Core and Pelvic Floor Exercises for Pregnancy
Feel Connected.
Reduce Separation.
Prepare for Birth.
Your body undergoes some incredible changes during pregnancy. However, nothing changes quite as much as your core and pelvic floor. As a physio-led program, we are passionate about helping you to keep your core and pelvic floor strong and connected with pregnancy-safe exercises and workouts.
How does your Core and Pelvic Floor Change during Pregnancy?
Pregnancy Core Changes
During pregnancy, your uterus will expand from 70g to up to 1kg. As your baby grows, your abdominal wall has to stretch and lengthen. The linea alba (a strong band of connective tissue) thins and widens, resulting in increased abdominal separation. Between 72%-100% of women will experience rectus diastasis in their third trimester. This is a normal part of pregnancy required to ensure your baby has space to grow. However, safe pregnancy core exercise can help reduce the degree and depth of separation you experience.
Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Changes
Your pelvic floor needs to be able to contract and lift to protect your pelvic organs and maintain continence. But it also needs to be able to open and relax. During birth your pelvic floor needs to be able to stretch up to 3 times its normal length to allow for the passage of your baby down the birth canal. Learning how to engage and relax your pelvic floor is vital for a healthy pregnancy.
What is the EMP approach to Core and Pelvic Floor Exercise in Pregnancy?
Maintaining a strong core and pelvic floor will help reduce your chances of experiencing long-term pelvic floor complications and abdominal separation. It is also incredibly important for your postnatal recovery. The Empowered Motherhood Program will help you keep your pelvic floor and core feeling strong and prepared for birth.
Pregnancy Core Exercises
The Empowered Motherhood Pregnancy Core Program is designed to help you maintain core strength, reduce rectus diastasis and optimise your postnatal recovery. There are specific exercises that we recommend doing in pregnancy to help support your abdominal wall and core connection including:
- Deep core activation exercises.
- Quadruped exercises promote pelvic stability and core control.
- Modified planks on a fit ball, wall or chair to support core strength.
- Oblique-focused movements in kneeling and side-lying.
- Rotational and functional movements to ensure your core can cope with daily life.
Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Exercises
The EMP includes pelvic floor workouts for each trimester. Research shows a structured pelvic floor exercise program in pregnancy can result in:
- 62% reduction in urinary incontinence in late pregnancy and early postpartum;
- 20% reduction in the length of second stage of labour; and
- reduction in the use of forceps in vaginal birth deliveries.
The EMP pregnancy pelvic floor program includes:
- Endurance contractions.
- Fast contractions to develop the 'knack' and support continence.
- Pelvic floor release to prepare for birth.
- Specialised workouts for women with prolapse.
Core and Pelvic Floor Birth Preparation
Your pelvic floor muscles need to be able to relax and stretch to allow for the passage of your baby out of the birth canal. From 34 weeks, our birth preparation program includes pelvic floor-specific workouts to help you to:
- Release and open your pelvic floor to allow for the passage of your baby through the birth canal.
- Learn how to push optimally and use your core to support optimal pushing techniques.
- Protect your pelvic floor during birth with specific birthing positions and techniques.
- Reduce your risk of perineal tearing and trauma.
I absolutely love the EMP! It makes staying active and strong during pregnancy easy. I feel so informed when it comes to preparing my body as best as I can!
— Elissa
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating such an amazing program to support pregnant and postnatal women.
— Brooke Pay
Expert-led pregnancy core and pelvic floor exercises
In the Empowered Motherhood Program, our Core and Pelvic Floor exercises and programs help you to move safely and confidently.
Reduce Abdominal Separation
Abdominal separation is the body’s way of creating space for your baby to grow and develop. In the EMP, we help you reduce the degree and depth of abdominal separation through pregnancy-safe core exercises.
Maintain a Strong Pelvic Floor
Being pregnant places huge stress on your pelvic floor muscles. The EMP pelvic floor program will help you to maintain a strong pelvic floor with pregnancy safe exercises for each trimester.
Prepare for Birth
Prepare your body for birth with specialised pelvic floor and core workouts for both C-Section and Vaginal births. Including perineal massage and release and pelvic floor down training and pushing preparation.
Specialised Core and Pelvic Floor Program
Physio-led pelvic floor and core workouts, education tutorials for each stage, and stretch classes are designed to help you feel confident and connected through your entire pregnancy.
EMP is far more than just pregnancy safe workouts!
Physio-led exercise and expert education for every stage of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.
Physio-Led Exercise
Feel safe and supported with physio-led pilates, strength, cardio and yoga workouts for every stage of your pregnancy and postpartum journey.
Specialised Programs
Keep moving safely. Specialised programs for pelvic pain, birth preparation, C-Section, prolapse, abdominal separation, return to running and more.
Personalised Support
We are here to support you. The EMP is so much more than just an online program. Receive the personalised support you deserve.
Expert Education
Your EMP membership includes access to our team of experts including obstetricians, psychologists, midwives and dieticians.
Create your strong and empowered pregnancy
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Hey, we are Kimmy and Lyz
We are two mums and women's health experts who believe that you deserve access to the best in expert-led exercise and education.
Lyz is a Titled Womens' Health Physio and Kimmy is a pregnancy and postnatal exercise specialist. We have six babies between us and we know the unique challenges that pregnancy and postpartum can bring. We are here to support you to create a strong pregnancy, informed birth and empowered motherhood.
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