Tighten your Postpartum tummy with this one Pilates trick.

Ever wonder why it is so hard to get rid of the extra fat around the stomach after having children? Maybe you even devoured every article and every workout all claiming to shrink your stomach. Maybe someone even told you to try Pilates and you still were frustrated. Well, I’m here to teach you how to tighten your postpartum tummy with this Pilates technique, and how to actually apply it every day.

There is a little-known secret in the Pilates world called ” The Powerhouse”  This refers to your core. I’ll explain more in a minute. In the fitness world, you may have heard the term “vacuum technique” They are essentially the same thing. What makes it more effective in Pilates is, we apply the technique through the whole workout, not just a few minutes a day.

So what is the “powerhouse”?

Your powerhouse is the trunk of the body. Shoulders, ribs, abdominals, and pelvis. All of this work together to keep you balanced, strong and in control. Our primary goal in Pilates is to work the Powerhouse! Aka, your postpartum tummy! Often, you will hear the term “Powerhouse in and up” or “pull your abs in and up” and that my dear, is where all the work is. Learn how to do this during your whole workout and you will see success super quick!

How do you actually pull the abs in and up? Especially when you can’t feel them anymore!

Get ready to have your mind blown! Just kidding no stick with me here. The best way to learn this is to lay on your back on the hard floor, (so not your bed) and bend the knees.

 Place your hands on the abdominals and take a deep breath.

While breathing in, imagine there is a string in the back of your belly button and you are pulling it to the spine and moving it up your back. It will feel like you are sucking in but you won’t be because you are going to hold this position while you breathe. Also, sucking in completely omits the action of lifting up. The key reason why some do not progress in their practice.

So as you exhale, try your best to keep that belly in and up. When you exhale, if the abs are still in the position you will feel them engage.

Bam! Feel THAT?

While this all sounds super easy on paper, actually applying it is super challenging. Add breathing and moving to the equation and you’re ready to quit…and it’s the first exercise!

I encourage you to try this at home on its own for a few days. Simply apply the above technique and practice for 10 minutes a day. When you feel like you can hold the abs in and up while continuing to breathe, then you are ready to apply it to movement. Feel free to take any of these exercises in this post to practice with. The best Pilates exercises to tighten your mom bum.

Don’t worry if you can’t feel it at first!

All my c-section mammas I’m talking to you. I know you may be thinking, I can’t feel it! Why can’t I feel it and will I ever get my abs back? I know this is so frustrating for you but I assure you, if you keep with this exercise you will soon see a difference. You need to be especially forgiving of your body and yourself. This will take time and consistency is key!

So when you are ready, and can completely understand how to hold your abs in and up and hold them while you breathe, start to do some basic movements and see how the exercise changes.

This is a basic fundamental of Pilates and sadly so many people somehow miss it. Don’t let that be you, make your Pilates workout challenging and successful every time.

My last thought, Ok I have to say it.. you already know this but it’s true. Abs are made in the kitchen so many people have amazing abs hiding under a layer of fat because of their diet. I had this problem for a while because I wasn’t planning meals and was eating what the kiddos were eating. I started using these weekly meal plans and life simply got easier when it came to diet. I am not good at planning healthy meals and this was perfect.  I also switched over to this protein powder for my shakes. It’s all organic and plant-based. So no whey or soy super fabulous I don’t feel bloated and its super creamy.

There you have it, the key ingredient to drawing the abs in and not out. Good luck and keep breathing!

Stephanie