5 Prenatal Core Exercises
Core Exercises: As our belly grows, our center of gravity shifts up and out. This adjusts our stabilization pattern and may even affect your balance. This shift in our center of gravity, accompanied by relaxin increasing the laxity of our joints, may cause postural tendencies to overexaggerate. This could include really moving into an anterior pelvic tilt with rib thrust, or shifting the hips under into a posterior pelvic tilt with rib swayback.
This shift in our postural tendencies may cause discomfort or even pain! A strong core can help us maintain a more neutral spine and better respond to demand in multiple directions, as our core best stabilizes in midrange position (aka neutral spine).
A midrange position means that we can go in either direction depending on the demand. If I catch something, I can shift my weight around to stabilize when it reaches my hands or arms. If I am stuck in either end range (anterior or posterior pelvic tilts, for example), I am limiting my ability to shift and adapt to the demand.
When approaching core exercise, may want to limit or avoid exercises that focus on core flexion (crunches and sit-ups) and movements that cause any coning (which would damage the tissues making it harder to heal postpartum). This recommendation to avoid sit-ups tends to be why many of us may think we need to avoid core exercises altogether.
However, our core is more than our six-pack abs! And our core functions beyond the ability to flex or curl up the torso.
Our approach to core programming is to include exercises that meet different demands of our core: rotational components, anti-movements (resisting movement), and hip extension movements. We also can incorporate myofascial sling-focused exercises, as this can help with neuromuscular connection and coordination!
Watch the videos below for some of our favorite prenatal core exercises!
Diagonal Banded Pull Down: Rotational Movement/Anterior Oblique Sling
Rotational movements are focusing on diagonal activation across the core. Most of our rotational movements will involve the anterior oblique sling, or the chest/oblique to the opposite adductor (inner thigh). The anterior oblique sling can be helpful with healing and reconnection postpartum (especially from diastasis and a c-section), but also can help manage pelvic girdle pain!
The anterior oblique sling focuses on the shoulder and opposite knee moving towards the midline on the front side of the body, but can also involve resisting movement to the midline, such as with the pallof press video below.
Pallof Press: Anti-Rotation/Anterior Oblique Sling
Reverse Lunge with Row: Posterior Oblique Sling
The reverse lunge row works the opposite side of the body from the anterior oblique sling. You may not think of your back as a part of your core, but it very much is! Similar to the anterior oblique sling, the posterior sling is a diagonal activation across the back from lat to opposite glute. We can usually accomplish this with rowing or pull-down movement paired with hip extensions, such as squats or lunges. Strengthening the posterior oblique sling can help manage SI joint discomfort and pain.
Farmer Carry: Anti-Lateral Flexion/Lateral Sling
Expanding on our anti movements is the anti-lateral flexion or side bending. Farmer carries and unilaterally loaded movements force us to stabilize in midline! This can help to strengthen the QL, or lower back muscles, and also strengthen along the lateral sling (single leg stabilizers)!
One-Sided Squats: Anti-Lateral Flexion/Lateral Sling
You can see we can still strengthen the core without crunches because our core is so much more than six-pack abs!
Workout with us throughout your pregnancy and beyond with our strength and conditioning programs.
Our prenatal program syncs to your week of pregnancy, so you can begin at any time! If you are 20 weeks, you’ll start at week 20!
The program recommends different modifications based on your week of pregnancy so that you can stay strong and comfortable!