Belly Woes

Now that our place has been conditionally sold (cheer!), I've spent my spare thoughts on (secretly) thinking of conceiving and mulling over the weight I've put on since I've had my little munchkin.

So. My belly woes - what used to be and what it is now. By the time the evening/night rolls around I just want to do some mindless nothings. I definitely don't have the luxury of going from one job site to another teaching Pilates for hours. That was the ultimate dream job for me - and it helped immensely with my pregnancy and birth.

The positive and incredible benefits of exercise is not lost upon us. We know its influence in every part of our being if we just gave it time. Right? We need that push.


So here's my gentle push! A loving nudge from one friend to another ;)

Here's a list of 10 incredibly easy things you can do to help get a fitter centre.

Ready? Here we go!

1. Breathe. It's true! Try taking a breath. A deep breath. Ballooning the sides of your waistline slowly by bringing that air through your nose and then exhaling rapidly through your mouth. Pull in your abdominals as you exhale.

2. Pelvic tilts - if you get a chance, lie on the floor or a mat (the bed lures me into sleeping!) and just gently tip your lower back to the floor and back again. Amazing exercise to start getting your abdominals going again.

3. Since you're down there, keep breathing and keep your pelvic tipped slightly and do some basic abdominal crunches by placing your hands around your head and lifting your shoulders up. Try inhaling as you lift and exhaling as you come down without bringing your head all the way down.

4. Shoulder bridge is a wonderful way of working your glutes (bonus - working glutes strengthens your back as well AND tummy). Lying on the floor lift your glutes gently off the floor, as if you were peeling a sticker off the mat, and hold it there. Your feet shouldn't be too far away from your glutes.

5. Reverse roll up This is a great way to work your abdominals. Sitting up with legs and arms outstretched, start rolling down and keep your arms long and legs touching the floor. It will be very tempting to crash when you get closer to the floor, but keep practicing. You'll notice your strength improving the more you do it.

6. Challenge more than just your abs. The reason my classes were so effective was truly because I always had three things going on in one move. For example, a squat wouldn't be just a mundane squat. I would dress it up by throwing in a fitness circle and squatting on tipping toes.

7. Throw in some props with your routine. A circle is phenomenal. A yoga block. A theraband.


8. Sloooooow it down. I've had people in my classes who would go through 10 abdominal exercises while I was just finishing two. The slower you go through your moves, the more your muscles will work.

9. Include some waistline exercises. These exercises help tone the love handles or the extra skin leftover from pregnancy. Grr

10. Just start! We all have to start somewhere. Stand tall. Breathe. Feel good about yourself. Baby steps :)