It goes without saying that a mother’s body goes through an utterly incredible amount of change during pregnancy.
As a physio, I focus on the changes in the movement system. The movement system has 2 parts:
- the muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and fascia
- the nervous system, which instructs the muscles how to move.
Both these change in pregnancy.
While the physical changes of the pregnancy happen to you, you can support your body with simple core exercises, especially if you are struggling with pain and mobility.
The biggest pregnancy changes happen … to your core muscles.
Your core muscles change in shape and adapt to new demands around your growing belly.
When it comes to maintaining a strong-enough core, a few key areas need your attention:
- Your abdominal muscles
- Your glutes (“butt’ or hip muscles)
- Your pelvic floor muscles
Understanding how these muscles adapt — and how you can work with them — can make a big difference in how you feel during pregnancy and how you recover afterward.
Your abdominal muscles still work in pregnancy
You may be surprised to learn that even as your body changes shape, your abdominal muscles continue to function.
Despite the lengthening of the muscles and the stretching of the connective tissue (fascia), your abdominals don’t simply “switch off.” They still help you move, even if you can’t do a sit-up. They provide support to your pelvis and spine.
Are you going to strengthen your tummy muscles in pregnancy? No. There is too much change within the connective tissue and fascia, but you can definitely learn how to coordinate their best action.
Helpful tip for pregnancy core strength:
Learn how to contract your deepest abdominal muscle, which stabilises your spine and crucially helps maintain tension across the linea alba for diastasis management.
While lying on your side or kneeling on your hands and knees. Breathe in, then exhale as if blowing up a balloon. Watch your belly draw inward toward your spine if you’re lying on your side, or lift upwards towards your spine if you are kneeling. Relax as you inhale, and repeat. If you are using the correct muscle, you will clearly see these drawing in movements.
The strength of your Glute muscles is crucial
The 3 largest glute muscles stabilise your pelvis and hips and take load off your spine, making bending, stair climbing, and standing up from sitting easier and more comfortable.
During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause the many ligaments of the pelvis joints, which we rely on for a certain amount of stability, to loosen. This makes having good muscle support even more important.
Helpful tip for pregnancy glute muscle strength:
Learn how to use the most powerful muscle in your pelvis – the glute max. This muscle stabilises your pelvic joints and takes strain off your lower back.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Imagine the floor is rising under your feet. Drive it down with your feet, lifting your pelvis as you push down. You will feel your glutes / ‘butt muscles’ contracting as you push your feet down onto the floor and your pelvis lifts.
Maintaining well-functioning pelvic floor muscles
The pelvic floor carries the weight of the baby and uterus. The pelvic floor is made up of the pelvic floor msucles and a lot of fascia.
With the fascia of the pelvic floor being looser and laxer, the muscles must function well to help maintain continence and not contribute to pain or instability in the pelvic joints.
Helpful tip for pregnancy pelvic floor muscle strength:
A very comfortable position to start pelvic floor muscle contractions and relaxations is the ‘child’s pose’. Modify this slightly by resting on your elbows instead of reaching forward with your arms.
As for the abdominal exercise above, inhale and exhale as if you are blowing up a balloon. As you exhale, think of contracting to squeeze a wind, squeeze a wee, and then elevate your pelvic floor – upwards towards your belly button.
Relax completely, allowing the pelvic floor to drop again. This is crucial to have well-functioning pelvic floor muscles.
Spasm and pain cause muscle weakness
Muscles need to maintain normal tone during pregnancy. This means they should NOT be:
• too tense, feeling them to be “gripping” or in spasm
• too loose and weak, feeling it is impossible to get them to work
If gentle, pain-free exercise doesn’t correct the muscle tone, corrective treatment will be helpful.
Need Help Getting Started?
If you’d like a personalised assessment and a tailored program to support your body through pregnancy, we’re here to help.
A few targeted exercises, specific to your body and your stage of pregnancy, can make a real difference.
Every pregnancy is unique — and your body deserves care and attention that respects what it’s going through.
