You’ve experienced the joy and excitement of having your baby. And now you’re trying to get back into some kind of routine with your exercise plan. So where do you start with getting your abs back after having a c-section?
Many women believe that once they have a baby, especially via c-section, that their days of wearing midriff tops, bikinis and tummy-baring lingerie are over. However this doesn’t have to be the case at all. Fortunately, many women can get their tummies back after having a baby.
The question is, how much effort are you willing to put in! It doesn't have to be torture, but working to get your stomach back after a c-section or vaginal birth will require you to be consistent for it to be effective. The following tips are designed to help you develop an exercise program that includes both of these things:
Before you start any exercise program after a c-section or vaginal birth make sure you check with your Obstetrician or Gynecologist. Even if you feel that you’re ready to take on a new workout program, you need to make sure that it’s ok to do so. You’ve come this far being careful and caring for yourself and your baby during pregnancy with your exercise plan. So take it that step further afterwards so that you know you’re training safely.
Start at your current level of fitness. This doesn't mean your fitness level before getting pregnant. It means you honestly assess where you are at after having your baby when you feel ready to get back to training again.
It may be tempting to start out with harder exercises. But resist this urge! You need to work at a challenging yet safe pace so you don't stress or overuse your muscles.
It will take most women at least a month to six weeks to be ready to work the abdominal muscles after having a c-section. And without sounding too graphic, you don't want to damage your stitches trying to perform exercises that your body is not ready for.
If you can't focus on your stomach muscles and cause them to contract, you aren't ready to start working your abdominal muscles intensively. Having a c-section or just not using the muscles enough can cause a disconnect between the brain and the muscles in the abdomen.
Isometric contractions are basic exercises that teach your muscles to contract without any other body movement. This is the best starting point when exercising after having a c-section.
Working on your posture is also a great way to start working your stomach muscles after having a baby.
Once you can perform basic isometric contractions and work your stomach through basic posture holds, you can try standing against a wall with a flat back and contracting the stomach as a beginning move. Many women can safely do these basic movements during the first month after having the baby.
If you have had a c-section, you should always support your abdominal muscles, especially in the area of your incision.
Once again, you should get clearance from your doctor to start working your abdominal muscles using the above movements.
You have to work all of the abdominal muscles, not just the ones that run along the center and top of your stomach. This includes the lower abs and the oblique muscles which run along the sides of your stomach.
It is necessary to burn fat from all over the body when you want to lose fat in the stomach area. So, your exercise program should include more than just abdominal movements.
Following an effectively designed exercise program on a routine basis is just half the equation. Nutrition is also something that you will want to discuss with your Obstetrician or Gynecologist – or they may refer you onto a nutritionist, especially if you’re breast feeding.
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