Reclaim your Fitness after Pregnancy

Pregnancy takes a heavy toll on a mother’s belly. Nine months of blessed condition can leave a sagging belly that won’t disappear by just exercising and dieting. You may not have gained a lot of weight; still your stomach isn’t likely to return beck to normal.

What Happens During Pregnancy

In the nine months of carrying a new life, the uterus is expanding to accommodate the baby growth. Simultaneously, the outermost abdominal muscles are stretching and separating to make room. However, after the labor, the uterus shrinks back to its normal size, yet these stomach muscles can remain separated. This condition is called diastasis, and may cause back pains, besides looking unattractive.

What is the Solution

You need to get back your abdominal musculature. Daily activities related to early motherhood involve a lot of lifting and carrying, which may cause backaches if not supported by strong stomach muscles. The muscle tightening process takes some time, often more than the nine months’ stretching period. On the other hand, you can always arrange for abdominoplasty. The procedure known as tummy tuck is a cosmetic surgery that removes abdominal fat and excess skin.

What you Can Do

If you breastfeed you baby, you stimulate your uterus to shrink to its regular size, which will eventually flatten you belly. Walk as much as you can. Take it easy in the beginning, and then as you gain strength you can take longer walks that will do well for your stomach muscles. However, some exercises will actually make things worse. Avoid crunches, sit-ups, pushups, press-ups and front planks because they make muscle separation worse. The same counts for swimming and yoga position in which you rest on your hand and knees. Try some of the postnatal abdominal workout programs.

Breathing Techniques

You can start doing some of the abs toning exercises just hours after giving birth. One of easy techniques is deep belly breathing with abdominal contraction. Start from upright sitting posture and inhale deeply. While doing so, contract your abdominals and hold tight, then relax them with the exhale. Try to increase the contraction and holding period.

Your mommy responsibilities will often times leave you little time for exercising. Still, your baby can be your best workout buddy. If you to your exercises in the part of day when your baby is in a good mood, you both can have a great time, and you’ll also burn your belly fat. You can talk to your baby, for example counting the reps out loud, so your newborn can have fun listening to the mommy. Still, it’s best that you consult your physician and pediatrician before you start with these exercises. Your baby safety is the most important.