So how to get rid of your pregnancy tummy? We asked Lucie!
The first thing to think about is how your tummy has responded to pregnancy and birth and don't be too hard on yourself if your maternity leggings are still the most comfortable clothes in your wardrobe!
Firstly, you should check for any abdominal separation and always start with simple core exercises after pregnancy. Around a third of women experience some separation of the abdominal muscles during and after pregnancy (the technical term is 'diastasis recti', which sounds scarier than it is). This is obvious when you think of how much your tummy needs to expand to accommodate your little babe.
You will be able to feel whether you have this separation, or not, with your fingers. When you have had your baby, lie on your back, with your feet on the floor, knees bent and head and shoulders lifted. Feel above and below your belly button to see if you can find a gully between your tummy muscles. You should avoid sit-up type exercises until this gap has closed to less than two fingers width, until then you can focus on strengthening your core. Start gently and build up.
Focus on getting your core strength back and losing any excess fat you may be carrying. A healthy diet is crucial too, especially if you want to lose baby weight. Remember that whilst you might want to focus on your post pregnancy tummy it's much better to try and get your whole body fit after p and toned as this will give you much more body confidence and ultimately much better results.
Build up your exercise routine slowly and include a mix of cardio (lots of brisk walking will be perfect!); toning exercises for your whole body and, most importantly, work the deep 'core' muscles (your TVA) to strengthen and tone your tummy and back (these 'partner' muscles need to work together). Once your tummy is stronger you can tone the surface abdominals.
The TVA (transversus abdominis) is your deepest abdominal muscle and the body's 'internal corset'. You can activate it simply by breathing in deeply and letting your chest expand, then as you exhale, pulling in your tummy all the way around and holding it in for a couple of seconds, then releasing. Gaining control over your TVA and working it as often as possible is key to having a flat tum after you have had your baby. Do as many daily ab squeezes as possible - aim for 50-100 times a day at least, especially as you can do this anywhere at any time, no-one will even notice!
Good abdominal exercises for soon after the birth include the 'Pelvic tilt and head lift' combination: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands on your temples. Breathe in deeply and as you exhale draw in your belly button as you lift your head and shoulders. As you draw your tummy in, tilt your pelvis upwards. Release and lower. Remember to make sure you lift only your head and shoulders - this is all about pulling in your core muscles.If it feels too difficult leave out the pelvic tilt until you're ready.
Or 'Superman' (we prefer to call this SuperWoman!) Kneel on all fours, hands beneath your shoulders, knees hip width apart and back and neck straight. Pull you tummy in and lift one leg out straight behind and the opposite arm straight in front. Try and keep everything in a straight line before repeating on the other side. Build up the repetitions until you can do 10-15 on each side. Once you can manage this comfortably try holding the pose for 10 seconds on each side, building up to two sets.
Find this one easy?
Hold a light weight in your outstretched arm and try using ankle weights as well. As you diastasis recti closes you can increase the intensity of your exercises. Use the 'pelvic tilt and head lift' as a core exercise but reach your hands towards your knees. Do two normal lifts followed by two reaching both hands towards your knees, two reaching one hand across to the opposite knee and then two reaching the other hand across to the other knee. Build up until you do eight repetitions instead of two and to make it harder, use light hand weights as well.
Tip: wear clothes to support your post pregnancy tummy after your baby is born, especially if you have had a C-Section.
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Alexandra McCabe is a founder of https://www.fittamamma.com, the healthy pregnancy experts. FittaMamma is a free resource to help women enjoy an active pregnancy with workout videos, recipes and prenatal yoga tips. Here you can find easy to use guides for abdominal exercises to help with pregnancy tummy http://bit.ly/1cVqnwo
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