Strong Inside Out
The right start to build a strong mother's body starts from within.
Exercises:
Abs Control
Lie on your back with your hands on your stomach so you feel how your abs are working. Breathe in through your nose. Make a powerful exhalation and feel how the inner abdominal muscles get activated (exhale through the mouth). On the exhalation - imagine that you get a boxing punch in the stomach. By thinking so, you automatically activate the right abs muscles. The more powerful you exhale, the more you activate the abs muscles. Also try sounding letter "S" aloud or think that you blow the trumpet on each exhalation (this will help to get the hang of it).
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Kegel Exercise
Maybe not so charming and fun exercise, but important - strong pelvic floor muscles - will make your life easier. Intelligent invested training minutes throughout life and extra frequent as a mother. Kegel exercise makens your pelvic floor muscles stronger. One reason to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles is to hold the uterus in place - when it returns to normal after pregnancy, the muscles are often weak and flabby, they need regular training. Lie on your back, legs bent and feet on the floor. Take a deep breath, breathe in through your nose and pull the pelvic floor muscles inward and upward on exhalation. Strive to lift the pelvic floor muscles higher up on each exhale. In the beginning: Relax the pelvic floor muscles with each inhalation. When you start to get better control: Keep the tension in pelvic floor muscles on both inhalation and exhalation.
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Mindset Exercise
Most important to succeed is to set the right expectations. It’s possible to live an active lifestyle even with kids, give yourself some time to get into the new life installation - find solutions that work for you and your family. Learn to cheer on yourself. Unless you believe in yourself, who will? 1: Make your own motivational mantra to get in a positive attitude to your body after pregnancy and childbirth, or use the example below. 2: Repeat your motivational mantra several times a day. Repeat it even more often when it feels tougher. Repeat, repeat, repeat. 3: Write your motivational mantra on a note and place where you can see it - at the front door or on the mirror for example. Or add it as a recurring reminder on your phone. Example motivation mantra: "The body changes during pregnancy - but it can be changed again. And I can do it!"
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Strong Inside Out is 1 of 20 workout routines in Poworkout Mama. Available for iPhone and iPad.
