Coning of the Belly During Pregnancy

I’m here partnered with Sara Haley of Expecting More Pre + Postnatal Fitness. We want you to know how important understanding what coning of the belly is.

We’re going to show mamas how to identify a common condition, diastasis recti, while exercising. To see how easy it is to avoid causing coning, and how simple correcting this condition can be, check out the video below!

If you see coning or aren’t sure what you’re looking for, check out my in-depth article on identifying the condition, HERE. You really want to avoid and correct coning of the belly. If you do notice the coning, this could mean you are experiencing abdominal separation (diastasis recti). This may mean you’re putting too much stress on your abdominal muscles.

This does not mean I want moms to stop exercising or modify (give up) on core exercise. More accurately, we want to be sure you’re modifying the right kinds of exercising that can not only help you avoid, but also heal this separation!

Modified Plank Tutorial

Let’s reduce the strain on your abdominal muscles with the modified plank to a down dog that’s safer for your changing muscles.

1. With hands on a support, inhale and think about releasing the obliques.
2. Exhale, then pull up on the quads, tucking the booty slightly. Remember to hug your baby, helping you to properly activate your deep core.
3. Inhale, then exhale to slide forward onto the balls of the feet. Pay attention to keep the core rounded, zipping up the belly rather than flexing. Keep a nice energy line from head to toes.
4. Inhale to move backward stretching the calves. Exhale to slide forward into your plank position. Repeat.
5. When reps are complete, move to a downward dog with hands on the chair. Keep shoulders softened, traps dropped and connected to the mid back. Be sure the knees are soft, not locked.
6. To exit this exercise, round up to cat cow, articulating the spine.

These will allow you to provide the support your back and belly require to carry a pregnancy with minimal discomfort. You can also effectively replace your traditional core exercises (ex. sit-ups) with this modification to reduce stress to the abs and maintain a total-body workout.

For more information on the Do’s and Don’ts of abdominal separation, check out “Avoiding Coning During Pregnancy to Prevent Diastasis Recti“.

Sometimes as moms, we forget to take care of ourselves. Take a few moments today to determine if your current movements are stressing your abs. Finally, if you’re ready to take the plunge and commit to feeling fantastic about your core, get all the information on my Core Rehab Program HERE.