When Can I Start Postpartum Core Exercises?

With intention, you can start re-educating your core with mindful 360 breath and movement as early as 1 week postpartum.

While these movements won't necessarily look like "exercises", they are incredibly effective to engage your core. Your Postpartum healing journey is a great time to re-frame "exercise" as "re-education" or "re-connection". It all comes down to the breath. In my classes, programs and sessions we work on 360 or 3D breathing. This gets the breath, ribs, diaphragm and pelvic floor all coordinating together. When you know how to breathe well, your core system is set up to work more efficiently.

Let's Break Down 360 Breath

The goal is for the rib cage to move and expand with your breath. Many of us are actually breathing with our neck muscles and feeling the breath mostly in the chest. Others are focusing on pushing the belly out. As you inhale, breathe deep and low into the ribs. As you exhale, the ribs should naturally draw back in toward the body.

• Inhale, visualize the entire barrel of the rib cage expanding (front, side and back).

• Exhale, breathe out through your mouth as if you were blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Try to exhale to empty.

This action of 360 Breathing allows the diaphragm, pelvic floor and core muscles to move dynamically together. And the best part? You can breathe any time, anywhere for free! Yes, even your first day postpartum.

Option 1: As Early as 1 Day Postpartum

Lie Down and Breathe

So simple, so effective, so accessible.

• Lie down in bed, and bend your knees so your feet are on the bed

• Support your neck and/or lower back with any pillows to make yourself comfortable

• Bring your hands to your outer ribs

• Practice your 360 Breathing

  • Inhale, visualize the entire barrel of the rib cage expanding (front, side and back).

  • Exhale, breathe out through your mouth as if you were blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Try to exhale to empty.

Option 2: As Early as 3 Days Postpartum

Sit, Breathe and Squeeze a Yoga Block or Ball Between Your hands

The addition of a squeeze between your hands will recruit more muscles while still being totally accessible.

• Sit up with a neutral spine

• Support your pelvis with pillows as needed

• Practice your 360 Breathing

  • Inhale, visualize the entire barrel of the rib cage expanding (front, side and back).

  • Exhale, breathe out through your mouth as if you were blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Try to exhale to empty.

  • As you exhale, squeeze the yoga block or ball between your hands in front of you.

Option 3: As Early as 1 Week Postpartum

Hands and Knees to 360 Breathe

Weight bearing on your hands is a really effective way to work the core. It gets the whole system (shoulders to hips) working together with the breath.

• Come to hands and knees (quadruped) with a neutral spine

• Support your wrists as needed with yoga blocks or pillows

• Practice your 360 Breath

  • Inhale, visualize the entire barrel of the rib cage expanding (front, side and back).

  • Exhale, breathe out through your mouth as if you were blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Try to exhale to empty.

I'm rooting for you so much, I'm leaving this FREE Early Postpartum Core class!

This class can be done as early as 1 week Postpartum. If you found the class helpful, that's just a delightful taste of what my Postpartum Program is all about. Helping you "reconnect and realign" at your pace.

Take the Class