Getting back that waistline

You finally have your baby—great! That makes everything around you perfect—except when you let your eyes rove down your belly. It is not just going down as fast as you would like it to. The consoling bit is that every part of the body has its own pace of healing and adjusting from the rigours of pregnancy and labour. Some require some assistance, such as the tummy— sometimes. Therefore, when you think of doing the necessary—exercise, you first need to make sure you get permission to proceed from your doctor. Then be patient and realize it will take time, consistency and commitment.

Start slowly and steady with simple, do-it-yourself, harmless exercises such as these:

Legs-stretch

» Lie on the floor and put your feet and knees apart.

» Place your hands behind your head for support and lengthen your neck.

* Lift your right foot and place it top of your left knee and turn your head to the left.

» Stretch your right foot further until your heart pulses and hold fora minute in that position.

» Repeat the same procedure with the left side.

Hands-stretch

» Stand tall with your feet apart in a natural angle without turning them out or in.

» Relax your jaw, stomach and bottom and put your left hand on your left hip.

» Lift your right arm up as if reaching for something at an unreachable point, then turn the palm to the left side. Stretch the whole body out until you can feel the stretching effect on the right side and hold on for about two minutes, then try to stretch more and hold for at least two minutes.

» To relax from that position, lower your right arm forward across the body and slightly bend your Knees, then straighten your back.

» Repeat the same procedure with the left hand up.

Callenetics method is also another good exercise to tone your abdominal muscles and restore your waistline is the. The exercise named after the initiator, Callan Pinckney is a combination of ballet, yoga and body alignment concepts without the vigorous movements as in aerobics.

It utilises precise positioning so that specific muscles can be used to work out In tiny yet powerful movements.

Each muscle group, in this method, is warmed, worked and then stretched to ensure not only the whole body’s workout but also to reshape your targeted muscle groups by increasing strength and endurance.

The advantage with the Callanetics exercise method is that there is no need for harsh, high impact activities such as jumping or jogging therefore safe from causing injuries.

Next time you are in the gym, ask your instructor to help you on these exercises.

Did you Know…?

That belly binding is effective in shrinking your tummy after delivery?
Belly binding supports the muscles and skin in around your belly thus encouraging faster healing.
Constant pressure from the abdominal wrap under your clothes flattens the belly and redefines the waistline while helping to keep your spine straight, which minimises pain and fatigue.

END:pG30/38