The female body is truly amazing, can I get an Amen!
You've more than likely noticed that over the 9 months of pregnancy your body has 'changed', your shape may be a little curvier than you remember and that's because our bodies store the essential needs for growing your baby around the hips and thighs.
Don't fear the cute curvy shape that you gained during your pregnancy sexy mumma! When you're easing your way back into fitness you may feel like you want to spot target these areas but I'm sorry to say that there isn't such a thing as spot targeting. However! There is such a thing as exercises that utilise muscle groups such as your legs and core, plus just getting your body active and moving will make you feel great.
So, we've pulled together the Top 4 exercises that every post-partum mum should try when getting themselves back into fitness.
And guess what? You can enjoy as much cuddle time with your little love as you want, because holding them while doing these exercises will add some resistance.
PRO TIP: Use a bench top, stable chair or even a wall to help with stabilisation and maintaining balance.
1) Plié + Pelvic Tilt
Starting position: Legs externally rotated into a V shape, on full rise and heels touching together.
Action: Demi (meaning half) Plié (meaning bend). Bend half way down making a large open diamond with the knees, keeping the spine tall and upright.
Hold this half way position for as long as you can. Whilst holding, tilt/tuck the pelvis from neutral to a forward position and back to neutral x 10-20 times.
With each tilt you will feel the abdominals contract or come
into a shortened position. Focus on this and even give the abdominals as additional tightening as the pelvis tilts forward.
Turn up the heat: As you get stronger, hold you baby or bend deeper past the half way position towards a Grand Plié (meaning big bend).
2) Lunges
Starting Position: Wide stance making right angles with the knees.
Action: Bend down and up focusing on touching the back knee to the floor and checking that as you bend your knees point in the same direction as you toes and watch that you don’t collapse the arch in your front foot.
Turn up the heat: Hold the back knee 1mm off the floor and pulse up and inch and down and inch 20+ times.
3) Leg Lift + Small Abdominal Curl
Starting Position: Standing tall with feet in parallel and one leg lifted with the knee slightly bend on the lifted leg.
Action: Lift leg up as high as you can allowing the pelvis to tilt forward and the abdominals to contract/come into a shortened position. Tap lightly the floor with the toe and repeat a high number of reps. Try to go nice and fast with this one as if doing a cardio exercise.
Additionally, keep the body upright and the supporting leg tight and straight at the knee so that as you go fast your body doesn’t rock around and only your leg lifts as fast as it can.
Tip: Imagine you are balancing a book on your head and fight to keep it there (no rocking)
4) ½ Roll Down
Starting position: Seated tall with toes lightly touching the ground, legs together.
Action: Inhale to prepare, exhale and draw the belly button towards the spine and start to sink back into a curl making a scoop in the tummy and a C curve with the spine. It feels like
you are slowing trying to lower yourself to the floor and that you are determined to touch the base of your spine and pelvis to the floor first before any other part.
Hold in the C Curve position, keeping the abdominals drawn in. 5 breaths or 20 secs
Turn up the heat: As you roll down inch a tiny but further (sounds easy but that tiny change makes a big difference) and increase the time in which you hold.
