Online-Delivered Core Stability Exercises in Postpartum Women

April 28, 2026 updated by: NADIA RADWAN, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

Effects of Online-Delivered Core Stability Exercises on Postural Control and Trunk Endurance in Postpartum Women

This study will examine a 12-week online core stability program for postpartum women, where participants will complete supervised sessions three times per week and will be compared with an education-only group. The intervention group will participate in supervised, real-time sessions via a video-conferencing platform, three times per week for 12 weeks. Exercises combine isometric and dynamic core stability tasks, progressing in difficulty over time. Dynamic postural control will be assessed using the lower quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ), while trunk endurance will be measured using the flexor endurance, extensor endurance, and side bridge tests.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. singleton pregnancy;
  2. medically uncomplicated delivery;
  3. clearance from a healthcare provider to participate in low- to moderate-intensity exercise;
  4. self-reported difficulties with trunk endurance, balance, or early fatigue during daily activities.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. unresolved obstetric complications;
  2. severe pelvic floor dysfunction requiring specialized medical management; (3) neurological or musculoskeletal conditions affecting balance

(4) participation in structured core training more than once per week during the previous three months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Online core stability exercise group

Participants in the intervention group will be engaged in an online-delivered core stability exercise program. Sessions will be conducted via a secure video-conferencing platform three times per week, with each session lasting 40-50 minutes.

The exercise program will integrate both isometric and dynamic core stability tasks targeting the trunk flexors, extensors, lateral flexors, and hip musculature. Foundational exercises will include modified curl-up, bird-dog, side bridge, plank variations, and supine bridge. Dynamic components will incorporate controlled limb movements, diagonal patterns, and unstable support surfaces when appropriate. Exercise intensity and complexity will be progressively increased by adjusting lever length, base of support, repetition volume, and hold duration, while emphasizing proper breathing and pelvic floor engagement.
Other: online core stability exercise group
The intervention group participated in supervised, real-time sessions via a video-conferencing platform, three times per week for 12 weeks.
Experimental: An education-only control group
Participants in the control group will receive standard postpartum education delivered online once every two weeks over the 12 weeks. Education sessions will focus on general postpartum health, infant care, sleep hygiene, and psychological well-being, but will not include structured or supervised exercise. Control participants will be advised to maintain their usual daily activities and will not be restricted from engaging in light, unsupervised physical activity as recommended by their healthcare providers.
Other: an education-only control group
Participants in the control group received standard postpartum education delivered online once every two weeks over the 12-week period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dynamic Postural Control
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The lower quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ) will be used to assess dynamic postural control of the lower extremity. Participants will perform maximal reach in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions while maintaining single-leg stance on a standardized YBT device or equivalent setup. Reach distances are normalized to leg length, and a composite score is calculated as the sum of the three directions divided by three times leg length, multiplied by 100.
12 weeks
Trunk endurance
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Trunk endurance will be evaluated using three standardized tests: (a) the flexor endurance test (time holding a seated trunk flexion position against gravity); (b) the extensor endurance test (time maintaining the torso in a horizontal position in prone with the pelvis supported); and (c) the side bridge test (time maintaining a side plank position on each side). All endurance times will be recorded in seconds, with longer durations indicating better endurance.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Thabet, A.A.; Alshehri, M.A. Efficacy of deep core stability exercise program in postpartum women with diastasis recti abdominis: A randomised controlled trial. J. Musculoskelet. Neuronal Interact. 2019, 19, 62. 34. Stuge, B.; Lærum, E.; Kirkesola, G.; Vøllestad, N. The efficacy of a treatment program focusing on specific stabilizing exercises for pelvic girdle pain after pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial. Spine 2004, 29, 351-359. Wallace, J.; Raglin, J.; Jastremski, C. Twelve month adherence of adults who joined a fitness program with a spouse vs without a spouse. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness 1995, 35, 206-213. 41. Jarvis-Selinger, S.; Chan, E.; Payne, R.; Plohman, K.; Ho, K. Clinical telehealth across the disciplines: Lessons learned. Telemed. J. e-Health 2008, 14, 720-725. 42. Peng, X.; Su, Y.; Hu, Z.; Sun, X.; Li, X.; Dolansky, M.A.; Qu, M.; Hu, X. Home-based telehealth exercise training program in Chinese patients with heart failure: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine 2018, 97, e12069

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • RHPT/026/003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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