Exercises To Strengthen Your Tummy After A C-Section

Q. How can I strengthen my tummy after a C-Section?

You can begin doing isometric abdominal contractions as soon as your baby is born. Combine those with Kegel exercises to get the maximum benefit. Also, be aware of holding in your stomach *all the time* - that's a great strengthener!

When your baby is at least 4 weeks old, you can begin doing more traditional abdominal exercises. You'll first want to check to make sure you don't have any separation of the main abdominal muscle that runs vertically down your torso.

Assuming everything's okay there, start with modified crunches: lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor; place one hand behind each ear with elbows pointing out to the sides and chin lifted toward the ceiling; tilt your pelvis slightly so that your lower back is pressing into the floor; take a deep breath in, and, as you exhale, lift your head off the floor, tightening the muscles in your abdomen and pulling your belly button in toward your backbone; inhale as you lower your head. Start with 8-12 repetitions. Gradually increase the number of repetitions to 3 sets of 12. As you feel stronger, make the exercise more challenging by lifting your head and your shoulder blades off the floor with each repetition. Visualize scooping out your abdomen as you tighten the muscles.

To target the lower part of the abdomen, try the following exercise: lie on your back with knees bent and feet lifted off the floor so that your shins are parallel to the floor (this is your starting position); place one hand behind each ear with elbows pointing out to the sides and chin lifted toward the ceiling; tilt your pelvis slightly so that your lower back is pressing into the floor; take a deep breath in, and, as you exhale, lift your hips slightly off the floor, tightening the muscles in the lower part of your abdomen (make sure to use your tummy muscles and not your buttocks!); inhale as you return to the starting position. Start with 8-12 repetitions. Gradually increase the number of repetitions to 3 sets of 12. As you feel stronger, increase the difficulty by lifting your head and shoulders off the floor at the same time you lift your hips.

To target the waistline and really flatten the tummy, you'll need to work your obliques: lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor; place one hand behind each ear with elbows pointing out to the sides and chin lifted toward the ceiling; tilt your pelvis slightly so that your lower back is pressing into the floor; take a deep breath in, and, as you exhale, lift your right shoulder blade diagonally toward your left knee (visualize peeling your shoulder blade off the floor toward the opposite knee); inhale as your return to the starting position; repeat on the other side. Start with 8-12 repetitions. Gradually increase the number of repetitions to 3 sets of 12.

These should get you started!