Ab workouts during pregnancy?

knottie3e91d2698bdb793e

Exercise advice!

What can / can’t you do while pregnant related to exercise? I am used to being an athlete and doing high intensity sports which I’ve continued mostly during pregnancy with the insight that pregnant woman should continue with ‘what’s normal for them’ and to ‘listen to their bodies’. Recently I’ve learned more about diacticis recti and the reasoning to avoid ab excercises. 

Is the ‘coned’ shaped belly a bad thing when doing ab exercises?

I’m worried my abs have split now and my belly is sore- how can I strengthen my abdominal?

I currently am 29 weeks pregnant with my first baby!

Thanks!

meggyme

This would be a great thing to ask your doctor. You can be active and not do ab targeted workouts. At this point strengthening your abs might make any diastasis worse as they’d be tighter and it’s only going to get worse as your baby grows. Stick to prenatal focused workouts and whole core instead of targeting specific ab muscles.

pajamstagrams

FWIW, yes, you want to avoid coning of the abs during a workout. This will greatly depend on the person. My abs are pretty weak, and I get coning quite easily in a plank position, so any planks I do are highly modified to where I'm on a pretty big incline to avoid all that.

Farmers/suitcase carries and plate overhead carries are good exercises that work your core, but don't necessarily target it like an ab-specific exercise would. 

Also, everyone's abs split, it's just a part of pregnancy. The bigger issue is when they don't go back in the post partum period. Since you mentioned they're sore, definitely bring it up with your OB. 

knottie629b7d4e4f2b66ec

I’m here with you - always worked out before pregnancy (Pilates, barre, yoga and some kick boxing). Continued through most of my pregnancy but during my last visit (34 weeks) dr told me I should have stopped after 25 weeks because of stomach/abs separation that occurs abs it can make it for longer healing.

sanpav

It's a question to bring up eith your doctor for sure, I can only tell you what mine said. He said "don't over exert yourself in anything, housework, work out, going for walks with friends. Listen to your body, when you start to breath heavier, stop whatever it is you're doing and relax until you calm down and then continue if necessary." And honestly, that is fantastic advise. I get the coning whenever I get up from a lying position, that's normal, but targeting those specific muscles, not a good idea, since after birth they might take longer to get back together. There is plenty of workout that's fine during pregnancy, all are accessible online, just stick to those or you might be out of working out for longer after birth.