Your baby finally arrived! However, when you look at yourself in the mirror now, the only thing you see is the protruding belly. You celebrate the tummy for it housed your little one, but now it’s time to get your sexy back.
Which is the quickest way to get a flat tummy? Strengthening your abdominal muscles will help you lose that ‘pot’ and tone your body. Abdominal postnatal exercises are effective, but you must remember that;
- It took 40 weeks to stretch out your belly, so it will take a bit of time to flatten it.
- You have to avoid sit-ups, curl-ups, or crunches for at least four weeks after vaginal birth, and six after Cesarean.
Postpartum Abdominal exercises
Tummy Tuck Exercise
You can start this one week after delivery. You can be standing or lying down.
- Take a deep breath. Pull your belly muscles inward as if you are trying to zip a pair of tight jeans.
- Hold this contraction for 3-5 seconds. Work up to holding this contraction for 1-2 minutes at a time. Ensure that you don’t hold your breath.
Heel Slide Exercise
You can start these two weeks after delivery.
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent but with both feet flat on the floor. Pull your stomach muscles inward.
- Hold the stomach contraction while slowly sliding one leg along the floor until the leg is straight.
- Slowly slide your leg back to the bent position.
- Relax and repeat with your other leg.
Take a walk
Women heal differently, so you may not feel strong enough to do the exercises above. Don’t worry; you can start by walking for twenty to thirty minutes every day. The more you walk, the more your body relaxes, and then you can try more challenging exercises.
Butt scoop
A simple routine that you can start a few weeks after delivery. Stand and pull your butt in and out. You will realize that as you do that, you push the tummy in and out as well.
Pelvic workout
- Go down on all fours and make sure your palms touch the floor.
- Relax your back.
- Inhale as you pull your buttocks forward.
- Hold that position for a minimum of three seconds, then relax.
- Repeat.
Bridge exercise
- Lie on your back on the floor.
- Bend your knees and rest your arms on the floor.
- Take a deep breath and raise your buttocks.
- Hold that position for ten seconds while breathing normally.
- Then lower the buttocks to the floor, relax a bit and repeat the procedure.
Final Thoughts
Be patient with yourself and know that your journey is different from your friend’s. While some women will get their sexy back within the first year, others might take years to achieve the same goal. So be kind to yourself but also be consistent and remember that any form of exercise is helpful and will help keep you from postpartum depression.
