
Exercises to Prepare for a C-Section
At One Strong Mama, we believe that every birth is amazing and beautiful and having worked with many cesarean families, we know that our cesarean parents are freaking rockstars! Regardless of the type of birth, the pregnancy and the growing baby causes a lot of stress on the core and pelvic floor. It is important to give special attention to your deep core system while planning for a caesarean birth to prevent diastasis recti and pelvic floor dysfunction after birth. Consider specific exercises to prepare for a c-section.
A lot of the exercise prep work is the same regardless of the mode of delivery. However, there are certain moves that a person preparing for a c-section may want to pay special attention to. Here are some exercises to prepare for a c-section:
1. Spinal Segmentation
Preparing for an epidural/spinal, it’s very helpful to be able to segment the spine! Pay special attention to spinal flexion (back rounding). As pregnancy progresses, avoid excessive spinal extension, but some is just fine! Having a mobile spine is important for a functional core, as well!

2. Candles / Deep Core Activation
It’s so important to connect with your core. On its own, and with movement. Exhale and engage. We teach how to train the core to be responsive and reflexive. That starts with learning HOW to activate it. This will be very helpful as you learn how to reconnect with your core post cesarean. This can help you to have a smoother recovery and connect with your core more easily post-birth.
3. Side Bend
Mobility in the trunk is crucial for core (and thereby pelvic floor) health. Make sure you actively resist the movement, as if moving through syrup. Notice the tendency to flop… deeper isn’t always better!

4. Hip Hinge + Slide
Getting those glutes and whole backside long and strong is critical to pelvic floor health. Research shows that you can have pelvic floor dysfunction no matter the mode of delivery- so learn how to have a responsive pelvic floor!
These are some exercises to prepare for a c-section. If you are preparing for a cesarean give these simple moves a try!