There’s a lot of misconceptions around core training during pregnancy. While there are certain exercise modifications you may need to make as you enter different trimesters, continuing to focus on core and pelvic floor strength is equally important and safe to continue throughout pregnancy.
Core training and implementing the connection breath is the best thing you can do for your core during pregnancy. Practicing this daily will help you maintain or even regain (for you postpartum mamas) tone throughout your entire core. When I’m talking about the core in a pregnant or postpartum body, I’m talking about the diaphragm, the abdominals, the muscles that support the spine, the pelvic floor muscles, and the glutes.
Doing a million crunches or contractions of the pelvic floor (e.g. kegels) will not help train the whole core. However, by practicing the connection breath, you will learn how to gain and release tension in the abdominals and pelvic floor. The inhale breath will help to release tension, and the exhale breath will help to gain tension in those muscles and connective tissues.
By continuing to perform safe and effective core exercises during pregnancy, you are able to reap incredible benefits, including:
reducing risk of urinary incontinence
reducing the severity of diastasis recti (the normal separation of the abdomen during pregnancy)
building a strong core to help support you and your baby
decreased likelihood of lower back and hip pain
better & faster core recovery postpartum
Here is a detailed walk-through video of how to properly perform the Connection Breath.
For 35+ weeks of safe and effective pregnancy workouts, check out my Train Like a Mother pregnancy programs here!