can extend your arm and leg together.
- Side Plank
- Starting out on your side, connecting to your deep core with a neutral pelvis, raise your hips up into a side plank. You can keep your knees bent here for the beginner stage, you can extend your top leg and lift for an uplevel, or extend both legs, lifting your top leg or keeping it stable.
- Clam
- Laying on your side, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, keeping your heels stuck together, exhale and bring your knees apart. Be sure to keep your heels together always, you can uplevel this move by raising your feet up while keeping your knees on the floor.
WHERE TO START?
WHY?
Because it will give you the basics of HOW to breathe through your diaphragm, connect to your core correctly so you can get the MOST out of these moves while maintaining proper intra-abdominal pressure.
If you can maintain your intra-abdominal pressure, your chances of experiencing a diastasis recti injury during pregnancy or after birth are reduced.
Below is the video of the exercises so you can easily start adding them into your everyday routine.
45-60 seconds of each move is a great place to start; form & connection over repetition! The number of reps/length of time will be different for everyone; your form & how well you are connected is what will matter most. You will also find that the first time you practice the moves compared to the 3rd, 4th or 5th time will vary.
IN CONCLUSION:
Keeping a strong core during pregnancy is essential. However traditional ‘crunches’ will not be of use. The best core moves for pregnancy involve breathing through your diaphragm, engaging your deep layer of core muscles, the transversus abdominus along with your pelvic floor. Understanding how to breathe to control your intra-abdominal pressure is what will allow you to safely strengthen your core while reducing your risk of diastasis recti during pregnancy or after.
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