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Picture this, you’re sitting on the couch, enjoying your favorite snack, and suddenly, your back starts to hurt. You try to adjust your posture, but no matter what you do, the pain won’t go away. What’s going on? Chances are, you’ve got a weak core. For women, childbirth often leads to a weakened core.

Your core muscles, including your abdominals, lower back and obliques, are responsible for supporting your spine, maintaining your posture, and helping you move throughout your day. You might be thinking, “But I’ve got my hands full, who has time to work on their core?” Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later for making the effort.

And let’s not forget about the benefits of a strong core when it comes to exercise. A strong core helps control body movements and stabilize the body during exercise, enhancing your overall athletic performance. But wait, there’s more! Core strengthening exercises can also prevent diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles that can occur during pregnancy.

So, how do you go about building a strong core after childbirth? Start with some gentle exercises, like pelvic tilts and modified planks, and gradually work your way up to more challenging moves. Core strengthening exercises such as planks, side planks, and bridges, are safe and effective for women postpartum. These exercises can be modified to suit individual needs and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

But don’t worry, building a strong core doesn’t have to be all work and no play. There are plenty of fun ways to work on your core like dancing, swimming or even laughing! Yes, you read that right, laughing can actually help strengthen your core because your muscles contract.

To help moms of all ages gently re-strengthen their core, we are offering a four-week Core Restore class at the Y taught by Carin M. starting March 7-28, noon to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesdays. It is open to all, but space is limited. Child watch is an option at registration. For more information, please look on our website. Some other things that we will be offering in March for all community members are:

Art Club: Watercolor Paintings, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5 p.m. All levels or artistic ability are welcome, free for grades 5-12. Younger youth are welcome with the accompaniment of an adult. All youth MUST check-in upon arrival.

Book Club: “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein; Friday’s starting March 3, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Youth in grades 5-12 can join us in the Youth/Teen Center. March 3, participants will receive the book (nine copies available) to read and discuss. Snacks are also available during this session.

• 4-H Soccer Club: Mondays from 5:30-7 p.m. starting March 20 (registration required, open March 6).  This club will be run by 4-H Minnesota Extension in conjunction with the Y. More details will be released soon.