Abdominal muscle training

Pregnancy is not a contraindication for abdominal muscle training, although many pregnant women are very hesitant and uncertain about this. In the following, advantages are mentioned, hints and examples are given in order to train the abdominal muscles adequately and in a healthy way during pregnancy. The advantages of strengthening the abdominal muscles during pregnancy are on the one hand the prevention of back pain during pregnancy, which is a common complaint during pregnancy due to the increase in weight and volume of the abdomen.

In addition, adequate abdominal muscle training helps to stabilise the position of the uterus. In addition to the abdominal muscles, the back and pelvic floor muscles should also be trained. For good posture and stability, a balanced relationship between the abdominal and back muscles is important.

Targeted training can be done, for example, in the gym on machines or at home. The rule for abdominal muscle training is that it should be done carefully, cautiously, moderately, controlled, cleanly and neatly. The preferred muscles to be trained are the oblique abdominal muscles (lat.

M. obliquus externus abdominis and M. obliquus internus abdominis), but also the pelvic floor muscles (see: Pelvic floor training in pregnancy). Static exercises are particularly suitable for training the straight abdominal muscles. Static means that the muscle is trained without changing its length.

In so-called “isometric” training, the muscle is activated purely by muscle tension. It is also very important that no pull or pressure is applied during isometric training and that no resistance has to be overcome. It is important to know, however, that isolated abdominal training should be avoided from the 20th week of training, as it causes the abdominal muscles to move apart – this is called rectus diastasis.

This is in principle physiological and occurs in some pregnant women towards the end of pregnancy, even independently of certain abdominal exercises. In order to minimize the risk of a “vena cava syndrome”, the abdominal muscles should be trained in a supine position. This is because the voluminous uterus and the baby push the nearby vena cava, which hinders the blood return to the heart and can lead to circulatory problems. Therefore, other starting positions for abdominal muscle training (sitting, quadruped or standing) are more advantageous.

Special abdominal exercises

Preferably the oblique abdominal muscles should be trained: Internal oblique abdominal muscles. Some exercises are particularly suitable for this: All following exercises should be individually designed with regard to intensity and repetition. If the abdomen is an obstacle to the correct execution of the exercises, it is better to choose other exercises, as the proper and correct execution has priority.

Oblique sit-ups: Here the pregnant woman assumes a supine position with her legs bent. The hands are placed behind the head and the elbows point to the side. Now the abdomen should be tensed in order to be able to lift it a few centimetres.

To make sure that the sit-ups are also diagonal, the left elbow must now be led to the right knee. After returning to the starting position, the right elbow is now led to the left knee. Crossed sit-ups: The starting position is similar to the sloping sit-ups, i.e. lying on your back with hands joined behind the slightly raised head and elbows pointing outwards.

However, here the legs are raised at a 90° angle so that the calves are held in the air parallel to the base. Now alternately pull the elbows and knees towards each other, stretching out the other leg without putting it down. Pull forward: This exercise is done by lying on your back and placing your legs slightly bent.

Then the arms are extended towards the left or right heel while tensing the abdominal muscles. The head and upper body should be lifted a few centimetres off the floor. Lateral support: The starting position is either the left or right lateral position.

Then you should push yourself up from the floor. Only your feet and outstretched arm remain in contact with the floor. Legs, torso and upper body should form a straight line in the air.

Now the pelvis can be lowered slowly a few centimetres and then returned to the maximum support starting position. A variant for the beginning is the forearm side support. The sequence of movement is exactly the same, only here the forearm is supported.

Outer oblique abdominal muscle
Internal oblique abdominal muscle
Weird sit-ups,
Crossed sit-ups,
A variant of the straight sit-ups (pushing forward), as well as the
Side support
Oblique sit-ups: Here the pregnant woman assumes the supine position with her legs bent. The hands are placed behind the head and the elbows point to the side. Now the abdomen should be tensed in order to be able to lift it a few centimetres.

To make sure that the sit-ups are also diagonal, the left elbow must now be led to the right knee. After returning to the starting position, the right elbow is now led to the left knee. – Crossed sit-ups: The starting position is similar to the sloping sit-ups, i.e. lying on your back with hands joined behind the slightly raised head and elbows pointing outwards.

However, here the legs are raised at a 90° angle so that the calves are held in the air parallel to the base. Now alternately pull the elbows and knees towards each other, stretching out the other leg without putting it down. – Pull forward: This exercise is done by lying on your back and placing your legs slightly bent.

Then the arms are extended towards the left or right heel while tensing the abdominal muscles. The head and upper body should be lifted a few centimetres off the floor. – Lateral support: The starting position is either the left or right lateral position.

Then you should push yourself up from the floor. Only your feet and outstretched arm remain in contact with the floor. Legs, torso and upper body should form a straight line in the air.