Keep a Strong Core During Pregnancy

By Beth Frazier, DPT, Women’s Health Physical Therapist, Boone Therapy

During pregnancy, many women try to stay as strong and healthy as possible. But they may hear conflicting messages regarding how safe it is for them to perform core exercises and how to do them. Keeping a strong core helps you move better further into your pregnancy, protects against low back and hip pain, and, when performed properly, may decrease your risk of developing diastasis recti, commonly called abdominal split or separation.

To safely strengthen your core during pregnancy, perform an abdominal draw-in during all core exercises. Imagine using your abdominal muscles to draw your baby bump in and up toward the back of your ribcage. You should feel a gentle tension across the front of your lower abdomen. Avoid holding your breath or bearing down at any point.

As your pregnancy progresses, you may need to modify core exercises. To protect against developing diastasis recti, check your adbomen for “doming.” Watch your belly or gently rest your hand on it as you exercise. If the center of your abdomen forms a tent-like peak, this means the exercise is too difficult, so avoid or modify it. If you feel shortness of breath or discomfort when lying on your back, skip core exercises in this position.

Exercising a combined 150 minutes over 3-4 days each week can reduce the possibilities of pregnancy complications. A variety of aerobic exercise, strength training, yoga, and stretching are helpful, so try different routines and combinations to find activities you enjoy!

Bridges

Lying on your back with your lower abdominals drawn, gently tilt your pelvis back to flatten your lower back to the ground. Lift your hips while keeping your pelvis tilted back to avoid arching your back. Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position. Do 20 repetitions.

Modification: If you feel any shortness of breath or discomfort lying on your back, try this exercise with your shoulders resting on an exercise ball or couch. Lift your hips until your body is parallel to the ground, then lower them to the ground again.

Side Plank on Knees

Lie on your right side with your knees bent and your right elbow directly beneath your shoulder. Draw in your lower abdominals, then lift your hips high enough that your spine is in a straight line with your legs. Hold for 30 seconds. Do three repetitions on each side.

Squats

Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart. Draw in your lower abdominals. Slowly lower yourself as you begin bending at your hips, then at your knees. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your knees in line with the width of your feet. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15-20 repetitions.

Kneeling Weight Passes

Start in a tall kneeling position, with a 5-pound dumbbell or nearby household object. Draw in your lower abdominals. As pregnancy progresses, you may need to tilt your hips backward to flatten your lower back. Hold weight directly in front of you with both hands. With your core drawn in, move the weight directly to your right side with your right arm only. Return to start and repeat on the left side. Do 15 repetitions on each side.

Double Marches

Lie on your back and draw in your lower abdominals. Lift right knee to a 90-degree position. As you exhale, lift your left leg to the same position. Lower your legs one at a time, keeping your core drawn in. Repeat for 10 repetitions. Do 10 more repetitions leading with your left leg. If your back arches off the ground or you notice any abdominal doming, perform the modification instead.

Modification: In the same position, lift one leg at a time as demonstrated in photos 1 and 2 above. Move slowly and try to keep your hips from rocking as you go. Alternating legs, perform 15 repetitions on each side.