Modified abdominal exercise for pregnancy using arm and leg raises. This exercise is performed on all fours, also known as the “Songbird”. Good for balance, building abdominal strength and low back strength.
The exercise I want to talk about now is called Songbird. This is a little bit of an advanced exercise. But what’s great about it is it’s a really really good abdominal exercise and it’s also going to help with back pain. A lot of people think. Oh, I can’t do abdominal exercise when I’m pregnant because I can’t lay on my back. It’s just not true. This is a really effective really great exercise to get these abdominals and you’re also going to get the baby off your lower back. So you’ll feel some lower back relief as well. I’ll show you how it works here.
To start you want to come to the tabletop. Hands and knees just like this. We’re going to start with some balance work. What you’re going to do. Maggie is just going to lift one hand out and away. Perfect. As you look her core isn’t moving as she lifts that arm and you can bring it back down here. And the other hand keep it nice and still. Big lift. That’s it. And lower and in this position see if you can pull the baby up and then draw up and in. Perfect.
And now what we’re going to do is slide your toes back and away from you one foot. And lift that foot that set. You see her hips are staying Square to the floor. And you can lower here. And the other foot you’ll slide out in a way and lift. Good good. She’s extending. She’s not just imagining a foot coming up. She’s imagining the foot lifting out and away as well. And coming on down here.
Now what you’re going to do is lift one hand and one foot you want to do the opposite hand as foot though. Try not to lift on the same side. You can try to lift on the same side, but you’ll probably topple over. That’s it. So here what you want to do is just find your balance. Just this right here is a great exercise. This is as far as you want to go. That’s totally fine. We’re gonna take it a step further though. Exhale and away. You’ll see here. Maggie can’t touch her elbow towards her knee. There’s a baby in the way there. But imagine you’re trying to cross the body taking one more here. Inhale in. Exhale and extend. And go ahead bring that hand and foot down here.
We’ll take the other side. So again to start going to pick up opposite hand is foot drawn out and away. Just finding your balance here in this. Exhale and extend. So the abdominal exercise it’s like she’s doing crunches as she draws everything and she’s pulling the baby up in it. That’s just like doing a sit up there. Exhale and extend. Perfect. Let’s take two more on this side. Inhale. Come in. Exhale and extend. And one more here inhale and perfect. Pause there. Exhale and extend if you like.
Come back in a child’s pose here toes together knees apart rest and back here. So again Songbird you’ve got cat Cow, which is going to help get the baby off that lower back and you’ve also got that abdominal crunch work this one nice and slow and you’ll get a great workout in. If you have any questions about pregnancy and exercise you can find us at ohbabyfitness.com
Modified abdominal exercise for pregnancy using arm and leg raises. This exercise is performed on all fours, also known as the “Songbird”. Good for balance, building abdominal strength and low back strength.
The exercise I want to talk about now is called Songbird. This is a little bit of an advanced exercise. But what’s great about it is it’s a really really good abdominal exercise and it’s also going to help with back pain. A lot of people think. Oh, I can’t do abdominal exercise when I’m pregnant because I can’t lay on my back. It’s just not true. This is a really effective really great exercise to get these abdominals and you’re also going to get the baby off your lower back. So you’ll feel some lower back relief as well. I’ll show you how it works here.
To start you want to come to the tabletop. Hands and knees just like this. We’re going to start with some balance work. What you’re going to do. Maggie is just going to lift one hand out and away. Perfect. As you look her core isn’t moving as she lifts that arm and you can bring it back down here. And the other hand keep it nice and still. Big lift. That’s it. And lower and in this position see if you can pull the baby up and then draw up and in. Perfect.
And now what we’re going to do is slide your toes back and away from you one foot. And lift that foot that set. You see her hips are staying Square to the floor. And you can lower here. And the other foot you’ll slide out in a way and lift. Good good. She’s extending. She’s not just imagining a foot coming up. She’s imagining the foot lifting out and away as well. And coming on down here.
Now what you’re going to do is lift one hand and one foot you want to do the opposite hand as foot though. Try not to lift on the same side. You can try to lift on the same side, but you’ll probably topple over. That’s it. So here what you want to do is just find your balance. Just this right here is a great exercise. This is as far as you want to go. That’s totally fine. We’re gonna take it a step further though. Exhale and away. You’ll see here. Maggie can’t touch her elbow towards her knee. There’s a baby in the way there. But imagine you’re trying to cross the body taking one more here. Inhale in. Exhale and extend. And go ahead bring that hand and foot down here.
We’ll take the other side. So again to start going to pick up opposite hand is foot drawn out and away. Just finding your balance here in this. Exhale and extend. So the abdominal exercise it’s like she’s doing crunches as she draws everything and she’s pulling the baby up in it. That’s just like doing a sit up there. Exhale and extend. Perfect. Let’s take two more on this side. Inhale. Come in. Exhale and extend. And one more here inhale and perfect. Pause there. Exhale and extend if you like.
Come back in a child’s pose here toes together knees apart rest and back here. So again Songbird you’ve got cat Cow, which is going to help get the baby off that lower back and you’ve also got that abdominal crunch work this one nice and slow and you’ll get a great workout in. If you have any questions about pregnancy and exercise you can find us at ohbabyfitness.com
