When moms come to see me for the first time they ALWAYS tell me they want to work on their core. I get it. I mean, who doesn’t want flatter abs?? For many moms, they look down at their belly in horror. It doesn’t look anything like their pre baby belly. It’s like their body has been invaded by flab, stretch marks and squishy, loose skin. Read more »
Photo courtesy of www.SproutedKitchen.com
I bet you think I never eat dessert. You may even think you dislike me a little because I live on chicken and broccoli. NOT THE CASE!!! I don’t live on chicken and broccoli and I LOVE dessert. Now, I don’t eat that much dessert, because I know what would happen to my body if I did. But, I do indulge on occasion. When I choose to indulge, I have a few very important dessert guidelines: Read more »
Photo by William Warby
I’m on a plane heading back from Fitness Business Summit 2011. I had the opportunity to hang out with the worlds top 5% trainers this weekend. This is a phenomenal event. I have been able to attend the last three years and every year it has been mind blowing.
What I love about this conference is that I leave feeling so empowered. The trainers I have become friends with are among the most positive, supportive and endearing people I have ever met. They are simply amazing and they make me a better trainer and a better person. It has dramatically changed me and my business to spend time with these people over the last few years.
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Moms ask me all the time what exercises they can do to burn the most fat and calories in the shortest amount of time. In order to maximize your workout time and burn as much as possible, you want to be doing full body exercises. Full body exercises use your upper body, lower body and core all at the same time. In addition to helping you build strength all over, these exercise have a great cardio benefit. Read more »
Remember you must wait to have your doctor’s permission to do full workouts after giving birth. For most women, this is 4 weeks for a vaginal delivery and 6 weeks for a c-section. But, always check with YOUR doc to make sure you are ready.
However, there are a few things you can do to start to strengthen and flatten your baby belly immediately. Use these 4 exercises to help you strengthen your core, so you are prepared to exercise without the risk of injury (or peeing your pants) when you do have your docs permission to jump (ok, hop) back into full workouts.
These exercises can be done within days of giving birth. If you do have incisions/stitches, always stop if you have pain.
Note: Nursing/feeding times are a great time to get these exercises in! It allows you to create a daily routine for reconditioning your pelvic floor and core. This will help you tremendously once you are given the go ahead to start working out, therefore, enhancing your ability to quickly shed baby belly weight.
Kegels:
This is the “cut off your pee” exercise. Pull the pelvic floor up by imagining you are stopping your flow of urine mid stream. This will help to re-condition the pelvic floor so you are less likely to suffer from incontinence when sneezing, laughing, jumping and running down the road. This will also help minimize your risk of low back injury.
Perform 3 sets of 10 reps, 1-3 times a day. Hold 10-30 seconds per rep.
Elevators:
This exercise is simply a play on kegels, doing your kegels to varying degrees. Imagine your pelvic floor is an elevator and then lift it up to different “floors”. Imagine your pelvic floor has 5 “floors” of depth, try to lift it to the 1st floor and hold, then the 2nd floor, then back to the 1st, then up to the 4th, then all the way to the 5th and hold for a few seconds. Completely relax and start over in a different pattern.
Perform 5-10 Elevators lasting from 10-30 seconds each, 1-3 times a day.
Isometric TVA Holds:
Imagine your transverse abdominus (your lowest, deepest ab muscles) as a corset that wraps around your entire middle sections. Pull it in, focusing mostly on pulling the lowest abdominal area in (from your belly button to 2 inches below the belly button.) Hold the contraction while breathing comfortably and maintaining tall posture.
Zippers:
Start with a low TVA hold and imagine slowly “zipping” your abdominal wall right up the center of your torso all the way up to your sternum (chest level), by contracting your low abs, then mid abs then upper abs until you are all “zipped” up. When you are zipped all the way to the top, pause for a moment. Relax and start over from the bottom up again.
Perform 5-10 zippers, 1-3 times a day.
Performing these exercises regularly as you wait to return to a normal exercise routine will help you begin to flatten your baby belly and strengthen your core. These exercises will also help you heal your diastasis recti, so you can return to regular ab exercises sooner than later. Having a strong core is essential to working out safely once you have the go ahead from your doc.
For further postpartum core exercises, try our 6 Week Pregnancy Weight Loss Program. This program is designed to help moms lose baby weight and flatten their baby bellies.
You may have noticed that I typically post recipes from other people on What To Eat Wednesdays. Your suspicions are right! I’m not much of a cook. It’s not that I’m a bad cook, I just don’t have the patience for it. And I HATE cleaning up after myself. I have my handful of recipes I make over and over and over. My husband lovingly acts as if every meal is just as good the 371st time as the 1st time.
My few recipes I do rely on are really good ones – a handful of simple, clean ingredients that can make a meal in 5 or less steps, usually. The one I want to share today is perfect for this time of year – when you’re dying for Winter to be over and praying for Spring to arrive every morning, only to look out to more rain and wind (at least that’s the case in Seattle.)
Sara’s Yams & Beets: Read more »
