It may feel counterintuitive to do core exercises during pregnancy, but it's actually very important to relieve back pain, prepare you for labor, and speed up postpartum recovery time.
“Your entire midsection is working hard to support your growing baby,” says Kim Perry, CPT, a certified prenatal and postnatal trainer based in Sarasota, Florida. “Recommended for pregnant women [people] “Incorporate core exercises into your fitness routine and focus on your deep core muscles to help improve your posture and relieve those pesky pregnancy symptoms.”
For example, the transverse abdominis is a major core muscle that surrounds the stomach and back. It acts like a corset by supporting your core and reducing stress on various other muscles in the abdominal area. It also helps prevent diastasis recti, which can cause the left and right sides of your abdominal muscles to split during pregnancy, Perry adds.
In a study published in January 2023, core stability exercises were more effective than usual care in relieving pain and improving quality of life in pregnant women with pain in the lower back and pelvic region. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
However, once you anticipate, you may need to change the types of core exercises you perform. It's important to avoid certain types of core exercises, including traditional exercises like crunches.
“Core exercises are incredibly important during pregnancy, but you need to focus on how you approach them,” says Anna Kaiser, CPT, certified prenatal and postnatal trainer and CEO of Anna Kaiser Studios in New York City. “And depending on the person, they should avoid gaining weight or strength after pregnancy. “Continue to exercise at the same level as before pregnancy.”
Here are six of the best core exercises for pregnancy, demonstrated by Perry, and three moves to avoid.
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Safe Core Exercises for Pregnancy
1. Offset Squat
“This movement challenges the core against tilt,” says Perry.
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand (palm facing toward your body).
- Lift the dumbbell so that the head of the dumbbell touches your right shoulder and your palm faces inward.
- Stimulate your core by pulling in your belly button as if you were holding a baby.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back, lowering them toward the floor. Pretend you are sitting in a chair.
- Lower your body as much as you are comfortable with, or until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause in the squat position for a moment. Resist leaning due to the extra weight on your shoulders.
- Press through your heels to return to standing.
- Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
2. Abdominal breathing
Also known as diaphragmatic breathing, this is a basic movement for core engagement during and after pregnancy. It may seem like a “simple” core exercise, but it actually plays a very important role.
“The movement of the pelvic floor mimics the movement of the diaphragm,” says Kaiser. “When you breathe into your chest and engage your accessory breathing muscles, your neck and chest muscles become tighter, and your pelvic floor muscles don’t regulate themselves as much as they do when you focus on deep belly, diaphragmatic breathing.”
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Place your right hand on your stomach and your left hand on your hip or waist.
- Take a deep breath and fill your stomach with air.
- As you exhale, first lift your pelvic floor, then wrap your abdomen from hip to hip, as if gently tightening a corset.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times.
3. Bird dog
A new dog “requires a lot of focus and stability,” Perry says. “If you find yourself wobbling, you can bring your toes to the mat for more support.”
- Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders, and your knees should be in line with your hips.
- Inhale and exhale as you lift your right arm straight forward, strengthening your core.
- At the same time, extend your left leg straight back and fully straighten your knee.
- Pause briefly and then return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, bringing your left arm up and your right leg back.
- Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
4. Side plank abduction
“I love this move for your core, glutes, and booty,” says Perry.
- Lie down on your left side.
- Support your body on your left forearm so that your elbow is in line with your shoulder.
- Bend your knees and place them on top of each other.
- Take a breath and relax.
- As you exhale, tighten your core and lift your hips up into the plank, lifting your top knee.
- Squeeze your glutes. Hold for one count and slowly lower to the starting position.
- Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
5. Bear Hold
- Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders, and your knees should be in line with your hips.
- Inhale and exhale, pressing your palms down and lifting your knees off the mat, contracting your core.
- Hold your knees below your hips for 3 to 5 seconds, then slowly lower your lower back.
- Repeat 10 to 12 times.
tip: Place a block on your hips (or simply imagine a block) and focus on keeping your hips level the entire time.
6. Offset march
“This is another anti-tilt exercise that focuses on balance and stability,” says Perry.
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand (palm facing toward your body).
- Lift the dumbbell so that the head of the dumbbell touches your right shoulder and your palm faces inward.
- Brace your core and shift your weight to your left leg.
- Lift your right knee as if you were marching.
- Slowly lower your right leg and repeat on the other side.
- Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Core exercises to avoid during pregnancy
1. Standard crunch
Crunches may be a traditional abdominal exercise, but they're one you should avoid when expecting.
“Movements like crunches put pressure on the gland alba, which is the connective tissue that holds your abdominal muscles together,” says Perry. “This area is already under stress from supporting a baby, and additional stress can increase the likelihood of tissue tears and rectal diastasis.”
2. Plank
As your pregnancy progresses, you may want to consider phasing out planks, which can put too much pressure on your core.
“If you have been including planks and bodyweight exercises in your program since before pregnancy, you should stop doing planks around 22 to 25 weeks of pregnancy,” says Kaiser.
3. Bicycle crunches
“Avoid prolonged exercises that involve quick twists of the upper body or while lying on your back, such as cycling or leg switches,” says Kaiser.
According to UNC Health, twisting your torso can cause your baby to have less space. Spending too much time on your back (including while sleeping) when you are more than 20 weeks pregnant can restrict blood flow to you and your baby, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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- Mamipour H, Farazmehr S, Negahban H, Nazary-Moghadam S, Dehghan-Manshadi F, Navi Nezhad M, Jafari S, Sharifzadeh M. Core stabilization exercises for pain, dysfunction and quality of life in pregnant women with lumbar and spinal diseases. Effects of pelvic girdle pain: a randomized controlled trial. J Manipulative Physics Ther. Jan 2023;46(1):27-36. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2023.05.005. Epub July 7, 2023. PMID: 37422748.