Tummy troubles
I have just had my first baby and want to get my flat tummy back fast. I used to be fanatical about stomach exercises, but I have heard that doing them too soon is not a good idea.
Two out of three women experience a separation of the main tummy muscle, rectus abdominus, during pregnancy. In this condition, known as diastasis recti, the connective tissue – the bits of a six-pack that dip in – splits vertically. The combination of abdominal weakness, hormonal changes, weight gain and stretching of the abdominal wall by as much as 18 inches by the growing baby can cause this muscle separation along the centre line of the abdomen.
One of the most common mistakes women make after giving birth is to try immediately to regain abdominal tone by performing hundreds of sit-ups. Doing these with a weak transverse abdominus muscle (the deep lower abdominal muscle that attaches across the pelvis) impairs the ability to “corset” and flatten the area, possibly exacerbating the diastasis recti.
Fortunately, specific post-baby exercises can reduce diastasis recti. These include pelvic tilts, hip lifts and, simplest of all, belt pulls: wearing a snug-fitting belt, pull in your abdominal muscles until you can slide your fingertips between your belt and your belly, breathe and hold for 5-20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2-10 times daily, and just before getting out of bed.
To check for diastasis recti, lie face up with bent knees. Get a friend to place two fingers two inches above the navel (and then two inches below it) and press gently as you perform a traditional sit-up until your shoulders are off the floor. If they can fit two fingers or fewer in the gap, you can begin most abdominal exercises. For three fingers, do the core stability exercises above. If the separation is wider than four fingers, refer to a GP and a specialist physical therapy programme.
· Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall. com). Send your exercise questions to: Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER ([email protected]).
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