I have received a few questions about how to deal with post baby tummy. Let's face it, pregnancy stretches the abs to the extreme. They can stretch so far that they split and this condition is called diastasis. I know that it sounds scary, but you can definitely whip your post baby belly back into shape.
I found a great video over at ExerciseTV that explains how to test to see if you have diastasis and a simple exercise on how to begin closing the abdominal gap. My friends at ExerciseTV were generous enough to not only share this video with us, but they sponsored this post as well.
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When my girls were babies, I would work on my abs while they did their "tummy time." It was nice to exercise as a family! If you are looking for more info parenting and life with little ones, check out lilSugar!
Jaeger
Masini Gioielli
Judith Leiber
great video!
1Brilliant!
2Wow. I didn't know this could happen. I'm glad I'm child-free by choice.
3WOAH--I CANNOT BELIEVE THE POOR TECHNIQUE SHOWN IN THIS VIDEO! Please STOP and READ before following this video:
If you do have a diastasis, lowering your body to the floor and sitting up as you would do a sit-up--as demonstrated in this video--will make your diastasis WORSE. You should never ever lower your body as the woman demonstrates in this video if you suspect a separation.
Instead, you should lower down on one knee, then into an all-fours position, and then lower onto one side. Once your entire torso is flat on the floor THEN you roll onto your back. To get up, follow those steps in reverse. Even if you have repaired a separation, you can re-separate the muscles by getting up or down in this manner.
If you suspect a separation, try googling the Tupler Technique. I have taken these classes in person and closed my diastasis in a few months. But it takes 1) exercise and 2) vigilant effort to protect the muscles as you work to repair them. This means you need to be very careful about how you get up and down from the floor or your bed. NO LOWERING TO THE FLOOR AS SHOWN IN THIS VIDEO!
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