How to strengthen your pelvic floor when pregnant, says Tiff Hall in her third trimester
"Whoever remembers to do kegels?!"
Following on from her assertion that you can work your core “safely through the entire pregnancy” , Tiff Hall – who is 32 weeks pregnant with her second child – has created a new video to show how to strengthen your pelvic floor when you’re expecting.
“Strengthening your pelvic floor can be tricky business,” Tiff posted on Instagram. “And let’s be honest, whoever remembers to do kegels?! 😆
“These exercises activate and strengthen your PF so your confidence has room to grow too. Ready? Let’s do this! 💪💕”
Tiff Hall: How to activate and strengthen your pelvic floor
1. Hold child’s pose to relax your PF for 5 deep breaths. Speed: in child’s pose lift through the PF as fast as you can for 10 reps. Do 3 sets. Endurance: in child’s pose draw up through the PF and hold for 30 seconds. Do 3 sets.
2. Fire hydrants. 10 reps. 3 sets. Activate your PF as you lift your leg and relax as you lower your leg. Keep the movements small and controlled.
3. Wide squat. 10 reps. 3 sets Inhale, PF relaxes as you go down, exhale and activate your PF as you rise up. This is a great exercise to practice getting in and out of chairs whilst pregnant.
4. Clams. 10 reps. 3 sets. Activate your PF as you lift your leg and relax as you lower.
Watch Tiff Hall’s pelvic floor video below…
At 20 weeks pregnant with her second child, ex-Biggest Loser trainer Tiff shared a 10-minute video to her Instagram, titled ‘Training while Pregnant: Core Work’. Y
“The number one question I’m asked as a trainer, now that I’m pregnant, is ‘Can I work my core?'” admits Tiff.
The 37-year-old says she decided to share her tips because she too has Googled, looking for a list of exercises for your first trimester, second trimester and third trimester.
She captioned the video: “PSA: it’s okay to work your core pregnant! Here’s how to do it the right way to make sure you and bub feel safe and supported. 💕 (Toilet break included 😅).”
Watch the core video here…
Tiff says: “In my personal opinion of training women for 20 years – whether pregnant not pregnant – I’ve come to the conclusion that really no exercises off limits when you’re pregnant.”
The mum-to-be says to consider the following factors before working your core when pregnant. Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise when pregnant.
Factors to consider before working your core
- No exercising on your back from 15 weeks
- No crunches
- How heavy your baby is
- Your posture
- How your core was before pregnancy
Tiff and husband Ed Kavalee have a son together, four-year-old Arnold.
Seated on an exercise ball, Tiff shares “a quick anatomy lesson” to indicate how the various muscle groups combine to create a strong core.
Noting that she didn’t think she worked her core properly in her first pregnancy, she shows the difference in the shape of her current bump when her core is engaged, and when it isn’t. When it’s not engaged, the connective muscle between your rectus abdominis ‘domes’ or ‘cones’.
If this area continues to be unsupported it can lead to the muscles separating and that makes it a lot harder to regain a strong core postpartum
Talking her 222k Instagram followers, she gives a clear and comprehensive explanation about how the muscles work and why they’re important: “You’re giving your bub a big hug and avoiding doming or coning, which is super important!”
Tiff’s attentive audience were full of praise for the simple but important pregnancy exercise video, saying “Love this! Thanks @tiffhall_xo I’m 29 weeks and have been looking for something like this”.
Another follower said “That was awesome to watch thank you. Loving the videos and look forward to the post baby workouts too 🥰💪”; and another posted “This is absolute gold thanks 🙏 heaps for sharing this super Helpful stuff 😍”
Each woman is different so it’s important to get advice from your healthcare provider.
