Hi all. I know it's important to maintain ab strength during pg, but I have no idea how to work my abs unless I'm on my back. So far I have been doing crunches on the ball at an incline, but I can barely feel them. I tried doing a seated version of the bike manuveur, but that just burns my hipflexors out fast. Planks still work well, so I'll stick with those as long as my belly permits. Are there any other good exercises I could be trying? Or any particular videos that work abs safely?
Favorite ab workouts for pg
- Thread starter Monica11
- Start date
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
After my first trimester I stopped working my abs because I couldn't feel it either. All I felt was that I was wasting my time...x( My abs were disgustingly squishy after I gave birth as a result, but are now SLOWLY starting to come back to life...If you can find a way to effectively and safely work your abs through out pregnancy I would strongly suggest that you do it! This is assuming that it REALLY will help to combat the jelly-belly syndrome after the baby is born!
Sorry I can't help you out. :-( Hopefully someone else can!
Sorry I can't help you out. :-( Hopefully someone else can!
MSJ
Cathlete
Hi--
I have the same question. Like Wendy, I have always just stopped working my abs after the first trimester, but I don't want to do that this time. Like you, I tried doing ab work on the stability ball and could not feel it at all.
Someone on this board said she was doing them on an incline step, so I will try that and see if I can feel it. Otherwise, I hope that someone with more wisdom than me responds to this post
Maggie
I have the same question. Like Wendy, I have always just stopped working my abs after the first trimester, but I don't want to do that this time. Like you, I tried doing ab work on the stability ball and could not feel it at all.
Someone on this board said she was doing them on an incline step, so I will try that and see if I can feel it. Otherwise, I hope that someone with more wisdom than me responds to this post
Maggie
FiddleFit
Cathlete
FWIW, I've been doing ab/core work throughout, but not as intensely as prior to pregnancy. My favourite ab work has been the stability ball abs add-on on the Basic Step DVD. I've been doing the entire segment except for the roll-ups. Instead of the supermans on the ball, I've been just going on all-fours and alternating lifting my opposite arm and leg.
Another core workout that really works well during pregnancy are all the core segments on the High Step Circuit dvd. They're like Boodcamp Light. You have to use the mix and match feature to put them all together.
Push/Pull and SuperSets also have doable ab segments (slight modifications required). Any crunches that she does on the floor, I do on the stability ball. I don't do the bicycle maneover in SS, but just keep doing crunches at a 2/2 tempo.
With having a big belly, it's hard to feel like I'm actually working my abs, compared to before pregnancy, but I figure I've got to be doing some good, regardless, so I keep plugging on.
Hope this helps a bit,
Sandra
Another core workout that really works well during pregnancy are all the core segments on the High Step Circuit dvd. They're like Boodcamp Light. You have to use the mix and match feature to put them all together.
Push/Pull and SuperSets also have doable ab segments (slight modifications required). Any crunches that she does on the floor, I do on the stability ball. I don't do the bicycle maneover in SS, but just keep doing crunches at a 2/2 tempo.
With having a big belly, it's hard to feel like I'm actually working my abs, compared to before pregnancy, but I figure I've got to be doing some good, regardless, so I keep plugging on.
Hope this helps a bit,
Sandra
melanalyus
Cathlete
Last pregnancy I worked my abs the same as prior to pg. This time I've laid off a bit more, but plan on doing everything the same as my abs recovered quickly after my last CSection. Of course I listened to my body & if something didn't feel right I laid off...& I modified when able.
I gave up in the first trimester as I was always getting ligament pain when doing them - and figured it wasn't for me. That said other exercises in themselves use the core mucles for stabiliztion - so I'm relying on that for now. You do have to be VERY careful your abs aren't splitting as some abdominal exercises can worsen it. So if you do work your abs, montitor them constantly to make they aren't splitting. HTH a bit.
miller2917
Cathlete
I did abs on my back during my entire pregnancy. My doctor said it was fine for most women and that you would definitely know if there was too much pressure on the vena cava (sp).
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
I used to go to a Jazzercicse class several years ago and my instructor taught up through her 8th month of pregnancy and did ab work flat on her back the entire time! I believe that it depends on the woman as to wether this is a good idea or not and basically you have to try it to find out. I was too afraid with my first pregnancy and consequently gave up ab work pretty quickly but if we decide to have a second child I will try not to be so paranoid and just do what feels right for me...
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
I'm all for not being paranoid, but I still wouldn't lie on my back for very long. It's not just about the mother's comfort. There's a big vein that runs behind the uterus. During pregnancy the uterus weighs so much that it compresses the vein, which constricts blood flow and ultimately affects how much blood reaches the fetus. My dr showed me during my last appt how the baby's heartbeat slowed down when i was lying on my back. So even though it felt fine for ME, it was definitely affecting the baby. (I'm glad she showed me this because I hate sleeping on my back and was starting to rationalize that as long as I was comfortable, it would be ok.) What I don't know is whether there's variability in how this vein is positioned in different women. It's possible that the vein might not run right there in all women, but I wouldn't have been able to tell just from my own comfort. I'm sure there are people on this forum that know more about this than me, but I was pretty persuaded by seeing the baby's heartbeat slow down.