If you’re pregnant and worried about getting ab seperation or if getting or if you’ve just had a baby, it’s time to breath out again. Becky Dyer from Body Beyond Birth has got the perfect physio recipe for you to avoid getting an abdominal separation. She’ll give you the tools to get those abs strengthened safely and help them spring back into shape after having your bundle of joy.
Do you have a separation?
First let’s check to see if you’ve got an abdominal separation. Lie down on your back with knees bent. Find the spot midline on your tummy approximately 3 fingers up from your navel. Hold 2-3 fingers vertically pressing into that spot. NOW curl your head and shoulders off the floor like doing a sit-up. Measure the width of the trough or furrow you feel with those fingers. It can be 0 cm or it can be up to an 8cm/finger separation. This is your starting point and you will recheck this weekly.
How To Avoid Worsening a Separation
1. Avoid the No No’s
2. Do these Core Abdominal Exercises
1. Abdominal NO NO’s
No sit-ups (Eeek! Just think of your abs opening like elevator doors when you do this.)
No heaving yourself out of bed ala sit-up style.
No activities that make that doming pointy look with your abs. Yes it’s a nifty trick but not so good for your abs!
Avoiding the above activities is actually half the battle of preventing an abdominal separation during and after pregnancy. You also need to strengthen the deeper core abdominal muscles. The core actually works to close potential separations by drawing the more superficial muscles together, love that!
These exercises will take less than 10 minutes to do, aim to do them 1 x daily.
CORE AB EXERCISE 1
Get onto your hands and knees – hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips.
Without changing your spinal position just let your belly sag, c’mon show me your Buddha belly!
Inhale and then on the exhale turn on your pelvic floor muscles like you don’t want to wee and GENTLY draw your navel toward your spine. Hold those muscles on while you keep breathing, no breath holding or grunting!
Hold x 10 seconds x 10 reps
CORE AB EXERCISE 2 – QUADRUPED PLANK
Same set-up on hands and knees. Maintainin that neutral spine while keeping the core on, lift your knees slightly off the floor and hold x 30 seconds. Keep breathing and work up to 60 seconds.
Hold 30-60 seconds x 2 reps
PUSH-UPS WITH CORE ON
Start on hands and knees keeping abs drawn in toward your spine. Maintaining a long spine (don’t pike that butt!) bend your elbows and inhale as you bring chest toward the floor. Exhale and return to start.
10 reps x 2 sets
SQUATS WITH CORE ON
Start in standing and activate those deep abdominals. Keep a neutral spinal position with deep abs on then lift your arms to initiate squat. Keep knees behind your toes and weight on your heels, exhale as you squat. Your goal is to get thighs parallel with the floor. Inhale as you stand and return to start.
10 reps x 2 sets
image credit: yogaworks.com
