Early postpartum deep core exercises are focused on rewiring the brain with breath and movement. We’re reconnecting and strengthening the muscles that have been stretched and lengthened throughout pregnancy. The goal is to focus on establishing a good 360 breath while bringing overall awareness to our bodies. How we breathe supports our core integrity, helps the ribcage expand is all directions and can enhance our healing. 

WHY IS IT HARD TO ACTIVATE OUR LOWER ABDOMINALS POSTPARTUM?

Postural changes during pregnancy can result in a lack of rib cage mobility.  As your baby grows, it pushes up on the diaphragm and forward on to the abdominals to allow for more space. This can cause the rib cage to be in a constant state on inhalation (expansion) and affect how well the diaphragm can contract and relax. The intercostals (muscles in between your ribs) also become tight and weak from a lack of mobility. A center of gravity shift moves the pelvis into a more anterior tilt. This moves the rib cage slightly backwards and can limit that range of motion further.

Because our pelvis sits in a more externally rotated position and anterior tilt, this positionally, puts our lower abdominals in a more lengthened state. Therefore it is harder for them to activate and why many women feel a total disconnect in those early weeks/months. It’s a relearning and re wiring process and although these movements look easy on the eye – they are challenging for the postpartum body.

YOUR EXHALE AND LOWER ABDOMINALS

If the ribcage cannot expand well in all directions, then our abdominals will not work optimally to support the body during both exercise and everyday life. We need a full inhale to get a strong exhale, and without that strong exhale we will struggle to get the deep core engagement. So lets walk through what a good inhale and exhale looks like as a starting point.

Inhale down into the body, feeling your front, side and back expand. As you exhale from the bottom up think about the following:

• Making a sshhh or haaaa sound with exhales
• Imagine draw your hip bones closer together
• Think zipper up the center of your abdominals from your pelvic floor to upper ribs.
• Visualize your exhale moving through your body. From the pelvic floor all the way up.
• Add a pilates ball in between your thighs to squeeze and turn on your adductors. 
• Only bring as much intensity to the movement as needed. i.e you’re not engaging your abs as hard as you can

FIND A STACKED POSITION

A stacked position is where your ribcage is over pelvis, diaphragm over pelvic floor and what is often cued as “neutral”. Finding a good neutral alignment or stacked position  can allow for those lower abs to show up more. This puts our diaphragm in a more optimal position to ascend and descend, which in terms helps coordination and managing pressure. Bringing your legs up in a 90/90 position is a good beginner/re entry point into finding a stack position and this alignment helps your body move and distribute pressure optimally.

GET THE HAMSTRINGS INVOLVED

Once you have mastered basic diaphragm breathing in the 90/90 position, added a core contraction and played around with external feedback – like adding an adductor squeeze – you can try and introduce the hamstrings. Targeting the proximal hamstring (the upper hamstring that connects to the pelvis) can aid in pelvic positioning, which will help you feel your abs working move effectively.

I love incorporating a hip lift to bring the hamstrings on board as a starting point. The below video provides a step by step on how to find your proximal hamstring to improve your lower abdominal core contraction.

90/90 breathing exercise can help you: Learn to breathe with your diaphragm, find and feel your lower abdominals, adductors and hamstrings, and increase your active range of motion. All of which are key elements to your postpartum pelvic floor healing.

For more guidance on your return to fitness postpartum and to bridge the gap from rehab to performance, join my 12 week Return to Strength program