The common thought that after we have kids we have to simply live with that dreaded mom pooch is a great misconception. Before kids our abs are together and strong whether or not there is a layer of fat over them. After kids our abs and pelvic floor become weak and separated causing a long list of issues like low back pain, incontinence, and Diastasis recti otherwise known as the mom pooch. If you suffer from any of theses issues odds are your abs did not return back to there original place after childbirth. Learning how to restrengthen your core and pelvic floor can bring you back to your post pregnancy body. As a personal trainer specializing in ab recovery, I see way too many moms that have either given up or simply accepted the fact that their bodies will never return back to normal after having kids, however that does not have to be the case. A little anatomy lesson for you, we have two sets of abs. Our superficial muscles otherwise known as the 6-pack muscles and our transverse muscles. These are the deepest ab muscles. When we bare a child our uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen to accommodate our growing baby, the problem lies in that after birth the ab muscles do not return to their original position causing that rounder belly look. Over-exercising the 6 pack superficial muscles will only lead to more pelvic floor issues. Many women are unaware they don’t need crunches to have strong and toned abs. In fact, traditional ab exercises like sit-ups and planks will only separate the abs even more and one can easily end up doing more harm than good. The goal changes to strengthening the transverse abs and pulling them back together. There is no benefit in simply strengthening them if they are apart, it's only going to exaggerate the problem. So how do we fix the problem? We change some of our daily activities that make the separation worse and incorporate the proper activities such as breathing techniques, abdominal and pelvic floor exercises. This will not only pull the abs back to their original place but also strengthen the pelvic floor so that the mom pooch, incontinence and low back pain slowly fade away. If you're feeling like no matter what you do you just can't seem to get rid of that dreaded mom pooch and all your efforts just seem to make no difference, know that there is help for you. You no longer have to feel like you still look pregnant even though you arent and crossing your legs every time you cough or laugh can be a thing in the past. You can flatten your stomach and begin to feel strong again. You can strengthen your pelvic floor and stop the incontinence. You can get back to your pre-baby body!
Jennifer Kreider | Message Me
ACE Persoanl Trainer specializing in diastasis recti
