“The body remembers. And it heals best when it feels safe, not pushed.”

You’re doing everything right—so why doesn’t it feel right?

You’ve done everything they told you. The Pilates classes. The breathing drills. The pelvic floor squeezes. You even gave it time—months, maybe years. But something still doesn’t feel right.

Your belly still pushes out by the end of the day. Your lower back aches after standing too long. And your body just doesn’t feel… connected. That deep sense of stability—of being held from the inside—is still missing.

And you’re left quietly wondering:

“Why isn’t my core working?”

I asked myself the same thing. As a personal trainer and holistic coach, I followed all the postnatal rehab advice after my C-section. But four years later, my belly still felt vulnerable. My lower back was tight. My energy was flat. I felt like I was doing everything right, and yet, I still didn’t feel me.

It wasn’t until I began studying the deeper layers of the body—through Paul Chek’s work and other holistic approaches—that I understood what was truly going on.

This article isn’t just about exercises. It’s about education and self-trust. It’s a gentle guide to understanding what your core actually is, how C-section surgery changes it forever, and what kind of healing is actually needed—especially for tired, overwhelmed mums.

What the Core Really Is (And Why It’s Not Just About Abs)

Most people think the core is about abs. But the real core is so much more—it’s an entire system: muscles, bones, fascia, breath, organs, and your nervous system, all working together to stabilise and support your body.

After a C-section, this system is disrupted. Scar tissue forms. Fascia becomes restricted. And your brain, in its beautiful wisdom, often protects the area—by dimming sensation and switching off certain muscles.

Your abdominal wall includes:

The external obliques
The internal obliques
The transversus abdominis (TVA)
And yes—also the rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” muscle)

These muscles aren’t just for aesthetics. They’re functional, stabilising, and deeply interconnected.

Normally, these layers glide over each other smoothly. But after surgery, that glide is altered. Scar adhesions and neurological guarding interfere. These muscles don’t move independently anymore. Instead of harmony, you get compensation: other muscles jumping in, the wrong ones working too hard.

This isn’t just mechanical. It’s neurological.

How Core Disconnection Becomes Dysfunction After a C-Section

After a C-section, your nervous system does what it’s designed to do: protect. It redirects signals away from the area, inhibits movement, and keeps you safe—but at a cost.

Over time, if this protective state isn’t gently unwound, it becomes chronic.

Common signs of post-C-section dysfunction include:

Deep core muscles (TVA, pelvic floor, diaphragm) not engaging reflexively
Overuse of hip flexors, back muscles, and outer abs
Shallow breathing (chest and shoulders lifting instead of the belly expanding)
Numbness, tightness, or restricted sensation around the scar

You might not even notice these patterns until you try to lift something heavy, go for a run, or even just walk fast with the pram—and suddenly, everything feels unstable.

What’s more, internal organs play a role too. They rely on healthy fascial gliding and nerve communication. After surgery, this gets disrupted. Pain and pressure from menstruation or digestion can refer to the lower back, hips, or even down the legs.

So healing your core isn’t just about strength—it’s about integration. That means reconnecting muscles, fascia, breath, and your nervous system. And the first step isn’t crunches or planks.

It’s reconnection.

Phase One: Reconnection (Your Foundation)

Before you rebuild strength, your brain needs to feel safe enough to allow proper core engagement. Without this, no amount of rehab will truly stick.

This first phase focuses on rebuilding trust between your brain and your body’s stabilising system. Here’s how:

Functional Breathing

The diaphragm is the roof of your core. When it moves well, your pelvic floor and deep abs naturally follow. Start with three-dimensional breathing:

Place one hand on your belly and one on your ribs.
Inhale softly through your nose, allowing the belly, ribs, and chest to expand like a wave.
Exhale without forcing. Let it be slow and gentle.

This kind of breathwork is calming for your nervous system, too—activating Dr. Quiet and helping your body shift from survival mode into healing mode.

Scar Tissue Awareness

Once your scar is fully healed and you’ve been cleared by your doctor, you can begin gentle touch work. This isn’t about “breaking up” scar tissue. It’s about bringing sensation back online.

Try small, pain-free circular motions over and around the scar. Breathe as you touch. Think of it as reintroducing your brain to this part of your body—softly, kindly.

Core Engagement in Supported Positions

One effective early-phase exercise is the abdominal vacuum in quadruped (on hands and knees). This movement restores deep core activation without over-recruiting the outer layers.

To try it: Start on all fours with a neutral spine.
Inhale and let your belly soften.
Exhale and gently draw your lower belly in and up, like you’re zipping a jacket from pubic bone to navel.
Hold for 5–10 seconds without holding your breath.
Repeat for 6–8 cycles.

You’re not trying to suck in or brace—just wake up those deep layers. Even a few minutes a day can make a difference.

The Missing Step: True Core Conditioning

Once you’ve reconnected the breath, scar, and deep core, the next step isn’t going straight to planks or side crunches. This is where many popular postpartum rehab programmes fall short—especially for mums recovering from a C-section.

Let’s take a quick look at why.

Many postpartum core programs focus heavily on bracing-based exercises—things like leg slides, bridges, or planks. These can be helpful tools for general postnatal recovery, but they’re not tailored to the specific structural changes that happen after a C-section.

When I followed these kinds of routines myself, I unknowingly focused on bracing with everything I had—thinking that more tension meant more activation. But here’s what I’ve learned since:

In these early movements, only the transversus abdominis (TVA)—the deepest abdominal muscle—should be leading the way.
The rectus abdominis, that outer “six-pack” layer, should actually stay quiet during this phase.

Why? Because the goal here isn’t force. It’s reconnection.

When we over-brace—gripping through the whole core, flattening the spine, or locking the breath—we miss the point entirely. Instead, we want just enough engagement to:

Keep the spine in neutral
Stabilise the pelvis
And allow the inner unit to do its job, reflexively and rhythmically

The rectus abdominis only needs to switch on during very heavy lifting or high-intensity effort. Not during these gentle, phase-one movements designed to re-establish connection.

This is a subtle but powerful shift. You’re not trying to “tighten everything.” You’re teaching your body to stabilise with ease. That’s what sets the foundation for true strength—without compensation or burnout.

And that’s exactly where many mums get stuck. Despite doing "the right exercises," they still feel unstable or disconnected—because the underlying system hasn’t been retrained. What’s missing isn’t effort. It’s sequence.

That’s why we need a more intelligent, layered approach—one rooted in scientific core conditioning principles, like those taught by Paul Chek.

What Is Scientific Core Conditioning?

This method recognises that the inner unit (TVA, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and multifidus) must activate in a specific sequence before progressing to the outer unit or more dynamic movement.

It also emphasises:

Correct motor control and neuromuscular timing
Assessment-based exercise selection
A progressive structure from supported isometrics to functional dynamic loading

Examples of essential exercises include:

Lower Abdominal #1–4: Designed to isolate and strengthen the lower abs without triggering hip flexors or upper abs
Reverse crunch variations: When performed correctly, these promote proper spinal loading and coordination
Supine ball rolls and TVA activations: Help integrate core reflexes with postural support

These are not flashy exercises. They’re subtle, precise, and incredibly effective when done in the right order.

Why This Matters for C-Section Recovery

After abdominal surgery, your inner unit coordination is altered. Simply doing “core work” without rebuilding that foundation can actually deepen dysfunction.

True core conditioning:

Restores reflexive control
Teaches your body to stabilise without gripping or bracing
Allows for safe return to lifting, running, or training later on

Without this phase, you risk reintroducing load onto a shaky foundation—causing the very symptoms you're trying to resolve: back pain, belly doming, instability, fatigue.

What About More Demanding Training?

Eventually, you might feel ready to train harder again—to run, lift, sweat, and feel strong. And yes, you can get there. But not by skipping steps.

After a C-section, your core won’t function exactly as it did before. The structure has changed. Reflexive stability needs to be rebuilt consciously.

This is where survival reflex activation becomes a powerful tool. These are primitive movement patterns that, when activated deliberately, can temporarily “switch on” the deep stabilisers—creating a short window of improved support.

Think of it like a light switch for your TVA and lower abs. You flip it on, and for 2–3 minutes, your core is awake and responsive. You can use that window to lift weights, do a short interval, or return to more dynamic movement safely.

But here’s the catch: when that window closes, you must reset. Otherwise, your body will fall back on compensation: bracing, gripping, and overusing the wrong muscles.

This approach doesn’t replace rehab. It bridges it—allowing you to move with more intensity without risking setbacks.

You’re Not Starting Over—You’re Starting Wiser

If your core still isn’t working, even years after your C-section, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. And it certainly doesn’t mean you’re broken.

It means your body is still protecting you. It’s asking for something deeper than exercises—it’s asking to be seen, supported, and slowly rewired.

Even if you’re tired. Even if you’re busy. Even if you don’t feel ready. You can start—gently, slowly, and safely.

This journey isn’t about bouncing back. It’s about coming home to your body—with trust, breath, and a new kind of strength.

You’re not starting over.
You’re starting wiser.
And you’re not alone.
You’ve got this.

With Love,

Karo

#85: Why Your Core Still Isn't Working (Even Years After a C-Section)