Post Pregnancy Core & Pelvic Floor Workout after miscarriage or pregnancy loss

Hey, everybody. I'm Amy from Bodyfit by Amy, and this is your post pregnancy core and pelvic floor workout. This workout is for anybody who has been through a pregnancy as long as you have been cleared by your doctor for exercise. Before you do this or any other workout. In this workout, we will only be talking about you, your recovery and your strengthening. There will be no mention of new mom life or babies old, only you and your body. Are you ready? Let's do it. Okay. The first thing we want to start with is just checking in with our alignment, our posture. So I want you to stand just feet about shoulder width apart or hip distance apart and really thinking that you're lifting up through the top of the head. But let's try to release the tension. A lot of us hold tension, especially after we've been through whatever we've been through physically, mentally, emotionally, we tend to all hold it here. So let's relax the shoulders and then from here, let's think about stacking our ears over our shoulders, shoulders over the rib cage, rib cage over the pelvis, and then the pelvis over the knees and the hips. So just take a couple seconds just to get into that. I like to especially think about your rib cage stacking over the pelvis. There are a lot of things in life that pull us forward or back, so that's a great way to help improve that alignment or posture. We often think about posture in the shoulders and the back, but I always say posture in the pelvis. From here, let's do some diaphragmatic breathing again, just the first minute or two, just to get connected. Then we take it down to the mat and we get more of that core work. So hands on your sides. I like to have thumbs to the back with this diaphragmatic breathing, which I have other videos on it. I want you just to think about on the inhale, relaxing in the pelvic floor, breathing through your belly, your sides and your back. Not inhale up, exhale down. That puts a lot of pressure, but inhale out all the way around. 360 degrees around. Relax the pelvic floor, exhale in and connect. So this is something that you can practice on your own. That's a really great reconnection exercise or connection exercise in itself. You can really make it audible to help inhale, exhale. And with that, we also want to be activating the pelvic floor. So I know sometimes we talk about Kegels or activating your pelvic floor by squeezing like you're Trying to stop the flow of urine. When we do that, usually we end up gripping our glutes. I want you to think about lifting from the pelvic floor. There's four parts of it, front, back, side, side, or you can think pubic bone, tailbone, and your sits bones. And if you think about a fishing net or lifting a blueberry with the vagina, I know that sounds silly, but enough that you have the strength to get it, but gentle enough that you're not going to squish it or sucking through a straw. So pelvic floor activation rel on the exhale, lifting up and in. All right, so we're just coming here to here one more time with the breath. Inhale, exhale and in. And again. I do have a post pregnancy workout that's just talking about this reconnection that you can visit now that we've gotten into that and I encourage you to do more of that on your own. Let's take it down to the mat. So we are here, we're sitting in that good positioning that we just talked about. Not over correcting the posture, but a few breaths through here because it's helpful to really realign when we're here. And then slowly let's take it down to our side and down to our back. So we've just done that good connection alignment work. Now let's take it to a little bridge. So on the exhale, we're going to do a little tuck of the pelvis and then slowly roll up. So again, this is a good starting point and everything in this workout because we're all in different places in our journey. Inhale, exhale, little tuck of the pelvis and lift up into that bridge. Everything in this workout is going to start at a base level and then we will build so that way you're drawing together, button up the rib cage and just into a little march. So we're here. So again, this is a base level. You can start with just that and really being intentional about it. Not being, oh, I'm just marching through my legs. I'm using my core to lift and lower, right? Maintaining that pelvic tilt. Then we can take it to an up, up, down, down and listen, I've been doing this work for a long time. I film a lot of workouts during the week. But when I'm really engaged and really concentrating on that deep core, I feel this every single time. Just because we're taking it slow and being super specific about the deep core does not mean it's easy. No matter where you are in your journey right now, you can keep just that or bring both feet up. Tabletop. So not too far in, not too far out. And now little toe taps. Same idea. We're not just tapping the toes. We're using the core to create the movement. Core is letting the foot drop. Core is pulling it in. So all of these are stabilizing exercises that are great, especially if you're beginning your journey here again, if you're recovering physically or if you're just getting back into this core work. It's very easy, no matter what we've been through, to have those bigger muscles. Our low back, our glutes help our core when our core is weakened, but we can use this work to get back into it. Go ahead and hug your knees in. Now, you can keep any of those options that we just did, or we're going to take it to a dead bug. So opposite arm, opposite leg. Watch me. Are going out and then in. If that's too much, you can just do a little toe tap just with that. But if you can, we're going out to make it a little tougher for the core. That's not right for you. Just go back to the toe tap or the march, but bring everything in. Opposite arm, opposite leg and inch. Use your breath just like that. Deep, deep core lifting of the pelvic floor. Not feeling like you have to do that full breath every time, because now we're into active core breathing. Take it out. Feel the difference. I know. See, it's challenging. I know you thought in the first couple minutes of this video it was just going to be all breathing, but here we are really activating that deep core. One more each way. Pull it in and back and go ahead and bring your knees in. Now you can hold them here. You can go one at a time. You can bring them down and get a little more of that happy baby. Just to get that stretch and relax. If that's not right for you, just pull one knee in at a time. Now we're going to roll over onto our side. So we're going to do a little clamshell, which are glutes, and these hips are directly connected to that pelvic floor. That's why they're so important. So knees are a little bit in front, but then hips and rib cage are aligned, and we're going to do a little clamshell and then a lift. We're going to start one and then the other, and then we'll put them together. So join me here. Let's Start with just your clamshell. Lift and lower. Then we're going to lift for the oblique, connecting here and down. If that's not right for you, just do the clamshell and lift. So on this, I want you to try to use your core. Imagine you're drawing that elbow to the hip. Everything comes up. If you can't get up, then just do without the lift. Just do the contraction. Right, that works too. Go two more just like this. And then we're going to put them together if that's right for you. And one more and lift. And if you're feeling too much pressure or this feels like you're pushing out instead of able to engage in, just keep it with this for now, just with that clamshell and just contract if you're able. Slightly more advanced version, we're going to come up and up and. And down and down. But you pick. You can do what we just did. You can just do the clamshell, or you can lift and lower together. Here we go. Up and breathe. You can use this hand for a little extra support if you need it. Sometimes you feel it a lot in the shoulder. And if you're feeling it too much in your shoulder, try rotating your thumb up or moving your arm a little closer in. Right through here. Let's get two more. And then we'll switch to that other side right here. And relax. So it's tricky because the core has to do deep stabilization. This oblique has to support. And then we're again getting our glutes and our hip muscles that work to help activate that pelvic floor. Let's take it to the other side. So again, we're going to do the same thing we're going to do. Start with them. Separate knees are a little bit in front, hips to elbow. We're going to start clamshell and then lift, and then we'll put them together. So give yourself a chance to align, connect, Trying not to push out, but engage in without sucking in or holding our breath. Chest open, lift in the clamshell and lift. This is one of those that I feel like looks easy, but it's pretty challenging when you really use that deep core and that lower oblique, those side abs. Right? And breathe. Up and up. Two more with them separate, and then we put them together and relax. So remember, you can keep just that. You can just do your clamshell and just contract without lifting. Or put them together with me right here. Here we go. Lift, breathe. Up and up. This hand can be here to stabilize what we're trying not to do is lean over into that. And this is a great option again, if maybe your. Your core is still healing and you're in another workout and there's a plank or a side plank, this side plank on our knees. But adding that clamshell can be super challenging in all the right ways. And relax. Let's bring that up, stretch that over. Let's turn into an all fours position. So we're on our hands and our knees. And let's start just with a little child's pose. So you're going to stretch back right through here. Let your head drop, let your neck drop, and come up onto all fours. And let's just go through some little cat cows. So rolling up and rolling through just as a stretch. Don't overthink it. You don't have to do too much, but really great way to stretch through your back. And really consciously trying to think about that lower lumbar spine moving, because we tend to get a little locked up there. I know for me, it gets really, really tight. And one more. Stretch it back. So we're going to stay on all fours. We're going to do a little bear plank hover. So just to start. And again, this is your base level. As we inhale, let the belly drop. Exhale. You can lift one knee at a time, just right and left. If you're feeling up for it and it's right for you. Inhale, exhale. Knees are just going to hover an inch or two off the ground. And what I want you to think about is using your core to lift. Not pushing with the knees or the feet, but using the core to lift and then down. So join me here. Hands beneath the shoulders, knees beneath the hips, alignment through that spine. Inhale, exhale. Lift with the core slowly down. Your core is controlling the movement on the way up as well as on the way down. Remember, you can always do one at a time if that's better for you and where you are today. Be where you are today. It's your workout. Breathe and lift. Breathe. And last one. And hold this one up if you can. Or just hold one up at a time. Holding. Stay lift in the center. Can you do a little more tuck of the pelvis? Three, two, one. Stretch it out. We have one more thing, then we are done. So coming all the way down if you can, if it's comfortable for you. If not, just stay on all fours. You can go back to that cat cow. This is what I call plank singles. I love this because it's A great modification when a regular plank can be too much for where you are, but it's also super challenging. So instead of just popping up to a plank like we normally would, we're going to take them in repetitions. Inhale, release. Watch me exhale. I'm going to start just by lifting up to the knees. But when I do that same thing as we just did, I want to use my core to do it. So I'm not pushing through the elbows or pushing through my knees. I'm just using my core. We're going to start with that. Then we slowly lower back down. Then we go all the way up, if you can. So inhale, exhale, using your core on the exhale to lift up to the knees. Use the core, use the core, tighten out. And then slowly down. Using the core to come down can also help by, as you get to the top, really pushing down into the elbows, pushing down into the knees once you're at the top, not to get there. And then slowly down on the way up and on the way down, all core. Inhale, exhale, lift. And then from here, you can push down and lift up. Feel that? And then slowly down. Let's take it one step further. If you want, we're going to come up from the knees to the toes. Same idea. Use your core to do it. Inhale, exhale, lift. And then from here, use your core, not your toes, to lift all the way up at the top. Push in, push in, and then slowly release down, using your core to come all the way down. A couple more just like that, at your own pace, and then we are done. Inhale, exhale, lift. Keep going, using your core, using your core. Slowly down. One more. Totally at your own pace. Exhale, and then slowly down. Three, two, one. You did it. So just hold this stretch. Little baby cobra. You can look side to side. No need to go all the way up. And then very carefully, we'll make our way back into a child's pose. Stretch again. So hopefully this workout started out pretty easy and then got pretty challenging. If it didn't, that's okay. If the breathing was hard, that's okay. It is. If this was too easy, I encourage you just to really keep working at it where you can really use your core. Come up onto all fours, and again roll through that cat cow. Again, not saying you were doing anything wrong. You may already. You may just be super strong, but it takes a lot to really get that deep core connection, to really get those deep core and pelvic floor muscles working, especially when They've been deep conditioned or they've been through trauma or if they've gotten pushed out, we have to really kind of wake them up again, right? So reconnection. Come into a seated position and from here a little reach over. So feel free to come back to these exercises. Leave me a comment. I always love hearing from you, but I hope this was helpful for you again. You can also visit my quick TA diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor post pregnancy workout. That can be really helpful in just connecting and then coming back to this and going into those tougher exercises. Progressing as we go. And then just very carefully make your way back to a seated position and just take a minute again and check in with that posture. It shouldn't be perfect, but hopefully connecting here in your center made you just feel a little lighter overall. Tighter, hopefully there, but lighter, more connected, better aligned. Let's just put one hand on your heart, one hand on your belly, both hands up top and just take a minute just to focus on that breathing again. Our breathing grounds us, but it also is really important in connecting us to our our bodies. Especially when we felt not as connected or not as strong or distant. Whatever it is for you, just take a minute can always come back to heart. Thank you so much for being here today. I'm so happy that you decided to show up, showing up for yourself. For those that love you and those that you love, let's get one big deep breath in and out. You did it. That was your core and pelvic floor workout. Great job, everybody.