[bass chick]

My abs seperated during my last pregnancy. I'm now 3 1/2 weeks pp and I want to start working my abs (if I can find the time.....)
I have heard that ab exercises have to be modified if your abs have seperated. Anyone know anything about that? My doctor just looked at my dumbly when I asked.

 

[Enudely]

I got a book called "Lose your Mummy Tummy" that tells all about that. A good book, though it is ignored on my shelf right now

 

[TinyBabyBean]

I have heard somewhere you can wrap a towel around your waist, cross it over in front, each hand grabs a side of the towel and pull in the opposite direction as you do a regular crunch.

I also heard not to do any crossover, oblique ab exercises until the split heals.

Another thing, Denise Austin crossed her hands over the middle of her abs in her PP exercise video and says to pretty much just squeeze towards the center while doing regular straight up crunches.

hard to explain in print.

I have had this since my second pregnancy and has not really gotten better in spite of my knowledge. Or Could that be having 3 more babies since then???

 

[vermontgirl]

Use a labor ball/exercise ball. You know those things? Lay down on it and crunch right on the ball. It modifies the crunch but still really works the abs. It is also much better on the back. This is how i plan to start getting my abs going again. I dont want to go full throttle into heavy ab workouts because they havent been worked in a long time. They are very very sensitive and delicate at this point. I am going to be six weeks postpartum on Tuesday and that is when i plan to start my gentle workout.
Please dont do your ab workouts yet. It is too soon. You might hurt yourself or bleed a lot more heavily, or if you have stopped bleeding you might start back up again.
Good luck. Also look into that book "lost your mummy tummy". I just looked on Amazon and you can buy it used for $7.48.

 

[Shanana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinyBabyBean I have heard somewhere you can wrap a towel around your waist, cross it over in front, each hand grabs a side of the towel and pull in the opposite direction as you do a regular crunch.

:

That is what my incredibly knowledgeable yoga teacher told me.