Are You Engaging Your Core Correctly? Here's How to Tell

If you’re working out postpartum (or anytime), engaging your core properly is key to avoiding back pain, leaks, or making issues like diastasis recti worse. But how do you know if you’re doing it right?

One sign you’re not engaging correctly is abdominal doming (or coning). Let’s break it down and learn how to breathe, activate, and progress safely.

What is Abdominal Doming or Coning?

Doming happens when your abdominal pressure isn’t managed well, causing your belly to push outward into a cone-like shape down the midline. This can mean your deep core isn’t fully activating, or too much pressure is being placed on your linea alba (the connective tissue that can separate during pregnancy, aka diastasis recti).

Doming = A sign your body needs better core engagement before progressing.

How to Properly Engage Your Core

To activate your deep core the right way:

1. Breathe in and let your belly expand naturally.

2. Exhale slowly and think about zipping up your core from the bottom up (like gently lifting your pelvic floor and wrapping your lower abs).

3. Maintain this engagement while moving, without sucking in or bearing down. You should be able to breathe while holding the engagement.

   
   

How to Prevent Pressure on the Pelvic Floor

If you’re holding your breath or pushing downward (bearing down) when lifting or moving, you’re putting extra stress on your pelvic floor—which can lead to leaks, heaviness, or prolapse symptoms. Instead, exhale on effort. This means:

• During a shoulder press: Inhale as you lower the weights, exhale as you press up (activating your core)

• In a modified side plank (elbows & knees): Inhale before lifting, exhale as you engage your core and lift your hips.

How to Add Progressions Safely

Once you can engage your core without doming or leaking, you can progress exercises carefully by:

• Increasing time under tension (holding a plank slightly longer)

• Adding load gradually (using light weights before going heavier)

• Challenging balance (moving from kneeling to standing positions)

• Modifying movement patterns (before jumping straight into high-impact)

  
  

When you’re exercising postpartum, always pay attention to doming, leaking, or heaviness—these are signs your body isn’t ready to add challenge quite yet!

Want More Guidance on Core and Pelvic Floor Function?

In my online program, I teach moms how to:

• Engage their core & pelvic floor properly

• Heal diastasis recti & leaking

• Get stronger from the inside out

• Lose body fat and gain confidence again

  
  

It's never too late to strengthen and heal your core. Join my program and let's start healing and building the right way! Contact me for more information.