Baby Belly

[Feathertop]

Hey Bec, no wonder you suggested that exercise if people are still recommending it to others!!! Hope you didn't take the post personally, just wanted to ensure everyone was safe. I assume the trainers at the gym have the appropriate qualifications (I think they have to now) - just out of interest, when you return to the gym after having the baby, do they do another baseline assessment on you to see what your aerobic fitness is like, and if you've got any issues such as ongoing SPD pain or a separation of the rectus abdominus muscle?

I'm a physio by training with some postgrad training in back pain, so I am pretty keen to ensure people avoid hurting their backs in any way as I know the problems this can cause in the short and long term. I used to run 6 days a week, ski 2-3 times per week, and was also a ballet dancer in the distant past - and I wouldn't have attempted that exercise any time in the last 10 yrs as I know even my abs wouldn't have been strong enough. But there are other versions which are suitable - for example, lie on your back with knees bent up and feet on the floor. Pull in your belly button towards the floor and keep it in while breathing in and out a few times, then slowly slide one leg along the ground until it is straight, then slide it up again to the bent position, then relax your tummy. That's still a pretty challenging exercise to do properly! That's the one I'm doing at present along with pulling in while doing everyday activities. I used to find in my practice that people would often think they were doing an exercise like that well and so try to do harder ones, but in reality they didn't have the control they needed to be safe - it helps sometimes to do them with someone else so they can tell you if you 'lose it' in any way.