After giving birth, your muscles have weakened and separated during the nine months you were carrying your baby. If you had a cesarean section surgery, your stomach may resemble a pouch. As you begin to exercise again, concentrate on form to tone these muscles.
Head Lift
This exercise helps strengthen your post-baby muscles without placing too much strain on the abdominal muscles, according to Parent Time. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your belly button, supporting the stomach on either side. Press your lower back to the floor. Take a deep breath and then exhale to pull your head up toward the chest and tighten the stomach muscles. Do not lift the shoulders off the floor. Inhale to return your head back to the floor. Repeat these exercises between four to eight times and then increase to up to 40 times per day.
Toe Taps
Toe taps help strengthen lower abdominal muscles, which are often most affected by pregnancy, according to Parents.com. Lie on your back with your legs off the ground and at a 90-degree angle; calves should be parallel to the ground. Place your palms face-down on the ground near your hips. Contract the abdominal muscles and slowly lower the right leg toward the ground, tapping the foot lightly on the floor. Slowly lift the leg back toward the starting position. Lower the left foot down to the floor. Repeat these until you have tapped each foot on the floor five times.
Heel Slide and Pelvic Tilt
This exercise focuses on making the abdomen more flat, according to Be Fit Mom. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Flex your foot and slowly slide your right foot away from you until the leg is nearly straight out. As you reach the point where the leg is almost straight, slowly scoop your pelvis to make a "C" curve with your spine. Lower your pelvis back toward the ground and then slowly bring the leg to the starting position. Repeat, sliding the left leg out and then tilting the pelvis. Continue until you have completed five repetitions on each leg.
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