The BEST way to reconnect with our core and pelvic floor after birth is to learn how to coordinate our breath to movement! This means that when you move, you are inhaling and exhaling in coordination with how your muscles are moving.
When we coordinate our breath with our movement, we better manage pressure.
Managing pressure is a HUGE way to support healing from diastasis or abdominal separation, and managing pelvic organ prolapse after birth.
Steps to Rehab Your Core Postpartum
As we relearn to coordinate our breath to movement, we need to focus on:
- Inhales to EXPAND the abdominal cavity
- The pelvic floor moves DOWN
- Back and sides move OUT
- Exhales to CONTRACT the abdominal cavity
- Pelvic floor moves UP
- Back and sides move IN
And the next step is to learn how to coordinate that breathing with the movement we are doing!
- Inhales = eccentric movement
- Inhale WITH gravity (think lowering the weight, lowering the in the squat)
- Inhale WITH resistance
- Exhales = concentric movement
- Exhale AGAINST gravity (think standing up from the bottom of a squat or rowing a weight to your chest)
- Exhale WITH exertion
When we coordinate breath to movement in this way, we are:
- Inhaling to increase pressure in the abdominal cavity = stabilizes the spine and torso
- Exhaling to counter increased pressure from exertion = protecting the pelvic floor and core from TOO much pressure.
- Too much pressure could result in worsen or lingering diastasis (abdominal separation) or contribute towards symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse.
Watch the video below for a breakdown of HOW to coordinate breath to movement!
1. Move the Pelvic Floor and Core
The first step to learning how to coordinate breath to movement is to first learn how to BREATHE!
We want to focus on learning how to inhale DOWN and OUT and then exhale to lift UP and IN.
We can do this in a number of breathing positions, such as:
- Supine
- Sidelying
- All fours
- Seated
- Standing, etc.
This mini-course guides you through the first month postpartum as you begin your recovery after birth! This program includes weekly guidance on how to reconnect with your core and pelvic to support your healing.
- Breathing and Core Connection Exercises
- Mobility Exercises to Relieve Common Discomforts
- Gentle Core Exercises
- Watch on Mobile Device
Find a supportive position, and then gradually you can increase the gravity demand of your position (the more upright you are, the more demand from gravity).
In your breathing position:
- Inhale to feel the rib cage expand laterally and to the back
- Sometimes finding a small rounding the back can help you feel this more!
- As you inhale, you should feel the pelvic floor move DOWN and stretch
- Exhale to lift up and in with the pelvic floor
- Making a SHHH sound can help with this activation!
- Lower abs should engage with this exhalation!
- And then repeat.
Watch the supine breathing drill breakdown for an example of how to do a breathing drill!
We incorporate these types of videos into our early postpartum recovery course to help you reconnect with your core as you wait to return to fitness!
2. Add some movement
The next way we can progress our core rehab is to start adding in movement!
We started with first feeling the core move with our breath in a stationary position. This allowed us to first FEEL our core move and reconnect.
Now, we can add some movement to advance it! As we add in movement the key is that our torso position remains stationary as our extremities move!
We can advance any of the breathing drills by incorporating movement from our arms and legs!
- Inhale to prep the movement by expanding in the torso (this increases intra abdominal pressure which stabilizes the spine to support movement)
- Exhale to extend the arm/leg and keep the rib cage aligned with the pelvis.
We can first start with just one arm or just one leg moving! Then over time progress it so opposite arm and leg or both arms/legs are extending!
Watch our first week core training progression from our postpartum fitness training program!
Join our postpartum fitness programs to return to fitness after birth! We have supported thousands of women return to their sport and feel strong in motherhood!
3. Add some resistance
After we have added in movement, we can start adding in resistance to continue to advance our core rehab!
While doing floor based, body weight movements are a great starting point, we do eventually NEED to progress off the floor because we function in upright positions!
In your breathing or core exercises, we can add in bands or weights to up to resistance and challenge!
Watch the exercise breakdown video below for an example of a way we can add in some resistance!
We incorporate these progressions for you in our postpartum fitness programs!
Rehab Your Core After Birth!
Learning HOW to breathe and coordinate your breath to movement is one of the best ways to heal your core after birth!
It can take some time to reconnect with our new postpartum body, but learning how to move our core with our breath is the key component to supporting a return to optimal function and fitness after birth.
