After pregnancy, “get your core back” can sound like pressure. But the real goal is simpler: rebuild strength, control, and support so your body feels steady again when you lift your baby, carry a car seat, or get up off the floor.

The best exercises for rebuilding core strength after pregnancy don’t start with sit-ups. They start with breath, alignment, and deep core control. From there, you layer in safe loading, better posture, and full-body strength.

This article walks you through what changed during pregnancy, how to know when you’re ready, and the most useful postpartum core exercises to do in a clear progression.

First, what “core” means after pregnancy

Your core isn’t just “abs.” It’s a system that includes:

• Diaphragm (breathing muscle under your ribs)
• Pelvic floor (muscles at the base of your pelvis)
• Deep abdominals (especially the transversus abdominis)
• Obliques and rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” layer)
• Back and hip muscles that help control your pelvis and ribs

During pregnancy, your rib cage often flares, your pelvis may tilt, your abdominal wall stretches, and pressure management changes. After birth, you may also deal with diastasis recti (a widening of the connective tissue between the left and right sides of your abs). That’s common, and for many people it improves with time and smart training.

For a medical overview of diastasis recti and what to watch for, Cleveland Clinic has a clear explainer: diastasis recti symptoms and treatment.

Before you train: safety checks that matter

You don’t need to “wait six weeks” for every move, but you do need to respect healing and symptoms. If you had a C-section, severe tearing, prolapse symptoms, heavy bleeding, fever, or pain that doesn’t improve, get medical guidance first.

These signs mean you should scale back and consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist:

• Heaviness, bulging, or a “falling out” feeling in the pelvis
• Urine leakage with coughing, jumping, or lifting
• Pain during sex or persistent pelvic pain
• Doming or coning along the midline of your belly during exertion
• Low back pain that worsens with core exercises

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists gives practical postpartum activity guidance here: ACOG on exercise after pregnancy.

How to tell if an exercise is helping your postpartum core

Use these simple checkpoints while you move:

• You can breathe. If you hold your breath, the load is too high right now.
• Your ribs stay stacked over your pelvis, not flared up.
• Your belly doesn’t dome or bulge down the middle.
• You feel work around your waist and hips, not only in your neck or hip flexors.
• You feel steady after the set, not more pressure or heaviness.

If you see doming, don’t panic. Treat it like feedback. Make the move smaller, slow it down, exhale on effort, or switch to an easier version.

The best exercises for rebuilding core strength after pregnancy (in a smart order)

Below is a progression you can use for weeks or months, depending on your recovery. You don’t need to “finish” one phase before starting the next, but you should earn the harder moves with good control.

1) 360-degree breathing with pelvic floor connection

This is the foundation. It helps you rebuild pressure control, which protects your pelvic floor and abdominal wall.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
2. Inhale through your nose and expand your rib cage in all directions: front, sides, and back.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth as if fogging a mirror. Feel your ribs soften down.
4. On the exhale, gently lift the pelvic floor (think “lift and close,” not “clench”).

• Do: 5-8 slow breaths, 1-2 times per day.
• Stop if: you feel pain, strong pulling at a C-section scar, or increased pelvic pressure.

If you want a practical guide to pelvic floor basics, the American Physical Therapy Association’s pelvic health section is a good starting point: pelvic health resources.

2) Heel slides (deep core control without strain)

Heel slides teach you to keep your trunk steady while a leg moves. That’s real-life strength for walking, stairs, and getting up while holding your baby.

1. Start on your back, knees bent.
2. Inhale to prepare.
3. Exhale, lightly brace your lower belly (think “tighten a wide belt”).
4. Slowly slide one heel away until your leg is almost straight, then slide back.

• Do: 6-10 reps per side, 2-4 sets.
• Make it easier: shorten the slide.
• Make it harder: keep the heel just off the floor.

3) Dead bug (modified first)

The dead bug builds coordination between your deep abs and your limbs. Done well, it’s one of the best exercises for rebuilding core strength after pregnancy.

1. Start on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees (tabletop) if you can control it. If not, keep feet on the floor.
2. Exhale and set your ribs down.
3. Slowly lower one heel to tap the floor, then return.
4. Progress to reaching one arm overhead, then opposite arm and leg.

• Do: 5-8 reps per side, 2-3 sets.
• Keep: a calm breath and a steady belly.

4) Glute bridge (core plus hips)

Your glutes and hamstrings support your pelvis. When they wake up, many people feel instant relief in the low back.

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart.
2. Inhale at the bottom.
3. Exhale and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
4. Pause for 1 second, then lower with control.

• Do: 8-12 reps, 2-4 sets.
• Watch for: rib flare at the top. Keep the ribs down.

5) Bird dog (spine stability on hands and knees)

Bird dog trains your core to resist twisting. That matters when you carry a baby on one hip, push a stroller, or reach into a crib.

1. Start on hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Exhale and brace lightly.
3. Reach one leg back. Start with toes on the floor if needed.
4. Progress to lifting the leg, then adding the opposite arm reach.

• Do: 6-10 reps per side, 2-3 sets.
• Keep: hips level and low back quiet.

6) Side plank (from knees first)

Many postpartum routines miss the obliques. Side plank variations help tighten the “corset” around your waist without the strain of crunches.

1. Lie on your side with knees bent.
2. Prop on your forearm, elbow under shoulder.
3. Exhale and lift your hips, making a straight line from shoulders to knees.
4. Hold, then lower slowly.

• Do: 10-20 second holds, 2-4 times per side.
• Progress: straighten the legs, or lift the top leg slightly.

7) Pallof press (anti-rotation strength)

This is a standing core exercise that teaches your trunk to resist rotation. It’s great once you can manage basic breath and bracing.

You’ll need a resistance band anchored at chest height.

1. Stand sideways to the anchor, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the band at your chest with both hands.
3. Exhale and press the band straight out. Don’t let your torso twist.
4. Bring it back in with control.

• Do: 8-12 reps per side, 2-4 sets.
• Make it easier: stand closer to the anchor.
• Make it harder: pause 2-3 seconds with arms extended.

If you want a clear demo and coaching points from a trusted fitness organization, ACE has a solid exercise library: ACE exercise library.

8) Farmer carry (real-life core strength)

Loaded carries train your core the way parenting demands: upright, breathing, moving, and holding weight.

1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Start light.
2. Stand tall with ribs over pelvis.
3. Walk for 20-40 seconds with slow, quiet steps.
4. Rest and repeat.

• Do: 3-6 carries.
• Progress: use one weight on one side (suitcase carry) to train anti-lean control.

Exercises to skip at first (or modify)

Some moves can work later, but early on they often drive too much pressure into the abdominal wall and pelvic floor.

• Full sit-ups and aggressive crunches
• Double leg lowers and “hardcore” ab circuits
• High-impact jumping if you leak urine or feel pelvic heaviness
• Long front planks if you see doming or can’t breathe
• Heavy lifting with breath holding

Want to do planks? Many people can, but earn them. Start with an incline plank on a counter or wall, keep your ribs down, and exhale as you brace.

A simple postpartum core routine (3 days per week)

This plan fits real life. It takes about 15-25 minutes. Adjust the reps down if you’re tired or short on sleep.

Day A

• 360 breathing: 5 slow breaths
• Heel slides: 2-3 sets of 8 per side
• Glute bridge: 3 sets of 10
• Side plank (knees): 3 holds of 15 seconds per side

Day B

• 360 breathing: 5 slow breaths
• Dead bug (modified): 2-3 sets of 6 per side
• Bird dog: 3 sets of 8 per side
• Farmer carry: 4 carries of 30 seconds

Day C

• 360 breathing: 5 slow breaths
• Pallof press: 3 sets of 10 per side
• Glute bridge (pause at top): 3 sets of 8
• Incline plank: 3 holds of 20 seconds

If you like structure, a postpartum return-to-exercise overview from a major medical center can help you set expectations. Mayo Clinic lays out what’s normal and when to slow down: Mayo Clinic postpartum exercise tips.

How fast should you progress?

Use performance goals, not the calendar. Move up when:

• You can do the current move with steady breathing
• You don’t see doming or bulging
• You feel better after the session, not worse
• You recover within a day, even with broken sleep

Most people do best with small jumps in load. Add 1-2 reps, slow the tempo, or add a short hold before you add harder variations.

When diastasis recti is part of the picture

Many people have a gap early on. The goal isn’t to “close the gap” at all costs. The goal is tension and function. You want your abdominal wall to transfer force well and support your trunk.

Two practical tips help right away:

• Exhale on effort. Exhale as you lift, press, or stand.
• Choose moves that let you keep the ribs down and the belly flat, not forced in.

If you want a simple way to track your progress and symptoms, the NHS has a straightforward page on postnatal abdominal separation: NHS guidance on diastasis recti.

Small daily habits that rebuild your core faster

Your “core program” isn’t only the workout. These habits add up:

• Exhale as you lift the baby, stroller, or laundry basket
• Roll to your side to get out of bed if sit-ups strain your belly
• Switch carrying sides often to avoid one-sided fatigue
• Take short walks and stand tall, even if you move slow
• Rest when you can. Your tissues heal when you sleep.

Conclusion

The best exercises for rebuilding core strength after pregnancy look almost too basic at first. That’s the point. When you nail breath, control, and good alignment, you build a core that works in real life, not just on a mat.

Start with breathing, heel slides, dead bug variations, bridges, bird dogs, side planks, Pallof presses, and carries. Keep your breathing steady, watch for doming, and progress in small steps. If symptoms show up or stick around, a pelvic floor physical therapist can save you months of guessing.