This is the truth… ab exercises during pregnancy are very important. I do hate to say abs though, because most people think abs are just the six pack muscles, or the rectus abdominis, that can only be seen on people who have extremely low body fat percentages, or else just the right body type that doesn’t store any fat around the middle. So really I would like to say core exercises during pregnancy are very important, because we are NOT going to work the rectus abdominis, but rather the deep core muscles.
Working the core incorrectly during pregnancy can really damage your abs and your pelvic floor. Have you ever heard of diastasis recti? I had not, until I became pregnant with my first, and then I kind of freaked out about it. Diastasis recti (DR) is when there is a gap that runs down the middle of your six pack muscles. It just happens during pregnancy because of the baby that is ballooning in your uterus. In fact, your abs start to look like a balloon–a balloon that has been stretched too much.
DR is very evident, especially right after you have given birth. Your belly will be really bulgy, because your insides will kind of be squishing out through the gap. Oftentimes, the muscles come back together themselves, but other times they need a little work to tighten them back up. If you are months postpartum and you still have a squishy belly no matter what you do, you may have some lingering DR. Unless very serious, DR has no other side effects other than being unsightly, but if really bad, there can be other problems such as poor posture, back pain, hernias, and incontinence.
Now is not the time for me to go into the “ab rehab” routine that I have found that really helps DR postpartum because I am only 18 weeks along at the moment, and am focused on NOT contributing to the stretched balloon effect. But rest assured, I will be making videos about that after the baby comes, and we can rehab together. And if you are rehabbed and looking for some great core exercises to continue to tighten and tone any kind of “mummy tummy” you may have, check out this article!
For now, if you are like me, in the second trimester or further, we are just trying to keep our bodies as functional, strong, and as pain-free as possible! Low back pain, anyone, especially you pregnant mamas? Well, weak core muscles can be a cause of this. (I’m not your doctor–there are many, many reasons for low back pain, especially while pregnant.) As your baby grows and your belly with it, the spine can get pulled forward. Strong core muscles can reverse this, and help keep your spine in a more neutral position. The right kind of exercises, like what I’m going to show you below, will help with neutralizing your spine, can also help during delivery, and then give you a head start on recovery afterwards.
So, here we go! The ONLY two ab exercises during pregnancy you need from the second trimester on are these two I am about to show you. I do them 2-3 times a week, 3 sets of 10 each. Really focus on drawing your belly button towards your spine for both exercises.
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