Core strength help

[EditEcho]

I have lost a good bit of weight over past 18months, regained some and am on track to losing again.

I do a few gym classes a week and some running. I love to run, it's my favourite exercise and ran a lot before having DD (now 3). However I'm constantly getting injured- minor things- muscle strains, tendonitis etc. Enough to put me out of action for a few weeks at a time. I think part of the problem is that I have an incredibly weak core since DD was born. Despite daily planking since last November I'm still unable to do a single exercise in a gym class which involves the use of my lower abs- sit ups, bicycle crunches, Russian twists. It's embarrassing and really upsetting me. I had a very complicated c-section, pph and bad post op infection so couldn't exercise for months. I still have no sensation about 5can above the scar and still have to roll to my side to sit up in bed. I have a diastesis but only about 2.5cm so not severe.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it worth going to a specialist post-natal physio at this late stage?

Bump

Definitely see a physio but look for one that really does specialise in women's health (and doesn't just say they do). Also Pilates is ideal for his sort of thing. I would suggest getting guidance on any core work so that you don't do the wrong thing and make it worse

Yes very worth seeing a women's health specialist physio even years later.

If you have diastasis or weakened muscles from pregnancy / birth planks are not going to help until you've addressed the underlying weakness. They are quite an advanced exercise and could make things worse - all that pressure pushing out is having the opposite effect to the one you are trying to achieve. I would definitely recommend seeing someone but make sure they specialise in post-natal / diastasis rehab.

Thanks, had been wondering if I should just persevere with the classes but have been getting nowhere. I've signed up for some Pilates classes but think some 1:1 might help first.

Pilates is good but there are a few moves that will compromise a weakened core / diastasis. You should search for post-natal pilates rather than general. Also if you google for pilates moves unsafe to do with diastasis it might help. If you can see a physio I would do that first though, especially as you know you have DR. The gap doesn't need to be big to cause problems, but if it's only 2.5cm it's easier to close or improve than if it were much larger. You might need to hold off on high impact workouts for a little while while you focus on improving your core but as you already go to a gym it should be easy to switch to lower impact activities - I would ask the physio and they will be able to advise based on your symptoms and their assessment of you.

Have a look at alignment, to make sure that your efforts are working well together

https://nutritiousmovement.com/about/

This has made such a difference to me, I used to make so much effort and always ended up damaging something. Hope you find what you need.

How often do you run & how far each time?

I fucking hate that word "core" but I know OP didn't ask that

I don't understand how OP can do a plank but can't do a sit up. Maybe not doing plank right. It's very specific what you do with your bottom, back, etc. I am hopeless at planks & have back problems from bad posture (so my stomach muscles are trash, really) but I can easily enough do situps/crunches etc. Or else those don't things link together that OP tried to link together.

Fellow runners tell me that resistance exercises as in gym bunny activities, pushing weights are what one does to be able to run a lot without injury. Not as simple as planks.

Have a look at the proposed free exercises here - I am not advertising her program but she does speak sense.

What's wrong with using the word core strength?

Many people do sit-ups wrong by not using their deeper muscles and they can actually do rather damaging to women who have been pregnant (regardless of how they delivered).
It took at specialist Women's Health physiotherapist point out to me last year that the pelvic floor muscles and the deep abdominal muscles are connected (as are the back muscles); it is really all one system.

Pilates and yoga can be great to address these issues.
Also get doing yer pelvic floor exercises every day.
Get in the habit of sitting down on a chair slowly and rising fast (without using arms), do squats while bracing your pelvic floor and pulling your belly button towards your spine, also do this when walking.

lljkk I don't just do planks. That's what I've been doing to try strengthen my abdominal muscles. I started by doing them against a wall, then my knee and progressed to a full plank, which I can hold for around a minute (not great but has improved).

I usually do roughly 5k twice a week and a longer run at weekends. Speed slow but steady. I can do exercise which engage my upper abs, just not lower. So plank is hard but I manage. Feel the strain all above my naval though. I can't feel any of my lower abs let alone contract them. No superficial sensation above scar either. I can crunch to 45 degrees but get stuck there if trying a sit up, can't manage bicycle crunches etc. It's embarrassing in classes as have been going ages but still can't manage it.

Thanks Pacific, I will try those.

Sorry I have no advice but watching with interest as I have the same issues! I've been looking for ways to do a sit up, without doing a full sit up!

You need to exercise your transverse abdominis with gentle Pilates like moves rather than things like crunches. Harder to do as you have to really concentrate. Best to be shown which ones and how by a professional. And YY to pelvic floor. Get the NHS Squeezy app. Your pelvic floor is central to all of this so even if you don't have any obvious issues with it, it still needs attention.

I had no idea that pelvic floor exercises also helped lower abs, I thought they were a different set of muscles? Or is it that by exercising pelvic floor you end up exercising lower abs as well?

Dawson, lie on your back, breath in, then breath out, have your spine in a neutral position. Then put the tips of your hand in your groin, along the natural skin fold where your upper thighs meet your lower torso. Clench your pelvic floor and you will feel the above mentioned transverse abdominal muscle contract in unison.

If you get your deeper abdominal muscles engaged you will gain a more defined waist, you will protect yourself from lower backpain and continence issues in later life.
Middle-age spread is a combination of weight gain, gain of visceral fat (inside the abdominal cavity, NOT the inch you can pinch) and lack of deeper abdominal muscles, not the much valued six-pack which may currently be fashionable but is actually not all that valuable in terms of normal function.

The 'oooff' that escapes me when I sit down on a lowish seat is lack of core strength.
Getting in and out of the car while holding my heavyish case without using my arms/hands to brace myself is reasonable core strength
I'm working on it and it certainly CAN be improved.

Yy to Squeeze App, best 69p I have ever invested.

Pelvic floor is central to everything but there are also specific TvA exercises to really work that bit. It's not easy as the exercises require concentration... it's not like doing a sit up. I find them frustrating sometimes!

Yes, I have to concentrate hard to get them right.
And then have to remind myself that I ought to do all the right things, in the right order AND breathe - it's the breathing that i seem to forget...

Start small, otherwise you will use other muscles to compensate and you won't actually be improving core muscles. Try an exercise called the 'dead bug' to start with. Lie on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and arms straight up in the air. Concentrate on making sure your whole back is in contact with the floor all the time. Really push your Lower back down. If it feels easy you're doing it wrong. This is a good starter and then once your core improves you can move on to; single leg lowers - reverse ab curls - bicycle etc. Try googling some of those if not I can give you descriptions. I had no core whatsoever, these have all helped. I can now do press ups, sit ups, V sits - loads of stuff I couldn't before. I did it all by going to bootcamp. Good luck

What types of tendonitis do you get, OP? I used to be prone to all sorts.

I don't like "core" b/c WTF is a "core" ?

Oh... it's your abdomen, your back, your shoulders (or whatever else, I still don't actually know).  Give me real names for real body parts.  You won't find "core" on an anatomy chart that's why I don't understand.  

Don't get me started on the stupid term "clipless pedals".   

Thanks all, I've found someone locally who does post natal physio, so will get in touch with them tomorrow. Really should have done it 3 years ago but was so pleased to have an intact pelvic floor after a very long labour, failed forceps and EMCS that my lower abs seemed a lesser concern!

Part of my concern is getting fitter and preventing injury, the other is consideration of further pregnancies- I want to be lighter and fitter if I am going to consider another.

lljkk I used core as it's the common parlance. I'm a hcp and quite happy to use individual muscle and ligament names! In the past 2 years I've had Achilles tendonitis and recurrent very irritating peroneal tendonitis. I've also had hip bursitis and iliotibial band issues. I've had meniscal repairs on my knee in the past so have been very diligent with squats and that's been ok lately.

Someone further up the thread posted a link to the programme I did & I would recommend it, maybe ask the physio if they've heard of it? There's also another group I've seen online recently running classes nationwide, I think they're called holistic core restore. I thought they looked interesting, I would have tried those if they'd been around after my pregnancies.

How does working on abdominal muscles make ankle tendons stronger? (intrigued)

It doesn't. It's just a reason for frequent injuries. Lower body taking on extra work, overcompensating for weak abdominal/back muscles.

Working on the core stabilises your whole body. A weak core puts extra strain on the rest of your body and makes you less stable. So rather than make ankle tendons stronger, it could reduce excess strain on ankle and help stabilise the body, which in turn reduces likely-hood of injury.

Also I disagree with "core" not being a good way of describing it. The definition of core is - the part of something that is central to its existence or character. A strong core is central to us keeping physically (and thus mentally) well and thus has a huge impact on our lives and the activities we can do, which to me means it is central to our existence and character. Plus it is a very simple to remember and shorter than saying all the parts involved. So to me it's a perfect description / name for it.

"Upper" and "lower" abs that people like to talk about don't really exist, that part is all one muscle and any abdominal exercises should help you to build that muscle up. Reverse crunches get the bottom part to contract a bit more so you will feel it there, but really it doesn't make a difference. Weighted crunches on an exercise ball are my favourites for building my abs but just do whichever exercises you are comfortable with. You'll see results eventually, it is just a slow process. Best of luck

The core are all muscles from neck to pelvis

HTH

If you do videos, Jillian Michaels's Six Week Six Pack is good for building core strength. Just do what you can with good fotm. You WILL get better.