The Strengthen and Repair in 30 Days series is sponsored by Estée Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion
If you’re pregnant and worried about getting ab separation or if you’ve just had a baby, it’s time to get serious about exercises to strengthen and repair this area of your body.
Physiotherapist, Becky Dyer from Body Beyond Birth shares the perfect physio recipe for you to avoid getting an abdominal separation and to help you safely spring back into shape after birth.
In this series of exercises, Dyer shares tips and expert advice to strengthen the abdominal area safely and help repair the major muscle groups.
Do you have abdominal separation?
Follow Becky Dyer’s tips to determine if you have abdominal separation.
- Lie down on your back with knees bent. Find the spot midline on your tummy approximately three fingers up from your navel.
- Hold two to three fingers vertically pressing into that spot.
- 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.
30 Days to Core Strength
These exercises will take less than 10 minutes to do, aim to do them daily for at least 30 days.
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. Maintaining 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 and 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
What Not to Do…
- No sit-ups “Just think of your abs opening like elevator doors when you do this,” states Dyer.
- No heaving yourself out of bed sit-up style.
Dyer says, “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!”
The Strengthen and Repair in 30 Days series is sponsored by Estée Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion
