4 Exercises For New Moms That Heal Your Belly

Pregnancy is truly taxing on the human body. It stretches the abdomen, sometimes causing both sides to wind up separating. This usually causes bulge to remain around the lower stomach. The pelvic floor is also strained and tired from the delivery process.

It makes sense, then, that new mothers are interested in helping their bodies heal from the tiring ordeal. They want to close up the gaps caused by all that stretching. Many also have goals to lose the extra weight they’ve gained or to help their bellies firm back up. It’s not an easy process, but with positive thinking, it can be done.

Postnatal exercises can be tricky. Doing standard core-strengthening exercises can be too taxing on your body, and they only workout your external muscles, not the internal ones you stretched! You also can’t do too much without causing harm to your body, which is still trying to recover.

So, which exercises are effective and safe? Luckily, there are plenty of moves and workout routines that have been deemed okay for postnatal use.

1.    EARLY TUMMY TONING

The first types of exercises you do after giving birth should be extremely simple and very gentle. As we previously mentioned, pregnancy tends to stretch out abdominal muscles, and in many cases, this causes them to separate.

It will take a good long while before those muscles heal well enough for you to attempt serious core workouts. In the meantime, simple and gentle exercises focused on your tummy are great options. These will help to provide positive toning benefits, working out internal muscles, even down the deepest layer. (1)

Before the abdominal muscles have closed their gap, you have to be very careful with your stomach exercises. Here’s a great one to use when you’re just starting out.

• Step 1: Start in your position of choice. You can lie down, rest forward on all fours, sit down, or even stand up. It is advised that a doctor or a relevant medical professional is present to assist you.
• Step 2: Make sure your lower back area is flat, not arched in any way.
• Step 3: Exhale deeply in such a way that your belly button moves backwards towards the area of your spine. Remember, your lower back should stay flat and unmoving.
• Step 4: Pause, holding the position while continuing to breathe in a light and easy manner. Do this for 10 counts.
• Step 5: Relax your body back to its initial position.
• Step 6: Repeat this process. You can do this up to 10 times. This will be considered one set.
• Step 7: You can continue to do 10 sets at a time. You may also do this multiple times daily.

2.    THE HEEL SLIDE

The heel slide is a great, gentle workout among the very best postnatal exercise moves you can do. It has positive effects on a particular deep core muscle known as the psoas. This muscle is responsible for leg, spine, and pelvis connection. Here’s how to do the heel slide. (2)

• Step 1: Start by lying on the floor with your back and feet pressed into the ground. Your knees should be bent.
• Step 2: Inhale deeply. Let your stomach expand.
• Step 3: Now, slowly slide out one of your feet, continuing until the leg is straight.
• Step 4: Exhale deeply. Flex your outstretched foot as you slowly bring your heel backwards to its initial position. As you do so, maintain a sliding motion, and keep your body still.
• Step 5: Repeat this process with your other foot. You can do this up to 20 times (10 on each foot), but feel free to start lower.

3.    ADVANCED TUMMY TONING

Once your abdominal muscles have healed sufficiently and the gap has been given time to close, you can escalate the early tummy toning exercise into a slightly more complex one. Here’s how to do it. (3)

• Step 1: Start by lying on the floor with your back and feet pressed into the ground. Your knees, naturally, should be bent, with your hands resting on your thighs.
• Step 2: Exhale deeply, allowing your ab muscles to contract. As you do so, lift your shoulders and head upwards off the ground, moving your hands in a sliding motion to your knees. The goal is for only your head and shoulder blades to be lifted.

• Step 3: Pause, holding the position for a few moments.
• Step 4: Relax. Slowly bring your head and shoulders back down to their initial position.
• Step 5: Repeat this process. You can do this up to 10 times. This will be considered one set.
• Step 6: You can continue to do 3 sets at a time.

4.    EARLY PELVIC MUSCLE ROUTINE

The pelvic muscles often become stretched during childbirth due to the fact that you have to pass something very large through them. You can find these muscles stretched across multiple places, as these muscles provide support to the bladder, bowel, and womb, among other body parts.

The pelvic floor undergoes quite a bit of change during pregnancy and after childbirth before it returns to its original state several months postpartum. However, these muscles can still experience some weakening during this process. Studies indicate that improper pelvic muscle care after childbirth can lead to issues such as incontinence, prolapse, and even pelvic-perineal dysfunctions.