Hello,
As the moderator of this forum, I feel that I must chime in here and correct some misconceptions that this post may have created regarding the effectiveness of abdominal training during the prenatal period. During pregnancy the abdominal muscles lengthen and thin (stretch out) over the expanding uterus. They also support the weight of the growing baby. Strong and supple abdominal muscles, which have been exercised, lengthen easily during pregnancy and return to their pre-pregnancy strength and tone more quickly after delivery. Strong abdominal muscles also assist in the return of the abdominopelvic contents to their pre-pregnancy locations after birth. Women were told in the past not to exercise their abdominal muscles due to their stretched state. However, we now know that this is not the case. The supportive role of the abdominal muscles will become compromised if they are neglected during pregnancy and their postpartum recovery will take longer. Abdominal strengthening may alleviate or prevent the backache commonly experienced by pregnant women by taking the weight of the baby off the spine. Yes, the abs are lengthening during pregnancy, but strength may be maintained to a certain extent. Abdominal trainig during pregnancy is a major component of a well rounded prenatal fitness routine.
Abdominal training during pregnancy will also help mom during the second stage of labor by increasing the effectiveness of her pushing. Research has shown that trained women spend less time in second stage labor (i.e. pushing). This is definitely due to the fact that those women continued to work their abdominals during pregnancy.
Abdominal breathing or diaphragmatic breathing is the “cornerstone” of correct abdominal exercise. Anyone who has watched a baby breathe can see that its belly rises on inhalation and falls during exhalation. During inhalation the abdominal muscles relax and the diaphragm contracts and moves down. This allows the lungs to fill with air and expand. During exhalation the abdominal muscles contract and the diaphragm relaxes. This is “correct” abdominal breathing. Unfortunately, women are taught early in life that they should always “suck their stomachs in.” They become “shallow chest breathers.” As instructors, we may need to re-educate our clients on proper abdominal breathing before we can teach them how to effectively exercise their abdominal muscles. This is especially true when working with pregnant clients.
How to teach abdominal (“belly”) breathing
“Sit on the ball with feet comfortably apart. Place your hands on your belly and inhale “making your belly big.” Imagine that you are inflating a balloon in your belly with the air that you breathe in. If you are doing this correctly your hands will rise as you inhale. Exhale and think about “pulling your navel to your spine” as you contract your abdominal muscles and “deflate the balloon inside your belly.” Your hands will return to their original position. Try to exhale as much air as you can to maximally contract the abdominal muscles.
I have made it a professional mission to educate women regarding the the benefits of core training during their pregnancies. In 2002, the Resistaball Company and I launched the "Resistaball Prenatal CORE Instructor Training Program." I was honored to be the author or this program, which was the first formal prenatal stability ball exercise program. Numerous articles in various magazines followed the launch of the Resistaball program. My article from the February, 2004 ePregnancy magazine can be found on my website. Here is the link to the Resource page on the Healthy Moms website:
http://www.healthymomsfitness.com/articles.htm. There you will find a link for "Birth Ball Workout." This will give you some effective core strengthening exercises that are safe throughout pregnancy.
As for pushups during pregnancy..... Pushups are not contraindicated during pregnancy. There are many options in addition to the "on the toes" pushups seen in Cathe videos. One may modify to hands and knees (like a half plank) if comfortable. The quadruped position (all 4's) is also acceptable if comfortable. Mom may also modify her pushups by taking them to the wall or even a sturdy countertop. Again, mom should always listen to her body. Of course, when mom is executing a pushup, her abdominals should always be engaged, which will provide some support to the growing uterus while doing the move. If it doesn't feel right, mom should stop the exercise.
Hope this helps!
