ATP guide · Pelvic floor and diastasis
Pelvic floor and diastasis training in Cork
Leaking when you sneeze, run or lift. A gap down the middle of the tummy that never closed. A core that feels like it belongs to someone else. Whether the baby is six months old or sixteen, this is fixable, and our personal trainers build 30-minute sessions around it at our Douglas and Ballincollig gyms, working alongside your women's health physio.
Pelvic floor and core
Rebuilding from the inside out
Sit-ups and planks are not the answer and often make it worse. Rebuilding a pelvic floor and a separated core is a specific job, and it works at any age.
Pelvic floor first
Learning to engage and relax the pelvic floor with breathing, then loading it gradually, is the foundation. We coach it before anything else.
Closing the gap
Diastasis responds to the right core work and gets worse with the wrong kind. No crunches, no planks until the core can manage them, and a coach checking the tummy on the way.
Lifting without leaking
Squats, hinges and carries done with the breath and the floor working together. It is how you get back to lifting children, shopping and weights without the worry.
Years later is fine
Most of the women we help are not new mums. If the baby is ten and the leaking never stopped, it still responds to the same work.
Alongside your physio
A women's health physio assesses and prescribes. We take the exercises, fold them into a full programme and keep progressing them.
Female coaches available
Our pre and post natal qualified coaches at both gyms. Ask for a female coach and we will sort it.
How it works
Rebuilding the pelvic floor and core at ATP
Pregnancy and birth stretch the pelvic floor and the abdominal wall, and for a lot of women they never fully recover on their own. The result is leaking with coughs, sneezes, running and lifting, a gap down the middle of the tummy that a finger sinks into, a lower back that aches, and a core that does not feel like yours. It is incredibly common and almost never talked about. It is also, with the right work, very fixable.
The wrong work makes it worse. Crunches, planks and bootcamp-style core sessions push on a separated core and a weak floor. The right work starts with the breath and the pelvic floor, rebuilds the deep core, and loads it gradually until you can squat, lift and run without a thought.
What a session looks like
You train 1:2, one coach and two clients, each on your own programme, for 30 minutes. We start with breathing and pelvic floor connection, then deep core work, then the big movements with the floor and breath working together: squats to a box, hinges, rows, carries. Load goes up as the core and floor tolerate it, and your coach checks the tummy and asks about symptoms as we go. Impact work like running and jumping comes last, once everything holds.
Working with a women's health physio
If you have symptoms, we strongly recommend an assessment with a women's health physio, and we can point you towards ones in Cork. They diagnose and prescribe; we take their exercises, build them into a full programme and keep progressing them. If you already have physio exercises, bring them.
What we are not
We are not physiotherapists and we do not assess or diagnose the pelvic floor. We are a coached gym with pre and post natal qualified coaches where women rebuild their core and floor properly and get back to lifting, running and living without the worry.
Getting started
Your first session is free. Claim it below and mention the pelvic floor or diastasis in the form or when we ring, and if you would prefer a female coach. It is a real coached 30-minute session at Douglas or Ballincollig, no card and no commitment. If you are pregnant or just had a baby, our pre and post natal page covers that stage.
Memberships & pricing
Simple, flexible pricing
Personal training from €20.56 a session on a rolling membership, €35 pay as you go, and no-expiry packs from €289. See full pricing →
FAQ
Pelvic floor and diastasis questions
If yours is not here, give us a ring. We would rather talk it through.
Can diastasis recti be fixed with exercise?
For most women, yes, or improved a great deal. The right deep core work, progressed gradually, closes or narrows the gap and restores function. The wrong work, like crunches and planks too early, makes it worse.
My youngest is ten. Is it too late?
No. The pelvic floor and core respond to the right training at any age and any distance from the birth. Most of the women we help are years past their last baby.
Should I see a physio first?
If you have symptoms like leaking, heaviness or a noticeable gap, yes, a women's health physio assessment is the best first step and we can recommend some in Cork. Then bring their advice and we build around it.
Can I run or do classes with a weak pelvic floor?
Not yet, ideally. Impact work loads the floor hard. We rebuild the floor and core first and add running and jumping back in once everything holds.
Are the coaches qualified for this?
Yes. We have pre and post natal qualified coaches at both gyms, and you can ask for a female coach when you book.
Will you check my tummy?
Your coach will ask about symptoms and check how the core is managing as the loads go up. A physio does the formal assessment; we make sure the training respects it.
How much does it cost?
Rolling memberships start at €179 every 4 weeks for two sessions a week, and our no-expiry packs never lapse. Your first session is free, no card and no commitment.
From our members
From members who started where you are
In their own words, straight from Google.
"I trained… all throughout my pregnancy and I really believe it helped hugely with my recovery! He was excellent throughout it all-checked in with how I was feeling at every step, adapting exercises & weights whenever it was called for! I had my first session back today after 3.5 months and it was so enjoyable to be back!"
"They showed me how to get the results I wanted in a maintainable and realistic way. Last year they trained me during my pregnancy and are now training me post partum. I really can't recommend enough !!!"
"I've been to quite a few gyms over the years but ATP is where I've felt most comfortable. I love that you can walk in the door & theres never any judgement… I'm really looking forward to getting back training post partum & know that I'll be challenged positively to regain my pre pregnancy body & fitness."
"Fantastic gym, trainers are invested in each and every member. They work with you to develop and reach their goals. They will work with you to assist you in recovery from any injuries and also provide pre and post natal training."
Talk to a coach
Want to talk it through?
If you'd like a chat about training around pelvic floor or diastasis issues, leave your details and one of our coaches will give you a ring. No pressure and nothing to sign up to.
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Find us
Two locations across Cork
Douglas
2nd Floor, Unit A1, Donnybrook Commercial Centre, Donnybrook, Cork City
Tel: 087 649 4134
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Ballincollig
Unit 1A, Link Road Business Park, Carrigrohane, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Tel: 085 725 2370
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed