Abdominal exercises

XmasDivine · June 2013

Sit ups come up a lot in my workout routine are they ok to continue as long as they don't cause me pain? What are some suggestions for alterations or other exercises that I could replace them with?

eljayare · June 2013

At this point in your pregnancy, I would avoid sit ups and any other ab workouts that involve you laying flat on your back. Planking is OK as far as I know to get some ab engagement.

LiveNLove44 · June 2013

My doctor agreed to anything that doesn't have me lying flat on my back or exercises that involve "bearing down" which would include heavy lifting. Planks are always fair game, and doing oblique and lower back exercises will definitely help you in the last trimester for support in your growing core!

cjm724 · June 2013

I would ask your doctor to see what he recommends. Every doctor probably has a differing opinion. I have been a vigorous exerciser my whole life, and he cleared me to do certain back lying ab exercises. He said the issue that some people have is that the baby can lie on the Vena Cava vein which brings DEoxygenated blood back to your heart. If it gets too restricted, it can cause you to pass out or feel dizzy and light headed from the lack of oxygen getting to your brain. He told me that I would feel the effects before it would impact baby. He told me to just don't do a long series of ab exercises in a row where you will be on your back for more than 5 minutes at a time. He also told me that since I was a runner, my venous return is very strong, and I would be very unlikely to have this problem. I am also a back sleeper, and he said my body would wake me up if I wasn't getting enough oxygen.

XmasDivine · June 2013

Yea I have been doing them to this point, and am able to do so but I have gotten much slower than I was prior to pregnancy. I've never experienced the issues associated with laying on my back... I try not to stay on the ground for long, when I rest during the exercise I rest in a sitting position... I guess since I'm not experiencing the dizziness it's fine but I guess I was concerned about other consequences? But none seem to be "known"..

thegoodpotato · June 2013

Hi, sorry to jump in here... I'm a dirty lurker.

I have been told by my midwife, a massage therapist, and Dr. Internet to NOT do sit-up like exercises in your third tri because of the danger of diastasis rectii (separated ab muscles).

Too late for me (happened naturally, not as a result of situps), but you'd probably want to consult your physician or midwife about the dangers of separating your ab muscles if you continue your normal routine. This has become a bit of an obsession for me, as I've always had problems with toning my core, and separating my abs has me heartbroken and feeling a little bit depressed.

Planking and avoiding heavy-weight squatting exercises are apparently the best way to go.

XmasDivine · June 2013

I thought diastasis rectii natural happened to everyone in pregnancy?

LiveNLove44 · June 2013

XmasDivine:
I thought diastasis rectii natural happened to everyone in pregnancy?

It does not happen to everyone, and according to my OB, it is not something you can prevent (much like stretch marks). Every pregnancy is different. My OB and my MW both cleared me for core exercises as long as I wasn't "bearing down" in order to lift weights. I resistance train regularly, do core work, and run. Talk to your own OB about what s/he thinks and follow his/her advice. Avoid taking any advice on a forum as the end-all-be-all on something medically related such as diastasis recti.

blushingbride_08 · June 2013

Planks

thegoodpotato · June 2013

Yes, as PP said, better to talk to your doc about it. Just be aware that it's a danger (no, not everyone gets it, so you could be ok), and something you should ask about if you want to continue your regular routine.

Rseed · July 2013

Keep in mind also that many non-core exercises still require you to use your core strength and stability... Even squats, lateral pull downs, bicep curls while balancing on one leg.... You can do a new strength-training routine with moves like these, and still keep your core strength while avoiding any questionable ab exercises!

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