How to Tone Your Belly After Giving Birth

One of the common problems that women have after giving birth is extra weight in the stomach. I have some exercises that you can do at home to tone that stomach down. It is extremely important that you are able to get your stomach in shape because this means stronger back muscles which you will definitely need when caring for your baby. Before doing any of these exercises though, please make sure to consult your doctor on what you are allowed to do. This is especially needed if you have stitches or if you have had a cesarean section. Right after birth, your body needs time to adjust.

A great little exercise that you can do anywhere as long as you are sitting down, is to tighten your stomach and pull in your lower abdominal muscles as much as you can. This helps to work those muscles. Lisa Druxman who is a fitness trainer and author of the book, Lean Mommy says, "Imagine you're wearing a corset and you're pulling its strings tight". You can do this when you are sitting at the table, computer, watching television, etc. It is simple yet very effective. When you are doing it just keep your mind focused on putting pressure on the abdominal muscles. Hold in your stomach for about 20 seconds and then release. You can breathe normal and do not hold your breath in. Sometimes you will do this unconsciously so be aware of your breathing. The amount of reps you do is up to you. Start out slow if you are just getting into it.

Another great exercise you can do to tone your stomach after giving birth, is to put your baby directly on your stomach. You can do this while laying on a bed. My cousin mentioned this to me and I thought it was a great idea for moms out there. She in turn got this advice from family as well as friends and it really does work your abdominal muscles! What you do first is put your baby on top of your stomach while you are laying on a bed. Then you tighten your abs in order to hold the baby. You can do this for a few minutes and it works great.

Before I close, it is important to mention that if you still have a diastasis, then you should consider wearing a splint when any pressure is put on your abdominal muscles. A diastasis is when your rectus abdominus muscle separates. The splint will help to hold them together.