Effective Ab Exercises for New Mothers

Once you have the baby you will have to take a few weeks to work on strengthening your abdominal muscles to get them strengthened and firmer just as they were before having the baby. There are several different exercises that you could do that would be the most effective with getting back your pre-baby belly.

One great exercise that will target your abdominal muscles is the scissor kick exercise.

Scissor Kick:

Lie on the floor on your side, and raise one leg about 12 inches off of the ground. Hole this for about 5 seconds then lower. You will want to repeat this 10 times, then roll over and do the other leg. You will be able to feel the muscles in your stomach pulling and strengthening when you do this.

The Pelvic Bridge

Lay on your back on the floor. Place your hands at the side near your body. Bend your knees, and slowly life your pelvic off the ground. Hold it about 5 seconds then slowly lower it back to the ground. Do this 15 times each. This is one exercise that you can do several times a day.

Exercises you can do with the Baby:

Exercising with the baby is a great way to get in shape and to bond with the baby. One is where you lay down on the floor and place the baby on your baby. Use your stomach muscles to "push" the baby up in the air, and then exhale slowly and the baby and your stomach will slowly come back down. Your baby will love this and the baby's weight is just enough to give you more of a work out, helping you get your stomach back in shape.

Other Exercise programs you can choose from:

Yoga is a great way to gently get your body back in shape. Maybe you did yoga when you were pregnant and now since you have the baby you can do even more. Pilates are a good choice of exercises to do. Any of their exercises that work with the core muscle groups will help you lose the baby fat.

Walking can help you get back your pre-pregnancy body. This is one great way to walk with the baby and spend time together with the baby. This is something that your doctor will usually allow you to begin before the 6 week checkup.

Doing some exercises daily will help you get yourself back in shape after giving birth. Before doing any of these exercises you will want to check with your doctor to be sure that you are able to do them. Walking with the stroller is one easy way to get your baby out and to get in some exercising while spending time with your baby.