Should I avoid core exercises? (Pregnancy + Postpartum)

No. Training your deep core muscles during pregnancy and postpartum can help improve core control, stability and help maintain the integrity of your fascia which connects your rectus abdominus (aka 6 pack muscles) together.
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Core exercises during this season may not look like your traditional abdominal exercises (sit ups, v ups, russian twists, etc) but they’re core exercises nonetheless.
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Here’s where you want to start:
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1️⃣Diaphragmatic breathing, this helps connect to all the muscles that make up your core (TVA, pelvic floor, diaphragm, multifidus) and gets them to synchronize.
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2️⃣Once you have that down, you can move into more intentional breathing techniques such as the core breathing belly pump™️ or connection breath. This is diaphragmatic breathing with a little more intensity. Inhale, allow your belly/ribs to expand and the pelvic floor to relax. As you exhale, squeeze and lift the pelvic floor while going for a long audible exhale. This helps maximize the connection of the deep muscles. Tip: Remember that relaxing is just as important as contracting so don’t skip that part.
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3️⃣Incorporate the breathing technique into other exercises, such as when you’re doing squats, pushups, lunges etc. Every exercise is a “core” exercise when proper breathing/muscle activation is involved. Check out this blog with core specific exercises that you can do during your pregnancy and postpartum season.
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Need more help on connecting to these muscles? Book a one time virtual introductory session to get all of the basics down.