Rebuilding your core postpartum takes more than just breathing drills and basic deadbugs. One of the most common – and overlooked – patterns I see in postpartum women is upper ab gripping.

It’s subtle, easy to miss, and can linger long after birth. But if left unaddressed, it can lead to poor pressure management, breathing dysfunction, and even contribute to pelvic floor symptoms.

Let’s break down what upper ab gripping is, why it happens, and how to move beyond the basics to truly restore your core.

What Is Upper Ab Gripping?

Upper ab gripping is a compensatory pattern where the upper portion of the abdominal wall – especially the rectus abdominis – over-engages to create tension and control. It often looks like:

• Sucking in the stomach
• Pulling the belly button sharply to the spine
• A flattening or denting of the upper abs
• A sense of bracing or holding the breath during movement

In many cases, this gripping causes the lower belly to bulge or push outward, especially during core work, lifting, or daily activities.

What Causes It?

After pregnancy, the core and pelvic floor are often left weakened or disconnected, especially if healing is still happening. In response, the body finds ways to compensate – like using the upper abs and ribcage to stabilize instead.

Common contributing factors:

• Decreased lower abdominal and pelvic floor strength
• Poor ribcage mobility (especially in rotation)
• Shallow or chest-dominant breathing
• A desire to “hold it all in” and appear flat-bellied
• Lack of awareness or cueing in core engagement

Why It Matters

Upper ab gripping can lead to:

• Poor breathing mechanics
• Increased intra-abdominal pressure pushing downward onto the pelvic floor
• Pelvic floor symptoms like heaviness, leaking, or pressure
• Difficulty generating true core strength, especially during lifting or running

To move forward in your postpartum recovery, you need strategies that go beyond just learning how to breathe. You need to restore mobility, rewire coordination, and load smartly.

What to Focus On Instead

Improve upper back mobility — especially in rotation — to free the rib cage and allow for better pressure management.

Use tools like a yoga block squeeze to activate the adductors and co-activate the pelvic floor.

Train in rounded positions that shorten the front of the body and open the back to help shift tension from upper abs to deeper 360° expansion.

Include multi-planar core training — rotation, anti-rotation, and side bending — to build well-rounded core strength.

Exercises to Break the Gripping Cycle

Below are 7 exercises I love to use with postpartum clients to reduce gripping and rebuild strong, functional core support:

1. Side lying arm bar with thoracic rotation

Muscles worked: Thoracic extensors, rotator cuff, deep core
Why it helps: Frees up thoracic mobility, encourages posterior rib expansion, and improves core coordination

Benefits:

• Reduces stiffness in the upper back
• Allows better breathing and pressure distribution
• Relaxes overactive upper abs

How to: Lie on your side, holding a light dumbbell or kettlebell in your top hand. Rotate your upper body while keeping the weight vertical and ribs stacked, arm remains stragiht. Breathe deeply into the rotation.

2. Reciprocal dumbbell bent over row

Muscles worked: Lats, rhomboids, mid traps, obliques
Why it helps: Encourages alternating core activation with rotation and breath control under load

Benefits:

• Promotes anti-rotation strength
• Teaches the core to stabilize while moving
• Reduces over-reliance on upper ab gripping

How to: In a hip-hinge position with the option to support your head on an incline bench, alternate rows with dumbbells, keeping your ribs stacked and core engaged. Let your thoracic spine rotate slightly with the row, focusing on breath and tension control.

3. Kneeling lat pulldown with overhead press

Muscles worked: Lats, serratus anterior, triceps, deep core
Why it helps: Links ribcage control with shoulder mobility, encouraging co-activation and rib stacking

Benefits:

• Reinforces upward and downward scapular motion
• Teaches controlled core engagement during upper body movement
• Reduces chest breathing and gripping

How to: Kneel on both knees. Pull a resistance band or cable from overhead to your chest, as you simultaneously press a dumbbell overhead. Slightly rotate down into the rib cage at the bottom of the rep.

4. 90/90 leg lowers with block squeeze

Muscles worked: Lower abs, adductors, pelvic floor
Why it helps: Block squeeze activates the inner thighs and pelvic floor, improving deep core coordination

Benefits:

• Supports lower abdominal control
• Reduces upper ab overuse
• Builds pressure management through the breath

How to: Lie on your back with knees bent at 90°. Place a yoga block between knees and gently squeeze. Lower both legs while exhaling and maintaining rib-to-pelvis connection.

5. Roll back with forward reach

Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, obliques, thoracic spine
Why it helps: Puts the front body in a shortened position while lengthening the back, encouraging rib expansion and reduced gripping

Benefits:

• Trains posterior expansion
• Relieves upper ab tension
• Improves pelvic positioning

How to: Sit tall, reach arms forward rounding your upper back, and slowly roll back just until you feel your lower abs engage.

6. Banded thoracic cat cow

Muscles worked: Thoracic extensors, multifidus, intercostals
Why it helps: Encourages movement through the thoracic spine and rib cage, reducing rigidity

Benefits:

• Increases upper back mobility
• Encourages breath into the back
• Breaks up rigidity in the rib cage

How to: Place a resistance band around your upper back and get into a hands-and-knees position. Slowly round and arch through your upper spine while breathing deeply.

7. Dynamic side plank

Muscles worked: Obliques, transverse abdominis, glutes, adductors
Why it helps: Strengthens lateral and rotational stability without over-bracing

Benefits:

• Builds balanced core strength
• Engages deep stabilizers
• Reduces dominance of the upper abs

How to: Start in a forearm side plank, knees bent or extended. Gently dip your hips down and lift back up. Focus on breath and core control – not on squeezing or flattening the abs.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been doing all the “right” postpartum exercises but still feel like your upper abs are always taking over – or your belly pushes out during movement – it’s time to look deeper.

By adding mobility, multi-planar strength, and better pressure management into your routine, you’ll create a core that’s not just flat or toned, but truly functional – one that supports you through motherhood and beyond.

💡 Want guided support?

You can find these movements (with video demos!) inside the Lift with Emily app, along with full postpartum programs that go beyond the basics and help you rebuild for real life.