Postpregnancy Ab Exercises

Most abdominal exercises are too difficult or place too much stress on the body to be appropriate for a woman postpartum. Some exercises, however, should be done to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and the core. These exercises will focus on the deep abdominal muscles of the transverse abdominis to make this muscle strong before emphasizing the rectus abdominis and obliques. Check with your doctor before attempting any exercise program.

Wall Push-Ups

The wall push-ups exercise is recommended by Sara Rose's book "Exercise Ball" as a low-impact exercise suitable for during and after pregnancy when strengthening the abs and pelvic floor muscles is critical. You will need a stability ball to do this exercise.
The starting position for the exercise is done by holding a stability ball at chest level against a wall. Your palms will be placed on the front of the ball at shoulder width distance apart with your arms straight. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and squeeze your abs so your back is straight. Then, bend your elbows and lean forward toward the ball. Straighten your arms to finish one push-up. The abs will work hard to maintain your body's alignment and movements with your hands against a ball.

Heel Slides with Belly Scoop

The heel slides is a common prenatal and postpartum exercise performed to strengthen the abs. The heel slides exercise is done in a supine position lying on your back with your arms resting at your side. Your legs are bent with your feet on the floor. Begin with a belly scoop, which means to pull in your abs. If viewing yourself in a mirror from the side, you would see that your belly curves inward instead of bulging outward as when your deep abdominal muscles are relaxed. Next, slide the heel of your right foot forward until your entire leg is touching the floor. Return your right leg to the starting position and then repeat on the left.

Crunch with Belly Scoop

The crunch exercise is undoubtedly an effective ab exercise, but it is especially important to initiate a belly scoop when doing crunches postpregnancy. The starting position is done by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart on the floor. Your neck is supported by your hands behind your head with your elbows bent. Squeeze your abs to scoop the belly. Next, raise your head and shoulders slowly off the floor and then lower them back down to complete the exercise.