Question: I was just wondering if you could tell me any ab workouts I could do at home to work off “the mommy tummy”? I am going to Jamaica in December and I really want to feel confident in a bathing suit… any advice will help!
Answer: There’s no such thing as the perfect ab exercise to get you the lean stomach you’re looking for. Of course repairing your ab separation, working on your pelvic floor, and doing conscious ab work will help, but there is more to obtaining the tight tummy than holding a plank or doing a million crunches.
But before I get there, I want you to ask yourself what a tight mummy tummy means to you? What if you don’t get the stomach back you had before your pregnancy? Remember that you are still sexy AF, you’re still strong, you’re still an amazing Mom, you’re basically superwoman for creating a child and now keeping them alive! Just be kind to yourself.
Make sure that when you’re looking for that “tight mommy tummy”, that your motivation is coming from a place of self-love, and not from a place of “I’m not enough”.
1. Keep working out. Gaining lean muscle is the best thing you can do if you want to lean-out your mid-section. Lean muscle is what transforms a ‘skinny fat girl’ into a fit girl. The more muscle you have the leaner you are, and the more calories you burn per day doing absolutely nothing! The Ugi Fit workouts constantly challenge your core, so continue doing things like this if you want a tight tummy. Avoid things like running that encourage muscle atrophy – it’s a waste of your time.
2. Eat clean. You can workout all you want, but if you’re not eating properly to build the muscle you’re breaking down, you’re not going to see all of your hard work. Check out my blog called “Snacking, Make it Effective” for ideas on how to eat protein all day long – they are all clean meals that your body understands.
3. Watch for foods that make you bloated. If you wake up feeling like you have a flat stomach and then suddenly you’re all puffy and bloated after a meal, it means you’re eating something you have a sensitivity to. If you have food sensitivities it becomes almost impossible to have a lean and tight stomach. This is because if you have a sensitivity, you’re essentially ‘toxic’ when you eat these foods. When your body is in a toxic state, it holds onto water weight and fat cells to protect itself from the ‘foreign invader’. Doing a food journal to determine which foods these sensitivities may be related to is effective, because once you find out where your sensitivity is – you can eliminate that food and be on your way to a tight yummy mommy tummy.
4. Make sure you’re regular. Read my blog called “Nothing Like a Good Poop” to ensure you’re “eliminating” daily. No one wants a pooh baby belly.
5. Drink loads of water. I know it sounds counterproductive, but the more water you drink the less bloated you are with water retention. Drink up to 3 litres of water per day – this has many benefits beyond a tight tummy.
Showing you the difference between liking and loving your body,
ashley dale roy
