Prenatal Abdominal Exercises

Abdominals

Although you won't be doing any intense abdominal exercise while you're pregnant, it's important to keep your core muscles strong by doing low impact exercises.  The following exercises will help maintain some core strength during your pregnancy with little stress and risk for your belly and baby:

-Pelvic tilts- lying on back, seated, or standing (should be done seated or standing in 3rd trimester)

-Crunches equal to or less than 45 degrees (be sure to keep chin off chest, look at ceiling, and lift with shoulders) - lying on back, seated, or on stability ball.

-Diagonal crunches - opposite hand to opposite knee (shouldn't attempt in 3rd trimester, unless using stabilized fitball)

-Standing oblique squeezes - feel free to hold on to a wall, chair, table, etc. For women in their 3rd trimester, just bring your elbow towards your hip, squeezing your oblique, leaving your foot on the floor.

Suggested sets and repetitions

1-2 sets of 5-15 repetitions


How To Check Separation of Abdominal Muscles Each Week

Lying on your back, keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Bring your chin to chest, raise your head and shoulders 6-8 inches off of the floor.  Hold one arm out in front of you, and with the other hand check for a gap (you will feel this during the 1st few months of pregnancy and/or postpartum) or a bulge (you will feel this in the last 3 months of your pregnancy) in the middle of your abdominals.

Avoid severe separation by doing a mild abdominal workout with your hands crossed over your abdominals to help bring your muscles together.