Pregnancy Tummy Fat

Cutting Back the Tummy Fat of Pregnancy

I get a number of mails out of whom, one of the top most subjects on which I have been questioned is probably, reducing the fat stored around the belly during pregnancy.

Having no children, I cannot understand, what actually might be your feelings. Nevertheless, I have been able to give you some useful hints and tips, to tone up your abs, after having studied a lot on this subject.

The first and foremost thing you MUST bear in mind is that you need to watch your diet while exercising. Just as in any other weight reduction plan, it is not possible for you to go about eating all you want to, and expect "crunches" to deal with the tummy fat.

A proper diet plan and exercising go together. Unless you are not ready to change your diet, your exercising will not benefit you.

It is important for you to realize that whether you've given birth to the baby, via natural or caesarean way, the abdominal muscles are weekend and stretched too.

Now, you'll have to work on two things.
1. reducing the tummy fat
2. Building up and toughening of the abdominal muscles, so they don't make a bulging belly.

Abdominal Crunches

One of the most common workouts carried out to tone up the post-pregnancy tummy.

Your main aim in performing these workouts must be to carry out the effective exercise.

Abdominal crunch is easy to perform and can be done by almost everyone, but majority of the people don't consider the quality of the moves performed during the workouts.

Put your hands at the back of your head, or keep them crossed in front of your chest. Bend your knees, making sure that your feet are flat against the floor. Exhale, when you rise upwards, and inhale, while lowering your back.

Feel the burning of fat

Breathing this way, the crunches become more effective and the muscles get trained.

Work 2-3 sets repeating 20-25 times. Your abs will be working by the time you reach 20th repetition and can be felt. If your answer is no, then you might not be doing it correctly, thus lowering the benefits too.

Kegel Exercises

This handy exercise can be done easily, everywhere and at any time. This exercise includes the working of some pelvic muscles again and again to strengthen them up.

It is pertinent to mention that if wrong muscles are contracted, this exercise won't be beneficial for you.

Identifying the muscles that are to be used in this exercise is easy, if you try to tighten your pelvic muscles by stopping the urine flow for some seconds. The muscles contracted are thus your Kegel muscles. Repeat this process a few times to get a better control on these muscles.

How Quickly Kegel Exercise Can Be Performed?

1. Tense your Kegel muscles as much as you can and hold this position for a count of 10.
2. Gradually relax the muscles and keep relaxed for a count of 10.
3. Perform a set of 3 contractions, 3-4 times a day.

The good aspect of this exercise is that it can be performed almost everywhere, like during driving, while at work, waiting at the bus stop, working on the computer or during any other activity.

You would need to be patient as it may take a couple of months before a noticeable difference can be seen.

Exercising the Obliques

The obliques, also called the "love handles", are the muscles placed slantways around your upper part of the stomach.

Obliques exercises are a lot like the crunches. The only difference is that you need to rise up sideways rather than straight up. So you need to move your right elbow obliquely towards left knee or vice versa, before lowering back to the ground.

Here again, 2-3 sets of 20-25 repetitions per set are recommended.

A Great Post Pregnancy Resource

During my research, I have come across an amazing article authored by a physio therapist that lists and explains additional exercises for reducing post pregnancy fat.

You would also find a vast information regarding effects of childbirth on your body.

Do visit: "Rebuilding Your Core After Pregnancy"

I wish that new as well as the old mommies would find the given details valuable and soon you all would be on the path towards a flatter belly.