Abdominal Strengthening: 5 Essential Postpartum Exercises

In my recent article on returning to exercise during the postpartum period, I guide new mothers who want to resume physical activity gradually and confidently. At one key stage, I mention abdominal rehabilitation, a crucial step in a safe and progressive return to fitness. Today, I’d like to introduce a few abdominal strengthening exercises specifically adapted for new mothers returning to training after childbirth.

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read my previous article on returning to exercise during the postpartum period to complement the information presented here.

Before diving into the exercises, I would like to remind mothers that professional guidance can make all the difference. Meeting with a pelvic floor physiotherapist or a kinesiologist specialized in perinatal care remains the best way to receive proper support for pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation, as well as for a gradual return to sport.

Here are some general guidelines to help you choose appropriate exercises during the postpartum period:

• Prioritize exercises that promote spinal elongation and good posture.
• Avoid exercises that involve curling the upper body forward (such as crunches), as they increase pressure on the pelvic floor.
• Include asymmetrical exercises to stimulate the oblique muscles more effectively.

5 Abdominal Strengthening Exercises

1. The Foundation: Pelvic Floor Contraction

Important: It is essential to master this exercise before progressing to more demanding movements.

How to perform it: Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale naturally, allowing your abdomen to expand. As you exhale, gently draw your belly button inward without pressing your lower back into the floor, while simultaneously contracting your pelvic floor.

How do you contract the pelvic floor? To help visualize the movement, imagine that you are wearing a tampon and trying to gently lift it upward inside the vagina. Gradually increase the number of repetitions as you become more comfortable with the exercise.

2. The Reverse Piston

This exercise helps build endurance in the deep core muscles by maintaining abdominal and pelvic floor activation for a longer period.

How to perform it: Start in the same position as the previous exercise: lying on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet on the floor. Follow the same breathing pattern, engaging your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor during the exhalation.

Once the contraction is established, lift one leg while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the knee, then slowly lower it back to the floor. Alternate legs without releasing the contraction between repetitions. You may place your hands near your hip bones to better feel the activation of the deep core muscles.

Progression: When the exercise becomes easier, increase the challenge by lifting both legs simultaneously while maintaining the contraction. Lower them back down in a controlled manner before releasing. This variation increases the time under tension.

3. The Piston

Now we increase the level of difficulty. Make sure you have mastered the previous exercises before moving on to this one. Don’t hesitate to return to a simpler version if you lose control of the contraction or if the exercise feels too demanding. This is completely normal during the postpartum rehabilitation process.

How to perform it: Lie on your back and lift your feet off the floor so that both your knees and hips are bent at 90 degrees. Maintaining this position, lower one leg at a time while keeping the knee at a 90-degree angle. Exhale as you lower the leg, engaging both the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor as in the previous exercises.

4. The Half Side Plank

An excellent exercise for strengthening the obliques and improving trunk stability.

How to perform it: Support yourself on your forearm and the knee of the bottom leg, bent at 90 degrees. Align your shoulders, hips, and knee. Then lift your hips off the floor and hold the position.

Throughout the exercise, continue breathing normally while keeping your abdominal muscles engaged and your pelvic floor activated.

5. The Dead Bug

A slightly more advanced exercise that challenges both the deep abdominal muscles and coordination.

How to perform it: Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your hips and knees bent at 90 degrees. As you exhale, simultaneously lower one arm and the opposite leg while drawing your belly button inward without flattening your lower back against the floor, and while maintaining pelvic floor activation. Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side while maintaining control of your core and breathing.

Progression: There are several variations of this exercise that allow you to gradually increase the level of difficulty as your strength and stability improve.

A Confident Return to Movement

I hope these exercises provide some useful ideas if you are a mother beginning your return to exercise. The abdominal strengthening exercises described above can also be beneficial in other situations. These include urinary incontinence, lower back pain, and abdominal diastasis.

Don’t hesitate to consult a kinesiologist specialized in perinatal care to enhance your current training program or to ensure a safe and effective return to physical activity.

Abdominal Strengthening: 5 Essential Postpartum Exercises is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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