After I had my daughter, Aijah (almost 7 years ago, whoa), I could tell my tummy had changed, big time.
8 weeks postpartum, I was committed to improving my tummy and decided to start doing 5-minutes of ab work 6 days a week, for 6 weeks, and I DID IT. I was so proud!
What I didn’t know is that I should have been avoiding sit-ups, crunches etc. because they can contribute to making diastasis recti & mommy tummy worse : (
SIT-UPS & crunches don’t flatten your tummy, and if you have diastasis recti, they can keep your ab gap open.
The exercises in this picture WILL help you flatten your tummy (even YEARSSsss postpartum).
I used to think exercises like this were too easy & ineffective, but that’s only the case if you aren’t engaging your transverse abdominals. It’s ALL ABOUT ENGAGING your TRANSVERSE ABDOMINALS (TAs) during the exercise so you can strengthen them, that’s where the results happen!
Here’s a trick to help you learn how to engage your TAs
- Take a nice, relaxed inhale
- Exhale slowly with a Ssssss sound, all the way to the end
- Hold it
- Mentally connect to your core and feel how it’s fully engaged, those are your TAs
- Do this a few more times to get more familiar with your TAs
EXERCISE CUES
- SIDE-LYING TOWEL SQUEEZE – Roll up a towel, and place it between your thighs. Take a relaxed inhale, exhale slow and controlled with the SSssss sound until the TAs are engaged, and squeeze the towel and hold for 1 second to increase the TAs activation. Relax your core. That’s 1 rep.
- HANDS & KNEES W/ARM RISE – Get on all four. Take a relaxed inhale, exhale slow and controlled with a Ssss sound to engage the TAs, and lift arm, keeping the TAs engaged during the entire movement. Bring arm down. Relax your core. Repeat.
- REVERSE MARCH TOE DROP – Bring both legs to about 90’. Take a relaxed inhale, exhale slowly with a Ssss sound to engage the TAs, then lower your toe down as far as you can go with any rib or hip tilt, keep the TAs engaged during the lower and return back to 90’. Relax your core. Repeat.
- LEG LIFT w/a STRAIGHT LEG – Same cueing as other exercises. It’s ALL about engaging the TAs before and during the exercise, then relaxing your core between reps. Using the Ssss breath helps to activate the inner-core, and it will get easier with practice!
WATCH THIS VIDEO to see the exercises in more depth. (Note: A few exercises have been added in this video, than in the graphic)
If you want more support, then check out my upcoming group program
FLATTEN MOMMY TUMMY. We start May 20th and end June 2nd
It’s two weeks to a flatter tummy, with information you can’t get anywhere else.
Much love,
Jessica Joy