5 Pregnancy-Safe Core Exercises {with Demonstration Videos}
Core work during pregnancy gets kind of a bad rap, mostly with good intentions. Most doctors advise women to stop doing core work like crunches, sit-ups, leg raises, and planks sometime in the second trimester and a simple search on the internet about core exercises during pregnancy may bring you to the same conclusion, but now with fear about something called diastasis recti or abdominal separation.
For more information about diastasis recti, click here for the next blog “Diastasis Recti- what is abdominal separation and how does it impact pregnancy and postpartum.”
Now onto THIS topic, which is core exercise during pregnancy. Two things I want you to know:
Your core does A LOT of work in everyday movements- bending, lifting, twisting, getting kids out of the car, mopping the floor, loading and unloading the dishwasher, carrying the groceries (the baby, the toddler, the four year old, the dog)… you name it.
There’s a lot more “core exercises” than the ones we commonly think of- crunches, sit ups, planks, etc. and there are also a ton of ways to modify those exercises to make them more effective for your core in pregnancy. This is what I’m going to show you today.
But for perspective, technically the core is defined as shoulder girdle to hip girdle- leave off your extremities and there you have it. That’s a lot of muscle… and also includes your pelvic floor, glutes, and hip muscles!
Your plays a huge part in rotation and stabilization of the body, and considering how many natural changes happen that may have an impact on these two things… I’d say continuing to effectively train the core is pretty important.
So let me show you how!
Check out these 5 core-focused exercises, add them to your routine, and let me know how it goes!
1. Straight Arm Pulldown
2. Pallof Press
3. Suitcase Carry
4. Mini-Band Glute Bridge
5. Incline Plank
Oh and I forgot to mention that continuing to add core strengthening exercises during pregnancy can help reduce common aches and pains like back, SI joint, and pelvic pain.
For more guidance on pregnancy-safe exercises, follow me on Instagram.