5 Exercise Mistakes Mothers Often Make

If you are currently in your first pregnancy, I’m sorry to to be the bearer of this news. Your tummy won’t be completely flat after you’ve given birth. After the birth of my first child, Lauren, I was so disappointed to find a deflated day old balloon like tummy. Needless to say, the body fitting celebratory-leaving-hospital dress I packed in my hospital bag remained unworn until at least a good 6 months later.

If you are a mum, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. So it is only natural for us, mums to want to get back to our pre-baby shape and weight. But before you do a single crunch, make sure you understand that your body is no longer like before and some exercises may actually harm than do you any good.

Diastasis Recti

Diastasis recti, a gap in between your right and left abdominal wall muscles that can result in a protruding pooch-like shape, it is caused by separation of the abdominal walls during pregnancy.

Cue: Jaw drops.

I know how you feel now. When I first heard of the condition, I was all like, “Dia… what? Why didn’t anyone tell me about this before I had a baby? I might have reconsidered this whole deal on getting pregnant!” I can get pretty drama queen sometimes. I blame in on hormones.

Accordingly to Kareen Lai, Founder of Mums In Sync, every mum needs to first learn how to get her core restored and connected again before moving on to moderately intense exercises. Because every woman will experience abdominal separation during pregnancy, it is essential to first check if the separation (diastasis recti abdominis) still persists after delivery.

How To Find Out If You Have Diastasis Recti

The 5 Exercises You Should Avoid If You Have An Abdominal Separation

Diastasis is caused by a forward force pressure on your rectus abdominis, any movement that puts your abs in that position, should be avoided. These exercises will not only fail to improve our post-baby abs, but can actually make it worse.

1. Abdominal exercises that flex the upper spine off the floor or against the force of gravity such as: crunches sit-ups and obliques curls.
2. Yoga postures that stretch the abs, such as ‘up-dog’, ‘cow pose’ and all back-bends.

3. Front loaded planks.

4. Exercises that require lying backwards over a large exercise ball.
5. Quadruped exercises without adequate abdominal support.

Exercises You Can Do To Bring Your Core Muscles Together Again

Now that most of the common abs exercises are out, what can we do?

Focus on doing more exercises that use lower spine flexion rather than upper spin flexion. Think abdominal compressions, pelvic tilts, toe taps, single-leg stretches, and bridges with belly scooping. Always keep the belly pulled in, rather than doing any movement that pushes it out.

Here are a few exercise videos that show us how to bring our split abdominal muscles back together.

And finally, an exercise to strengthen our pelvic floor muscle. Kareen said this works better than Kegels!

I’m off to do some of these moves. Please share your tips on how to flatten that tummy with me. Thanks again for reading!

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Jacqualine Chan on 03/12/2015 at 10:02 AM

Yeah! I was shocked when I realised that we shouldn't be doing crunches and all sorts of abs-straining exercises only after I gave birth to Alexis! I actually don't do much exercises within the first 6 months I give birth because I would be so struggling with waking up every 2 hours and all.. Besides, the breastfeeding helped me to shed most weight so when I get back to exercise some 8 to 10 mths later, I am more or less recovered.

beautifulchaos.sg on 03/12/2015 at 10:02 AM

When I was a first time mum, I brought pants to the hospital to be worn after giving birth and they were too tight. I had thought tummy would be totally flat, but it was FAR from that!! Leg raises work for me! 🙂

Vivien ( Beautiful Chaos )

mAy on 03/12/2015 at 10:03 AM

OH gasps! I never knew a simple Yoga pose could be a no no! Wow! Now, it's all about me finding discipline to get down to exercise really.

Missus Tay on 03/12/2015 at 10:10 AM

omg, never knew about the dia–whatever!

need to bookmark these exercises to try them out. thanks for sharing these knowledge and tips!!

Lil Bookworm on 03/12/2015 at 11:58 AM

Gd advices by Kareen!

Phoebe Lau on 03/12/2015 at 12:28 PM

I could not recall doing any exercise after giving birth! The power struggle between sleep and looking after the new born toiled me down then. It would be nice to do some simple flexes and pose

--andy-- on 03/12/2015 at 4:02 PM

The sacrifices that Mums have to go through to bring up a child.
I can only imagine how much more damage comes with cesarean!

cheers, andy
(sengkangBabies)

Kless on 03/12/2015 at 4:02 PM

So useful those video clips! I am so going to try!

Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:53 PM

Guess I wasn't the only one with the rude awakening too. I do like the ball in court move 🙂

Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:54 PM

I know right. I was shocked to find out too.

Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:56 PM

Good on you, Jacqueline. My split abs muscles still haven't fully recovered 1.5 years after my second birth! *CRIES*

Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:57 PM

I know what you mean. The early days went by like a blur right? How did we survive that?

Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:58 PM

I agree, Andy. Now, make your wife's Crissy gift a big one this year! 😀

Camille Griffiths on 04/12/2015 at 5:24 AM

I knew about abdominal separation during pregnancy, but had no idea you could make it worse afterward! I will have to watch out for that!

Jacqualine Chan on 03/12/2015 at 10:02 AM

Yeah! I was shocked when I realised that we shouldn't be doing crunches and all sorts of abs-straining exercises only after I gave birth to Alexis! I actually don't do much exercises within the first 6 months I give birth because I would be so struggling with waking up every 2 hours and all.. Besides, the breastfeeding helped me to shed most weight so when I get back to exercise some 8 to 10 mths later, I am more or less recovered.
beautifulchaos.sg on 03/12/2015 at 10:02 AM

When I was a first time mum, I brought pants to the hospital to be worn after giving birth and they were too tight. I had thought tummy would be totally flat, but it was FAR from that!! Leg raises work for me! 🙂

Vivien ( Beautiful Chaos )
mAy on 03/12/2015 at 10:03 AM

OH gasps! I never knew a simple Yoga pose could be a no no! Wow! Now, it's all about me finding discipline to get down to exercise really.
Missus Tay on 03/12/2015 at 10:10 AM

omg, never knew about the dia–whatever!

need to bookmark these exercises to try them out. thanks for sharing these knowledge and tips!!
Lil Bookworm on 03/12/2015 at 11:58 AM

Gd advices by Kareen!
Phoebe Lau on 03/12/2015 at 12:28 PM

I could not recall doing any exercise after giving birth! The power struggle between sleep and looking after the new born toiled me down then. It would be nice to do some simple flexes and pose
--andy-- on 03/12/2015 at 4:02 PM

The sacrifices that Mums have to go through to bring up a child.
I can only imagine how much more damage comes with cesarean!

cheers, andy
(sengkangBabies)
Kless on 03/12/2015 at 4:02 PM

So useful those video clips! I am so going to try!
Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:53 PM

Guess I wasn't the only one with the rude awakening too. I do like the ball in court move 🙂
Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:54 PM

I know right. I was shocked to find out too.
Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:56 PM

Good on you, Jacqueline. My split abs muscles still haven't fully recovered 1.5 years after my second birth! *CRIES*
Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:57 PM

I know what you mean. The early days went by like a blur right? How did we survive that?
Michelle Hon on 03/12/2015 at 4:58 PM

I agree, Andy. Now, make your wife's Crissy gift a big one this year! 😀
Camille Griffiths on 04/12/2015 at 5:24 AM

I knew about abdominal separation during pregnancy, but had no idea you could make it worse afterward! I will have to watch out for that!