Abdominal Activation
Please also see our more extensive post on this topic: Losing a Lingering “Mom Pooch”
Many women are discouraged that their belly does not immediately return to its pre-pregnancy state. Due to bodily changes during pregnancy, it can be really difficult to get your abdominals functioning well. We often hear stories of women who have been hammering away at their “core exercises” only to find that none of it has been working the muscles they desire in any meaningful way.
The Abdominal Wall
We’ll start our conversation with a discussion of abdominal wall anatomy. The abdominal wall (skin, muscle, and connective tissues) get stretched in pregnancy. Existing for a long time in this over-lengthened state makes it incredibly difficult to activate your deep abdominal muscles, particularly in the early postpartum months. You cannot feel these muscles all that well when they are stretched, and thus it is likely you cannot properly activate your transverse abdominis (TA) without some help!
Here is a helpful cue to figure out how to activate your TA.
To do this you want to envision pulling your hip bones together and then contract your abdominal muscles as if you were to “zip-up” a tight pair of jeans. Thinking of “flexing” belly button to spine, not simply sucking the “wind” out of your stomach.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Having a pregnant belly often tilts the pelvis forward -into an anterior pelvic tilt- that results in an excessive curve in the low back and an appearance that you are walking around with your butt out. Sometimes mamas will get “stuck” in this posture LONG after they are no longer pregnant. This anterior pelvic tilt lengthens the abs and makes it impossible for them contract well. Regaining the ability to perform a posterior pelvic tilt is important. This is not "tucking” by clenching your butt, rather, picture flattening your low back (reversing that excessive forward curvature).
We cannot stress enough, however, that having your abdominals flexed and tense all the time is not good for your body. Work mindfully on your abdominals for a defined period of time and then consciously relax them when you are done. You would not walk around walking with fists clenched all day—- think of how sore and dysfunctional your poor hand would be!!— so please don’t do it to your core!
Strengthening your obliques is also an enormously important part of improving the appearance and function of your belly.
Please keep in mind that the following exercises are more advanced and if you are recently postpartum you must progress slowly and mindfully, paying attention to how everything feels in your body. If something feels bad or you feel like you are not feeling it properly in your abdominals, you need to REGRESS the exercise—make it easier! Doing exercises that are too hard too soon is only going to prolong the period of time it takes you to regain normal abdominal wall appearance and function.
Side plank
Exercises with “chops” : !/2 Kneeling Chop, Lateral lunge to chop
If you are experiencing issues, cut everything out that is in flexion such as planks and crunches. Try these exercises for 4-6 weeks and you will see a great difference if you do not have diastasis recti. Please see our linked post at the top for an excellent video tutorial on how to check if you have DR.
If you do have DR or are not starting to feel and see improvements, please know that this is specifically why the Postpartum guide exists. It has been meticulously and methodically created to optimize the process of healing and strengthening your body post-baby. It WILL get you results and keep you safe at the same time!