As your uterus expands during pregnancy, the abdominal muscles located over it stretch, or become longer and thinner. In the past, most obstetricians and other health care providers recommended against pregnant women exercising their abdominal...
You can find your abdominal muscles below your chest, from your ribs to your pelvis. These muscles include your rectus abdominis, obliques and transversus abdominis. Because subcutaneous fat often covers some of your abs, you can't always see...
The transverse abdominis is the deepest layer of your abdominal muscles. It does not help move your trunk like your rectus abdominis and oblique muscles do. Rather, the transverse abdominis assists in forceful expiration of air and core...
Pregnancy is a time of exciting changes to your body. As the new life grows inside of you, your body begins to behave in ways you didn't know possible. Some of these changes may surprise and delight you, such as thicker hair and fingernails. Other...
Most women gain between 25 and 35 lbs. during pregnancy, although you may gain more or less depending on your activity level and pre-pregnancy weight. For example, women who were underweight before their pregnancy may need to gain more weight. You...
Abdominal muscle structure is composed of the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and oblique muscles. The muscle group works together to maintain posture and strength during movement. Understanding abdominal muscle anatomy can help you lift...
The crunch exercise flexes your upper torso and moves your rib cage toward your pelvis. Under optimal circumstances, this exercise effectively tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles, but circumstances are rarely optimal. Common muscular...
Diastasis recti, commonly referred to as a separation of the abdominal muscles, often occurs in late pregnancy or during labor and delivery. As your pregnancy progresses, your expanding uterus causes your rectus abdominis to stretch and weaken....
The core is the collective term used to describe the muscles that control your spine, specifically your abdominals, waist and lower back. Many exercisers spend workout time focusing on their core muscles in the hope of developing a six-pack...
Regular exercise during a healthy pregnancy can help you maintain your pre-pregnancy level of fitness, boost your energy levels, fight fatigue, reduce your risk of gestational diabetes and alleviate normal pregnancy-related discomforts, such as...
The lower oblique muscle refers to the internal oblique that extends from the iliac crest of your pelvis to the 10th to 12th ribs and the linea alba, which is the fascia that divides your six-pack muscle vertically into two sections. However, you...
Abdominal separation, also called diastasis recti, often occurs during pregnancy. When the weight of the growing uterus pushes against the abdominal area, it causes a split in the linea alba, which is the abdominal area's midline. While this...
Practicing yoga alone will not "guarantee" that you lose extra weight around the belly after you have a baby. "Spot reducing" is not really possible. To lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume. That can accomplished by...
You can perform side bends with weights to develop muscle strength or as a body weight exercise to develop spinal mobility. Whichever type of side bend you perform, it is important that you only lean sideways and do not allow your body to twist....
You have had your baby and are now ready to begin getting your body back to post-baby shape. There's just one problem--your stomach muscles are not what they used to be, and you seem to be experiencing stomach fat you have not had before. While...
The middle abdominal area is called the rectus abdominus and consists of two parallel muscles stretching from the bottom of your rib cage to the groin. Each side of the muscle is sectioned with bands of connective tissue called the linea alba,...
The transverse abdominal muscle, the deepest-lying abdominal muscle, is made of fibers that run horizontally. This muscle's only job is to compress the contents of your abdomen, acting like a girdle to hold everything together. The transverse abs...
Whether you have a six-pack, a four-pack or a whole keg, the abdominal muscles are a focal point of human anatomy from both a cosmetic and functional point of view. Beyond turning heads on the beach, your awesome abs perform an important role in...
Your internal oblique muscles are part of the core, which also includes the external obliques, rectus abodminis, transversus abdominis, hip muscles and other tissues and muscles in your torso and spine. They work with other muscles to move in...
Excess stomach fat increases your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as many other chronic diseases, according to MayoClinic.com. Combine a variety of exercises with a healthy, balanced diet to shed excess...
Diastasis recti is a common condition encountered during late pregnancy and immediately postpartum. This condition occurs when your rectus abdominis muscles partially or completely separate from your linea alba, a tendinous fiber that connects...
Your abdominals, or abs for short, are long, flat muscles that runs from your pubic bone up to the bottom of your ribs and sternum. Correctly called your rectus abdominus, meaning "lengthways along the abdomen," your abs are split both vertically...
Abdominal exercises focus the work on the rectus abdominus, or the superficial muscles of your belly region. During the fifth month of pregnancy, this region begins to expand faster than during the beginning months of your pregnancy. As your belly...
Having a dark line running vertically through the navel and down toward the crotch in pregnancy is entirely normal and harmless. Known as the linea nigra -- literally, "dark line" -- it usually becomes visible around the 14th week of pregnancy and...
The swing is a one- or two-handed dynamic exercise that can be performed with a kettlebell, dumbbell or even a medicine ball in a strong bag. Performed with a heavy weight for low repetitions, the swing can develop whole body power. Lighter...
Your rectus abdominus, meaning long abdominal muscle, is the correct name for your stomach muscles and is responsible for flexing your spine. On very lean people, this muscle is visible as a "six pack" because of horizontal and vertical fibrous...
A typical pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks. However, this number may be vary based on the number of developing babies, as well as both baby’s and the mother’s health. These 40 weeks or so are divided up into three stages, or...
Enormous changes occur in the body after conception. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone, increases quickly, initiating a series of events. Changes begin soon after implantation of the egg into the lining of the uterus....
The rectus abdominis, or abs for short, is the long muscle located at the front of your torso. It has ligaments (called linea alba or white lines) dividing it into sections that give it its six-pack appearance. Running from the front of your...
