Help! I gave birth a year ago and although my body seems to have gone back to normal, the skin on my stomach is still really saggy. Are there any exercises I can do to help my tummy finally get back to normal?
The skin and tummy muscles have been stretched, lengthened and weakened as your belly grew with the baby inside. The muscles also lose the connection with the neurological pathways to function correctly.
The first step is to reconnect with the muscles with specific breathing technique. Start by standing with good posture or lying with your hip bones flat and level with your pubic bone, breathe in allowing your chest and abdomen to expand and fill with air. Then as you breathe out, simultaneously pull your belly button in towards your back and your chest and your abdominal wall should flatten. Exhaling while pulling your abs in shortens and strengthens with each outward breath.
Try this exercise too:
The Bridge with a Twist: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor. Draw your belly button in, clench your bottom, and try to lift your pelvic floor muscles. Lift your hips up off the floor pushing up towards the ceiling. Hold for 5 seconds and then drop one hip toward the floor and then the other, so that you are gently twisting your hips and then relax down slowly. Repeat for 8-10 repetitions.
