Core Prep for Pregnancy: Exercises for Your Best Baby Belly!
Congratulations, you’ve decided to have a baby!
You’ve ditched the birth control pills, spermicide gels or diaphragm – and you’re ready for the next step: Belly prepping!
Pregnancy places tremendous stresses on your body, but if you start exercising and eating right, you can help ensure your chances of delivering a safe, happy and healthy baby about 40 weeks down the line.
When I was pregnant at the ripe ol’ age of 43, my strong core muscles helped me push out my nine pound, healthy boy, in 5 big pushes. I am certain delivering my boy was made easier, because I had been preparing my core muscles for this moment.
For the best belly, you should core-train at least 2-4 days a week, as well as do some kind of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming (my favorite when I was several months pregnant – there is something very fitting about floating in fluids just like the baby inside you!), or cycling, 3-5 days a week.
Core-training comes in many forms: Pilates, Yoga, balance-training, stability ball and band exercises, TRX-training, etc. But all focus on strengthening and stabilizing your deep abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, glutes, hips and back. Working the core improves balance, posture, flexibility, and coordination too.
Here are five of my favorite core pregnancy prep exercises:
1. Kegels
This helps strengthen the core muscles and legs, and also helps promote relaxation and rejuvenation of tired feet. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, thighs together (unless or until your growing belly forces you to do it with legs apart, which is fine), and arms relaxed down by your sides. Lift your hips off the floor as high as you can, contracting your buttocks and gently pulling in your abdominal muscles. Do 10 hip lifts and then hold your tenth one for 30 seconds. Roll back down to the floor. You can make this exercise even more effective if you put a spongy ball or pillow between your legs to squeeze (which will engage your inner thigh muscles) while you lift! And if you really want to work, put your feet up on a platform, or stability ball, like I am doing in the photo! (Click on the photos to see them in full size.)
2. Hip Lifts-Bridges
This helps strengthen the core muscles and legs, and also helps promote relaxation and rejuvenation of tired feet. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, thighs together (unless or until your growing belly forces you to do it with legs apart, which is fine), and arms relaxed down by your sides. Lift your hips off the floor as high as you can, contracting your buttocks and gently pulling in your abdominal muscles. Do 10 hip lifts and then hold your tenth one for 30 seconds. Roll back down to the floor. You can make this exercise even more effective if you put a spongy ball or pillow between your legs to squeeze (which will engage your inner thigh muscles) while you lift! And if you really want to work, put your feet up on a platform, or stability ball, like I am doing in the photo! (Click on the photos to see them in full size.)
3. Supported Squats
Squats strengthen your legs, hips and glutes, so you’ll feel sturdy and strong, even when you gain your baby weight. I liked using my TRX-straps for my supported pregnancy squats (see photo), but you can hold on to a ballet bar, fence, or do bench/chair squats, and stand up and sit down from your chair/bench. Stand with feet about hip width apart, with your weight distributed mostly into the heels of your feet. Squat down like you are going to sit onto a chair. You can do squats with feet parallel or turned out , but make sure to keep your knees in line with the direction of your toes. Try 10-20 squats a day.
4. Supermans
This is a terrific exercise for strengthening and stabilizing your core muscles, especially your back. It also helps with balance. Get down on all fours, with knees under hip joints and hands under shoulder joints. Inhale to prepare…. exhale and reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Gently draw in your abdominals to help you stabilize your torso, align your head so you are looking down at the ground just below you (not looking at the camera like I am doing in photo) and keep your hips level. Switch to your left arm and right leg. Do 3-5 Supermans a day, holding for 5-10 seconds each.
5. Back Rows
As the breasts grow (in my case, to ridiculously uncomfortable proportions) we can at least lessen the discomfort and improve our posture by strengthening the upper and mid-back muscles. You will need a medium strength resistance band for this one. Sit (like Jennifer in the photo) or stand, with abdominals gently engaged, and hold the band handles in your hands. Contract or squeeze your back muscles to pull the band towards your chest in a rowing motion. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Do 2 sets of 10 back rows 3 times a week. Be sure to stretch your chest muscles after you do your rows. Reach your hands behind your back, and interlace your fingers, palms connected. Push your chest forward as you pull your hands down and back behind you, straightening your elbows. This stretch feels great when you are breast-feeding too.
Also, now’s the most important time of your life to start eating right. The best bets are a good balance of whole grain breads and cereals, a variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free cheeses, yogurt and milk, and low-fat protein sources such as, fish, turkey, chicken, egg whites or tofu.
Of course, pregnancy brings with it huge responsibility, not just to your own body, but to the little one growing inside. Forget about drinking alcohol or smoking anymore, if you happen to partake of those.
Last: Don’t forget to take a doctor-recommended prenatal vitamin with folic acid, drink plenty of water, and limit sugars and caffeine.
This is a magical moment in your life. Make the most of it – you will be glad you did!
Stay tuned for more pregnancy prep exercises here on my blog, as well as on my Facebook page!