P!NK’s Post-Baby Core Struggle—And the Fix She Used

P!NK jumped on Instagram Live for a sweat-soaked core session with Hollywood trainer Jeanette Jenkins still feels oddly current—because the problem they talked about hasn’t gone anywhere. Post-baby bodies are strong, capable and resilient, but the “just smash your abs back into place” mentality belongs in the same bin as vibrating belts and detox tea.

Back then, Jenkins—famous for training big-name clients and delivering workouts that don’t so much start as kick the door off its hinges—streamed a high-intensity session to P!NK’s followers and tipped her hat to a postpartum programme that focuses on foundations, not ego-lifting.

“To all the mummies, I’ll give a special shout-out to MUTU System. We use all of the exercises from MUTU System and we add them to Alecia’s (P!NK) programme.

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So anybody who is a post mum who needs to do work on repairing her core, I’d highly recommend MUTU System!”, said Jeanette, who is President of the Hollywood Trainer renowned for training celebrity clients past and present including Alicia Keys, Mindy Kaling and Serena Williams.

It landed because it wasn’t glossy nonsense. It was a trainer admitting the unsexy truth: if your core isn’t firing properly after childbirth, “work harder” isn’t the answer—work smarter is.

“I used to cry”: P!NK on the frustrating bit nobody posts

P!NK didn’t dress it up as a neat montage. She talked about the reality of trying to reconnect with core muscles after having children—something plenty of women recognise instantly, even if it’s rarely said out loud.

“Do you remember how upset I used to get after I had my babies?

This was the hardest thing for me to do after childbirth. I used to cry, I would get so mad!”, said P!NK.

That honesty is the lasting value of the clip. Not the sweat. Not the celebrity. The permission it gives: if you’re struggling to “find” your core again, it doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your body has been through something significant—and it may need rehab, not punishment.

The MUTU System angle — rebuilding foundations, not chasing a quick fix

MUTU System Founder Wendy Powell, who established the company in 2009 following a traumatic childbirth experience, says frustration and disconnection are common themes in postpartum recovery.

“For women, childbirth is one of the most naturally beautiful things that we can experience, bringing life into this world.

But it’s also something which takes an incredible toll on our bodies and often leaves us feeling powerless, and completely alienated from our bodies.

It’s not uncommon for women to struggle engaging their core muscles post childbirth – and this brings about great frustration and torment.

This is why we do what we do, to reconnect women with their bodies. Women just like P!NK can use our exercises to rebuild their core strength to get back to doing high intensity activity”.

MUTU System describes itself as a 12-module specialist core and pelvic floor online programme used by over 65,000 mothers in over 150 countries, aiming to help rebuild core strength and address physical symptoms such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, painful sex and diastasis recti—issues that can quietly steamroll confidence and day-to-day comfort.

And yes, the programme has long traded in that “quietly well-known” reputation too—reportedly also favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who is said to have completed a programme in 2018.

The bigger shift: postpartum recovery is finally being treated like training

Here’s what feels modern now: we’re slowly moving away from the old-school narrative that motherhood means you simply “bounce back” if you’re disciplined enough. The more realistic view is closer to sport: childbirth is a physical event; recovery is a process; foundations matter.

Powell puts it plainly—especially for women who were athletic before pregnancy and assume they’ll automatically return to full throttle.

“We’re passionate here at MUTU System to address some of the symptoms of postpartum struggles such as leaking, pain, prolapse, discomfort, lack of sexual confidence or pleasure.

This stuff is so important to our happiness, confidence, comfort and mental health. Our lives! This is about finding ourselves and being at one with our bodies once more.

Feeling in control. P!NK is such a strong woman, known for her athletic performances. It shows that even superhero mums need to rebuild their foundations after childbirth – just as she has.

She is a prime example that we can and WILL get back to being cool, strong and powerful again. Often fit athletic women worry they will never be able to live athletic lives again, MUTU is here to tell them they absolutely can!”, added Wendy.

If you’re reading this thinking, “Fine—but what do I actually do?” Powell shared practical cues aimed at helping mothers locate the deep core (TVA) and coordinate it with the pelvic floor.

Wendy Powell’s six no-nonsense cues to find your deep core (TVA)

1. Stop “sucking in” your stomach
   That’s not core engagement—it’s pressure-shifting.
2. Use breath to switch things back on
   Exhale while gently drawing the belly button back and gently lifting the pelvic floor. (Powell suggests an “Ssssss” exhale cue.)
3. Get your alignment right first
   Neutral spine; ribs stacked over hip bones; no breath-holding; no tensing shoulders; don’t tuck the tailbone under.
4. Check you’re not “cheating” with the outer abs
   Hands near the hip bones, fingers slightly in and down. TVA engagement should feel like a broad, deep tension—not a big brace or a belly push-out.
5. Isolation is stage one, not the whole story
   TVA matters, but so do the diaphragm, pelvic floor and stabilisers of the spine. The goal is a coordinated system, not a single muscle trick.
6. Don’t walk around clenched all day
   A constantly contracted muscle isn’t a strong one. Learn to engage and relax—control beats tension.

The sensible takeaway for 2026: the trend is foundations, not fixes

Five years later, P!NK and Jenkins’ live session reads less like celebrity content and more like a reminder: postpartum recovery is not a punishment phase. It’s rebuilding. It’s doing the basics well enough that the “fun stuff” becomes possible again—running, lifting, classes, and yes, high-intensity training—without your body feeling like it’s fighting you.

For more details on MUTU System, visit mutusystem.co.uk. Lifetime membership, which comes at an affordable £99 one-off payment, is inclusive of a range of additional support worth over £1500, including everything from food guides to personal online trackers.