Part 5 – Bonus Movements!
Check out part 4, here
Some Core Strengthening!
Because our Pelvic Floor has an intimate relationship with our abdominals, having a healthy “Core and Floor” during pregnancy can help you find your waistline after baby is born!
These exercises are fabulous for keeping your Core strong during pregnancy, or starting back into abdominal work postpartum and are helpful in avoiding and rehabilitating Diastasis Recti (separation of abdominals)
No Crunchies necessary!
(but that’s another blog series!)
Working the ‘Inner Core’ muscles should not burn like abdominal curls do. These are your endurance muscles. To challenge these muscles, we can ‘trick’ them into working with an unstable surface like a stability ball or disc under your hips or by moving our arms and legs and trying to keep our torso stable.
Watch that your belly doesn’t bulge outward or bump or tent down the centre.
*Click the links below to view these exercises in video:
Stability Ball Abdominals
(suitable for first trimester of pregnancy or approximately 8-12 weeks postpartum)
Knee Stirs
(elevate your torso on a soft bolster or wedge if pregnant)
During pregnancy, once that beautiful belly is starting to show, consider working your core by moving your whole body, arms or legs while using your core breath throughout. This not only gives you a core work out but upper or lower body workout too! It doesn’t need to be strenuous to be work. We call this functional core work.
Here are a few video examples of functional core work:
*click the links below to be taken to the video:
How to roll over in bed while pregnant (yes, that’s a workout!!)
For more videos follow me on Instagram @ruthruttandoula or come to a class to keep crushing your Pregnancy and Mom Goals!