Lower Ab Toning Exercises After Pregnancy

Starting lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy is the first step to regaining your pre-baby figure. While you might never get that washboard stomach that you used to have, adding toning exercises can help you get trimmer more quickly than you might think. With the stretching effects of pregnancy, you will have some loose areas of skin in your lower abdomen region, but with lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy, you can help to pull that skin back into your favorite pair of jeans.

Before you do any lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy, make sure that you get the permission of your doctor. In some cases, you may need to wait for a few weeks to start any exercise program in order to let an episiotomy or a cesarean scar heal completely. It is not advisable that you head straight into a fitness program because your body may be weak after the rigors of labor or a surgical procedure and can heal more slowly if you push your body too hard. Heed the advice of your physician and wait the time that they tell you – usually from four to eight weeks, depending on the ease of the childbirth you had.

For lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy, you can use a few different toning movements. One of the easiest is to lie on your back and press your lower back into the floor with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent. Placing your arms to your sides, lift your hips up a few inches off the ground, trying to keep your lower back as flat as you can. This isn’t supposed to be a big movement, but you will feel your lower abs engage as you lift up, hold for a second and then slowly lower back down. Try to repeat this exercise for ten repetitions at first, breathing out as you engage the muscles and breathing in as you lower down.

Another great exercise for the lower and upper abs is the butterfly crunch. For this crunch, you will lie on the ground again, with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Take your knees and spread them out to the floor if you can, with the soles of your feet together, creating a large diamond with your legs. From this position, press your back into the ground as much as you can and slowly lift your upper body from the floor a few inches. Again, don’t worry about this being a large lift, just engage the muscles, breathe out, and breathe in as you slowly lower down.

As with any exercise program, lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy need to be started off slowly and then slowly made more challenging with more repetitions and possibly even some weights for resistance. With these lower ab toning exercises after pregnancy, you will not only be a fit and healthy mom, but you’re also going to look good while you do it.