Why true core recovery goes beyond direct ab work

When people think of the core, they often picture one thing: the abs. Maybe it’s planks, sit-ups, or a visible six-pack. But the truth is, the core is a system — a team of muscles working together to support pressure, posture, breath, and movement.

What is your core, really?

Think of your core as a dynamic cylinder, not just a flat sheet of abs on the front of your torso. At the heart of this system are several key players:

• Diaphragm (the top of the core): Your primary breathing muscle. It contracts and flattens during an inhale, creating pressure and initiating core activation from above.
• Pelvic floor (the bottom of the core): A sling of muscles that supports your pelvic organs and works with the diaphragm to manage intra-abdominal pressure.
• Transverse abdominis & obliques: These deep abdominal muscles wrap around your midsection like a corset, providing tension and control to stabilize your spine and pelvis.
• Multifidus & deep spinal stabilizers: Tiny muscles that line your spine, helping control vertebral movement and maintain alignment during load or motion.

But your core isn’t limited to just these traditional “core” muscles.

It also includes:

• Lats: These large back muscles connect your upper body to your pelvis and help transfer force between the torso and limbs.
• Glutes: Especially the glute max and glute med, which provide pelvic stability, power in movement, and support the spine from below.
• Adductors: Often overlooked, these inner thigh muscles support pelvic alignment, contribute to hip and trunk stability, and have fascial connections to the pelvic floor and core.

And that’s just the start. Other muscles — including the serratus anterior, lower traps, and even your hamstrings — play supporting roles in how your core functions.

How pregnancy affects the core system

During pregnancy, your body undergoes an extraordinary transformation to support your growing baby. But those changes don’t just affect your belly — they impact the entire core system, from the way you breathe to how you move, stabilize, and generate force.

Here’s how pregnancy can affect different parts of the core:

• The diaphragm gets compressed
  As the uterus expands upward, it places pressure on the diaphragm, reducing its range of motion. This limits your ability to take full, 360-degree breaths, which in turn affects pressure regulation and core engagement from the top down.
  
• The abdominal wall stretches
  The growing baby causes the connective tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles (the linea alba) to thin and stretch — a completely normal and necessary adaptation. But this also means the abdominals can’t generate or transmit force in the same way, which affects spinal and pelvic stability.
  
• The pelvic floor is under increased load
  With the added weight of pregnancy and hormonal changes that increase tissue laxity, the pelvic floor muscles are constantly working to support internal organs. Over time, this can lead to fatigue, reduced responsiveness, or overactivity — all of which disrupt the core system from the bottom up.
  
• Posture shifts
  As your center of mass changes, your posture often adapts — rib flaring, increased lumbar lordosis, and a forward head position are common. These shifts alter the alignment between the rib cage and pelvis, which changes how you breathe, engage your core, and distribute load during movement.
  
• Glutes and adductors may weaken or become less active
  Due to changes in gait, alignment, and daily movement patterns (think: less running, more sitting, or altered walking mechanics), these key support muscles can lose strength or activation. Since they play a crucial role in pelvic control and core integration, this can further destabilize the system.

So what does true core recovery look like?

A functional core isn’t built through bracing alone. True core strength is about coordination—how well your muscles communicate and respond to breath, movement, and load. It’s about being able to generate tension when needed and then let it go when it’s not. This means:

• Accessing full breath and pressure control
• Maintaining alignment through movement
• Using the right muscles at the right time
• Integrating strength from the inside out

When we train the entire system we build a more resilient, functional body that supports everything from lifting weights to picking up our kids to running pain-free

Below are 8 of my go-to movements that rebuild the core system as a whole. These exercises aren’t just “ab exercises”—they’re full-body integration drills that reconnect you to your breath, pelvis, spine, and deep stabilizers.

1. Hands and Knees Breathing with Band Feedback

This drill improves rib cage mobility and helps retrain your diaphragm to expand fully during your inhale. The band around the ribs gives you tactile feedback to promote 360° expansion—especially through the back and sides, which often become stiff during pregnancy.

2. Marching Glute Bridge with Isometric Band Pull Apart

This full-body integration drill combines unilateral glute activation with upper body tension and deep core control. As you alternate marching from a glute bridge position, the isometric band pull apart engages the lats and reinforces ribcage stacking. This movement trains posterior chain strength, pelvic stability, and breath-core coordination — making it a highly effective choice for postpartum core recovery and re-integration.

3. Seated Band-Resisted Row with Reach

This seated row variation includes a reach component that challenges your obliques, serratus, and lats, all while coordinating your breath. It promotes rotational control and rib cage movement—two things often lost during pregnancy or under tension post-birth.

4. Split Squat with Cable Row

This integrated strength movement combines lower body stability with upper body pulling to challenge core coordination and contralateral control. As you lower into the split squat, the simultaneous cable row encourages trunk rotation, deep core engagement, and scapular retraction. It’s a powerful drill for building single-leg strength while reinforcing the connection between the hips, core, and upper back — ideal for postpartum recovery and athletic rebuilding.

5. DNS Star Plank

This dynamic drill integrates rotation, lateral stability, and shoulder-hip connection. As you rotate through the upper body and reach while maintaining lower body control, the DNS Star Plank trains reflexive core engagement, especially through the obliques, adductors, and glutes. It’s particularly effective postpartum for restoring coordination between the breath, trunk, and pelvis during movement.

6. Copenhagen Plank with Forward Reach

This advanced core drill combines high-level adductor activation with rotational control and shoulder stability. Supporting the body in a side plank position with the top leg elevated, the forward reach adds dynamic trunk rotation, challenging the obliques, deep core, and scapular stabilizers. It’s an excellent progression for restoring lateral chain strength, anti-rotation control, and full-body integration — especially important postpartum when rebuilding core and pelvic stability.

7. Deep Squat with Back Expansion

This movement layers breathwork into a deep squat position, promoting posterior expansion of the rib cage and improving pressure regulation in a loaded position. It’s especially helpful postpartum when we need to regain mobility and strength through full range without compensating through the spine or neck.

8. ½ Kneeling Banded Chop

This anti-rotation drill trains the obliques, deep core, and hip stability. The chop integrates the upper and lower body while training you to maintain trunk control through movement—crucial for carrying, lifting, and returning to higher-level strength work.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been focusing only on ab-specific exercises, but still don’t feel strong or stable in your core—its time to zoom out. Core recovery is about connection, not isolation.

By retraining the full system—diaphragm, pelvic floor, glutes, adductors, and deep stabilizers—you build a foundation that supports everything else: strength, impact, mobility, and confidence.

If you’re ready to rebuild your core the right way, stay tuned.
My 3-Phase Core Program launches this August, designed to take you from foundations to full-body strength—whether you’re postpartum, returning from injury, or simply looking for better core function.