Having a baby starts a new chapter of your life. If you’re not crazy about what the pregnancy did to your belly, you’re probably looking to go to the gym and start getting back your abs after baby.
Unfortunately, this new chapter of your life makes it harder to find the time to get back to the gym. The good news is that I’m here to help you. I’ll be your fitness guide, and I’ll show you the steps to get you through this process.
Can I Get My Abs Back After Baby?
This is a super common question that I get asked. Moms are noticing their bodies look different, and they wonder if there’s a secret to tightening their abs after their baby comes along. It is absolutely possible to get your abs back after having a baby! It all comes down to a few factors.
Take Control
The first step is to take control of getting back your abs after baby – it’s your body after all. Don’t let in-laws or societal pressures slow you down. If people think you need to slow down and focus on other things, you can decide if they’re right or not. The best time to start postpartum exercises is when you’re ready for it and get back your abs after baby.
Find the Time
Perhaps the hardest step in this process. You just had a beautiful baby, and a newborn can take up most (if not all) of your free time. Make sure you carve out a little me-time each day, use some of that me-time to work out, and start getting back your abs after baby.
Put Your Mind to It
This is the most important step. You need to make sure you’re not falling into society’s pressure of losing the baby weight as fast as possible, this is not healthy and can hurt your body long term. Please don’t compare yourself to postpartum celebrities who have access to full-time staff, doctors, nutritionists etc. You are going to get your body back and your abs after baby when you’re ready, and for yourself – no one else. At the end of the day, you know your body the best and when it’s officially time to jump back into it.
Start Planning
Now it’s time to start planning. Set small, achievable goals. We’re just going to take it one step at a time, and I’m here with you during the process. You’re not alone!
Easy Weekly Goal: Put the baby in the stroller and go for a 15 minute walk.
Get Started
Please check with your doctor first, on when you can begin moving around.
The final step is to get started. You may feel like you are never going to get your pre-baby body back but remember this:
The best time to begin is NOW! You can do stroller walks, light yoga stretches until you are ready to begin a postpartum workout plan. The key is to develop a daily movement routine and as you heal and become stronger the movements safely progress with your strength.
When Can I Start Exercising After Giving Birth?
You might be surprised to hear this, but most moms only need a couple of weeks
before they’re ready to get back into a daily postpartum fitness routine. This is good news for moms who want to tighten their abs and don’t want to delay.
That being said, there is a slight caveat. The delay you’ll experience before going back to the gym depends on how you birthed your baby.
Vaginal Birth
Most doctors will give new moms the thumbs up after a couple of weeks. This means that you’ll experience a short window before you can start rehabbing your pelvic floor and core muscles.
For C-sections
You need to be a lot more careful. You just went through a major stomach operation and you want to keep your stitches intact and let your body heal properly. Of course, please reach out to your doctor and ask them when you can start rehabbing your pelvic floor and core muscles.
Imagine being able to go back to the activities you love without suffering from back pain or incontinence. Or imagine feeling super confident in your body again. I have created a free core activation workout guide to address your ab separation. Get started today by clicking on the link below.
