subject: Strengthening Your Core Again After Pregnancy [print this page] This article is about how to strengthen your core after pregnancy. The only way to get your shape back is to tone yourself from the inside out.
If you have recently had a baby, you need to be sure that you tighten up your core quickly afterward, both for yourself, and your baby. The stronger and more centered you are, the more you can be there for your child.
With proper training, and beginning as early as 24-48 hours after birth, you can avoid many problems and work toward rebuilding and toning your body the right way. Always check with your doctor before beginning this routine, since all mothers and all deliveries are different.
Restrictions may apply to you that prevent your doing these exercises immediately. Begin only when your doctor clears you, and always remember that patience and time will help.
The skin and muscles tend to become loose and jelly-like and might lack the neuromuscular awareness to work properly. This is why it is important to use breathing techniques in order to shorten the abdominal wall to its previous length.
As you inhale, your chest and abdomen should expand; as you exhale, your chest and abdominal wall should flatten. This concept is important when retraining your core after birth.
The muscles in your belly must shorten before they can be strengthened. Exhaling while pulling your abs in shortens and strengthens with each outward breath.
As the body's balance changes with enlargement of abdomen, it is important to take your center of gravity downward, while keeping your spine stretched up and your chest open. This upright, graceful stance will make you feel elegant and confident and also allows more space to be created around the diaphragm, which needs to find room to contract downward so that you are able to breathe really deeply and fully.
In addition to breathing exercises, a women can begin with postnatal exercises after 24-32 hrs of normal delivery. Additional exercises that can be taken over are Kegels, or pelvic floor contractions.
Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, and bowel. These can be done in any position.
Tighten and hold for 5 seconds. Do several times a day.
Next is the pelvic tilt. While lying on your back with your knees bent, tilt your pelvis backward as you tighten your abs and exhale.
Try to bring your belly button to your backbone as you push your low back into the mattress/floor. Hold for 5 seconds, inhale, and relax.
Lie on your back with arms and legs out straight, palms up. Bend at the ankles so toes are aiming for the ceiling, tighten thigh muscles and push knees into the bed/wall.
Pull your abdominal muscles in and flatten your back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and elongate your neck.
Press your hands back into the bed and hold this for a few seconds, then relax. This allows your muscles to contract isometrically (without changing length), which is safe on the body and provides an easy readjustment to normal posture after birth.
To correct your posture, stand straight and tuck your chin in to elongate the neck, pull your shoulders down and back, tighten your abdominal muscles while pulling your belly into your backbone, tighten your pelvic floor, keep knees soft, and increase the arch in your foot. This is a great one.
To do a yoga bridge, begin by lying on your back with knees bent, contracting your abdominal, buttock, and pelvic floor muscles, and raise the hips up off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and relax down slowly.
The farther your feet are from your buttocks, the more challenging it will be. Lying on your back, tighten your abdominal muscles and do a pelvic tilt.
Slowly slide out one leg at a time while trying to maintain your pelvic tilt. You can progress to sliding both legs out together as long as you can keep the pelvic tilt and not allow the back to arch.
Always bring legs back one at a time. Next you should try a butterfly crunch.
For this crunch, you will lie on the ground again, with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Take your knees and spread them out to the floor if you can, with the soles of your feet together, creating a large diamond with your legs.
From this position, press your back into the ground as much as you can and slowly lift your upper body from the floor a few inches. Again, don't worry about this being a large lift, just engage the muscles, breathe out, and breathe in as you slowly lower down.
With this exercises, you can strengthen your core back into shape. You will look great in no time!
by: Ronald Pedactor
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