When it comes to postpartum recovery, most people jump straight to thinking about the abs or the pelvic floor and while those absolutely matter, there’s another muscle that quietly underpins so much of your core function, posture, and upper body strength: the serratus anterior.

It’s not a muscle that gets much airtime. But it should absolutely be included in your postpartum recovey programs (and beyond!)

What Is the Serratus Anterior?

The serratus anterior is a fan shaped muscle that wraps around the side of your rib cage, running from your upper ribs to the underside of your shoulder blade (scapula). Its primary job is to protract the shoulder blade, moving it forward and around the rib cage, and to keep it anchored flat against your back during movement.

When it’s working well, you barely notice it. When it’s not, you start to feel it in other places: neck tension, shoulder discomfort, poor posture and even perhaps a plateau in your core strength.

Why It Matters So Much Postpartum

Pregnancy changes the way your body manages pressure, breathes and moves. Your rib cage expands, your posture shifts, and certain muscles (including the serratus) can become underactive as your body adapts.

Here’s why training the serratus is such a valuable part of that process:

It reconnects your core and upper body. The serratus acts as a bridge between your rib cage and your shoulder blade, meaning it’s central to how your core and upper body communicate during movement. Rebuilding that connection postpartum means your arms can move with proper support behind them — whether you’re lifting your baby, pushing a buggy, or reaching overhead.

It supports better breathing mechanics. The serratus helps anchor the ribs, which directly supports diaphragmatic breathing. And good breathing is foundational to postpartum core rehab — it’s how you manage intra-abdominal pressure and restore the synergy between your deep core (transverse abdominis) and your pelvic floor.

It improves posture and scapular stability. Rounded shoulders are incredibly common postpartum. Strengthening the serratus helps reposition the shoulder blade, reduce upper back tension, and restore better alignment through the whole upper body.

It reduces the risk of pain and compensation patterns. When the serratus is weak, other muscles pick up the slack, particularly the upper trapezius. This can lead to neck tightness, headaches, and shoulder impingement. Addressing the serratus directly helps break that cycle.

Exercises to Build Serratus Strength

Here are the movements I use within my programs to target and train the serratus muscle:

Serratus Wall Slides: The band adds resistance as you slide each arm up the wall alternately, challenging upward rotation and scapular control through a full range of motion. What makes this variation particularly valuable postpartum is that it trains each side independently — helping to identify and address any asymmetries that may have developed during pregnancy. Keeping the forearms in contact with the wall throughout also acts as built-in feedback, encouraging better rib cage positioning and discouraging the rib flare that is so common after birth. Over time, this movement helps restore the relationship between the serratus, the thoracic spine, and the shoulder blade — all of which are central to good posture and breathing mechanics.

Form tip: If you notice your lower ribs pushing forward as your arms slide up, you’ve gone too far. Dial back the range until you can maintain a neutral rib cage throughout the whole movement.

Supine KB Punch Lying on your back, you press (or “punch”) a kettlebell towards the ceiling, protracting the shoulder blade fully at the top of each rep. Because you’re working against gravity in a supported position, this is a brilliant low load entry point for serratus training. Particularly in the earlier stages of postpartum recovery when you need to rebuild the mind muscle connection before adding more complex demands. It also ties in with breath work: the exhale as you punch up naturally encourages deep core engagement and rib cage control, reinforcing the pressure management system that is so central to postpartum rehab. I sometimes like to add in a block squeeze for some adductor coordination in those earlier months, too.

Form tip: At the top of each rep, think about reaching your shoulder blade away from your spine rather than just locking the elbow out. That extra inch of protraction is where the serratus really kicks in.

Serratus Push Up — Banded The classic scapula (or serratus) push up is one of the most direct ways to isolate and train the serratus, and adding a band wrapped around the back of the rib cage elevates it significantly. The band acts as tactile feedback, giving you something to actively press into and away from as you protract the shoulder blades. This makes it much easier to feel the serratus actually engaging rather than just going through the motion. It also encourages you to maintain rib cage position throughout, since any collapse or flare will immediately disrupt the tension of the band. This is a fantastic exercise for rebuilding scapular control in a way that translates directly to pushing movements.

Form tip: Keep your arms completely straight throughout. This is not a push up — there should be no bend in the elbows at any point. Think about pressing the floor away and spreading the shoulder blades wide, using the band behind your ribs as a cue to breathe into and brace against.

Serratus Push Up — Forearms Here is a great progression to your quadruped variation. Protracting from this position requires genuine serratus strength and body awareness, making it a brilliant exercise for those further along in their postpartum recovery who have already built a solid foundation through the earlier variation.

Mini Band Reach Simple in appearance but surprisingly demanding when done well. As you reach forward or overhead against the resistance of the band, the serratus has to work continuously to stabilise the shoulder blade and prevent it from winging away from the rib cage. It also requires steady core engagement throughout, making it a great integration exercise that connects shoulder stability to trunk control. Super early postpartum friendly and a good drill to add to your upper body warm ups prior to pressing.

Form tip: Move slowly and with intention. Rushing the reach means momentum does the work instead of the muscle. Aim for a long, controlled reach with the shoulder blade staying flush against the rib cage the whole time.

½ Kneeling Inline Press Rotation This is where serratus training starts to become genuinely functional. From a half kneeling position, you press and rotate, with the serratus stabilising the scapula while your core manages the rotational demand through the trunk. The half-kneeling position is important here. It reduces the base of support, which increases the demand on your core and pelvic stability, making this a brilliant exercise for rebuilding the whole chain from the ground up. The rotational element also begins to restore thoracic mobility, which is often stiff postpartum due to postural changes and the repetitive nature of nursing and feeding. This works best with a cable machine however you can do this with a resistance band if you have limited equipment and workout from home.

Form tip: Keep your pelvis facing forward as you rotate — the movement should come from your thoracic spine, not your lower back or hips. Think rotation above the belt, stability below it.

Landmine Press with Opposite Arm Reach As you press the landmine with one arm, the opposite arm reaches long simultaneously. The pressing side serratus works to guide the scapula through the upward rotation of the press, while the reaching arm creates a long line of tension through the opposite side of the body, demanding that your core resists the rotational pull between the two. The angled nature of the landmine also makes it a more shoulder friendly pressing variation postpartum, as it naturally guides the arm through a path that reduces impingement risk while still building genuine overhead strength and stability.

Form tip: Exhale as you press and reach to activate the deep core and prevent the ribs from flaring. Think about creating length through both arms simultaneously rather than just focusing on the pressing side. The pelvis should stay square and if you find yourself rotating at the hips, reduce the load.

The Bigger Picture

The serratus anterior isn’t just a shoulder muscle. It’s a core stabiliser, a postural anchor, and a key part of how your upper and lower body communicate during movement. Training it postpartum isn’t an add-on — it’s a missing piece that makes everything else work better.

If you’re ready to rebuild your strength from the inside out, this is exactly the kind of intentional work we do in my Return to Strength and Return to Movement postpartum programs. Every phase is designed around safe, smart progressions that restore your core, support your pelvic floor, and build full-body strength you can actually feel in your everyday life. Start your postpartum recovery today!