You don’t need hours of training to reconnect with your core.

Just two easy moves can wake up your abs, ease your back, and bring your posture back into balance, whether you gave birth months or years ago.

I still remember how it felt after giving birth, standing in front of the mirror and not recognising my own posture. My tummy felt heavy and unresponsive, my lower back ached, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t “find” my abs again.

And it doesn’t only happen right after pregnancy.

Even years later, I sometimes notice the same feeling creeping back, especially during my period, when everything feels bloated and switched off.

Maybe you’ve felt it too:

that sense of being out of alignment, like your core isn’t really part of your movement anymore.

Here’s the good news: it doesn’t take hours of training to change this. You don’t need to push harder or do endless crunches. Sometimes, all it takes is a few seconds of awareness, a simple check-in with your posture and your tummy muscles, to feel the shift.

In this blog, I’ll share two easy exercises you can do anywhere to wake up your abs, realign your posture, and feel more supported in your body again. They’re quick, simple, and they really do make a difference.

When your abdominals are stretched for a long time, they stop giving you the same support. That’s why you might feel your tummy is “just there,” not really responding when you move. At the same time, your lower back can feel tight and overworked.

Re-teaching your core how to switch on doesn’t just help you stand taller, it gives you more energy, reduces back discomfort, and creates the foundation for all the things you want to get back to, whether that’s lifting your child, practicing Pilates, or running.


Two simple exercises to wake up your core

1. Ribs down to hips (standing)
This one is quick and easy, and you can do it anywhere.

  • Stand with your back against a wall or door.
  • Gently draw your ribs slightly downward so they line up more with your hip bones.
  • Feel your abdominals engage. Notice how your upper back and shoulder blades connect more firmly to the wall.
  • Hold for 2–3 seconds, then release.
  • Repeat 5–10 times.

I often suggest doing this little posture check whenever you’ve been to the bathroom. Tiny reminders like this build new habits without adding extra time to your day.

 2. Lower abdominal activation (lying on your tummy)
This one helps you reconnect with the lower part of your core, which is often the hardest to switch on after pregnancy.

  • Lie comfortably on your stomach, arms wherever they feel relaxed.
  • Notice how your pelvis tips forward and your tummy rests against the floor.
  • Now gently activate your lower abdominal, draw them in slightly, so your stomach flattens and lifts just a touch from the floor.
  • Exhale as you hold for 2–3 seconds, then relax.
  • Repeat 10 times.

If you want to go deeper, add a light pelvic floor activation: imagine drawing your hip bones and sitting bones together, lifting them gently toward the center of your body. Keep your glutes relaxed so the work really comes from your tummy.

What you’ll notice

Practicing these two exercises throughout the day, in standing and lying, will slowly but surely bring your posture back into balance. Your tummy will feel more responsive, your lower back will feel less tense, and your body will begin to carry itself with more ease.

It doesn’t matter if you gave birth a few months ago or many years back.

The principles are the same: gentle awareness, frequent practice, and reconnecting with the muscles that have been quiet for too long.

And here’s the most important part: this isn’t about forcing your body into some “perfect” alignment. It’s about helping your body remember what it already knows, how to move with strength, balance, and confidence.