QuestionHi,
I had my first baby 5 months ago through a c-section. I have managed to regain my pre-pregnancy weight very quickly but I still have a hard bulging belly, although the skin around the area has recovered quite well .
I have been reading about abdominal separation on the internet and I have carried out the test you recommend on your web site to check whether I have it or not. My separation is of about 1 & 1/2 finger widths.
About a month and a half ago I started back with exercise (I would have considered myself quite fit before the pregnancy). I do quite a bit of swimming, have started with slow running, and some muscle strengthening exercises incluing abdominal crunches from Cindy Crawford�s video "New Dimensions".
I would like to know whether, given that my separation is not 2 1/2, I need to be concerned about it and also whether any of the exercises above is not recommended for me to gain my previous waistline.
Thanks,
Silvia
P.S. Given the great recommendations your book has, I have just ordered it and hope to have it in the next few days.
AnswerFirst off, no crunches of any type(!) with a bulging belly as these types of exercises will make things worse, not better.
Because your belly is hard, as well as still very round, you'll need to look at several things.
First is the functioning of your deepest abdominal muscle, your Transverse Abdominis, or TvA. Both my DVD and book feature exercises to strengthen this muscle and then train it to function properly as a stabilizer. Learn how to do the "Belly Lacing" exercise, and plan on doing some of these daily. The other key exercise for flattening the abs is the "Belly Scooping" (Hollow Pelvic Tilt in the book.) Spend the time to really teach your abs to do these techniques well.
Take care that as you learn the exercise, that when the TvA contracts, that you abdomen pulls closer to your spine. Some women unintentionally push outward instead, and this might be happening to you.
Learn how to breath correctly, by expanding your rib cage three dimensionally. Here again, some of us unintentionally push the belly outward on inhalation. Some yoga techniques forcefully over-expand the belly during inhalation and this prevents the TvA from functioning correctly.
The third issue with a hard, round belly is digestion. Start eating lots of fruits, everyday. You want your bowel movements to be soft, and voluminous. Eat some yogurt with live cultures to establish a good gut bacteria balance. Cut out refined sugars, fake sugars, food additives and colorings, and all hydrogenated oils.
Because you only have a 1.5 finger width separation, you do not need to worry about abdominal separation.
