Providing your pregnancy is progressing normally and you don’t have a history of abdominal issues (such as diastasis recti), the short answer is ‘yes’. In fact, if you fall into the safe category, exercising your core during pregnancy can be a great way of preventing postural problems and keeping you pain-free during the nine-ish months of baby brewing.
That doesn’t mean you should be charging into the gym to crunch your core into submission. Advice varies as to when you should quit crunching but given there are plenty of alternatives, the best thing is probably to avoid abdominal crunches altogether and build your core strength with exercises that are safe throughout the antenatal period.
So what can you be getting along with?
All hail the powers of the preggars-friendly plank. The plank is a great core exercise in pregnancy because it’s equipment-free (so you can do it at home), you can maintain a neutral spine throughout and you are not on your back (so no morphing into a fainting human concertina for you).
As with all exercises during pregnancy, if you didn’t do them before you conceived, tread carefully and don’t go overboard. You can start by planking on your knees and aim for 20-second holds, gradually increasing over time to 60-second repetitions. Don’t forget to also be conscious of your wrists; the relaxin hormone that’s running through your body loosens everything up (not in a graceful Yogi way; more of a loose-hipped-old-lady-getting-off-a-beanbag way) and stick to planking on your forearms, rather than hands, if you need to.
If you are able to master the basic plank, there are plenty of variations to keep the exercise fresh and progressive over the coming months. The video below features some examples (as well as my 20-week pregnant belly wondering when this demo will be over and dinner will be served).
Featured:
1. Forearm plank
2. Alternating hand:forearm plank
3. 360° plank
4. Spider man plank
5. Side plank (with leg raises)
