We want to minimize coning during our prenatal and postnatal workouts, as it can cause excessive damage to our core! The more coning we experience under exertion, the more damage we could be causing.
This means it could cause a lingering diastasis or make it harder to heal postpartum!
Let’s break down four ways to minimize coning during our workouts throughout our pregnancy and postpartum!
4 Ways to Minimize Coning During Workouts
Here are four ways to minimize coning during your pre/postnatal workouts:
- Position
- Breathing Pattern
- Add External Resistance
- Change the Set Up
1) Position: Stack the Ribs and Pelvis
First up, we want to focus on our positioning throughout the ENTIRE movement. We want to set up in a stacked position, move while remaining stacked, and then finish in this stacked position.
Sometimes, as we move through a harder portion of the movement, we may compensate to a less optimal position to “cheat” to finish the movement.
This is not always an issue, but when our core is in a compromised state during pregnancy or healing postpartum, these compensation patterns could cause more damage than usual.
So, what does stacked even mean? We want to think shoulders over hips!
If we are more arched, the ribs thrust upwards, stretching the abs more. This could make it easier for coning to occur since it thins the tissues even more.
If we are more swayed back, the ribs shift backward as the abs and pelvic floor clench. This could cause an uneven distribution of force and if the core never expands due to always being clenched, inhibit healing.
Focus on the ribs staying stacked over the pelvis throughout the ENTIRE movement!
Workout with us throughout your pregnancy with our prenatal fitness programs. We offer trimester-specific modifications to support you in staying strong and comfortable throughout your pregnancy.
2) Breathing Pattern: Thoracic Expansion
Next, we want to focus on how we are breathing and coordinating that breath to our movement!
How we breathe will manage (or mismanage) the pressure in our abdominal cavity to support core integrity and healing.
Simply: we want to inhale DOWN & OUT and exhale UP & IN when we are exercising to manage pressure.
More in-depth:
Inhale: We want to expand in the rib cage (where our lungs are), which will move the diaphragm down. This will increase the pressure down into the abdominal cavity, causing a 360-degree expansion in the abs, back, and pelvic floor.
This increase in pressure eccentrically loads the core and stabilizes the spine during exertion. It is important to remember that inhales are NOT a state of relaxation. It is NOT inhale = relax, exhale = contract. Inhalations are a state of tension.
We want to inhale either during or right before the eccentric portion of an exercise, or when we are moving WITH gravity or resistance. For example: lowering in a squat or lowering the weight in a row.
Exhale: We then want to exhale to lift up and in in response to the inhalation. The pelvic floor will lift up, and then the lower abs. This will increase muscular activation of the core to counter the increased pressure from exertion.
We want to exhale with exertion, usually when we are moving AGAINST gravity or resistance. For example: standing up from the bottom of a squat or rowing a weight to the chest.
Thoracic mobility is huge for pelvic health! How well we can expand in our rib cage (and move it in general) can support how we manage coning and heal our core postpartum! Learn more about thoracic mobility in our pelvic floor prep for birth course.
3) Add External Resistance
If we are still arching or compensating with our position during our lift, we can add some external resistance to help us maintain our position.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to add a banded row or banded pull down with overhead pressing movements.
Watch the video below for quick demo!
Want to heal your core and pelvic floor after birth? Explore our postnatal fitness programs!
We have several programs depending on your fitness goals and birth:
And we offer our program in two formats:
- App as a list of exercises with demo videos
- On-Demand with a video that you follow as you work out at the same time
4) Change the Set Up
Another way to prevent coning if we cannot prevent ourselves from compensating is to change the setup! The movement may just be set up too challenging or complex for us at our current state, and that is okay!
Some examples could include:
- Standing Strict Press to Seated Strict Press
- In this variation, we can sit on a wedge or deflated pilates ball to set the pelvis in a neutral position, and then squeeze a pilates ball or yoga ball between the thighs for more adductor/pelvic floor activation.
- Plank to Elevated Plank or Bear Position
- A plank may be too challenging, but adjusting to an incline or bringing the knees under the hips can support our core integrity.
Protect Your Core During Your Workouts
We can protect our core throughout our prenatal and postnatal workouts by preventing or minimizing coning.
Four ways we can prevent coning include:
- Position
- Breathing Pattern
- Add External Resistance
- Change the Set Up
The more we minimize coning under the exertion, the safer our core will be as we stay strong throughout our pregnancy and heal postpartum!