Which exercise is best for postpartum belly?
In my last blog “Abdominal Wall Rehab….Let’s look beyond DRAM” I talked about DRAM/ abdominal muscle separation. In general my opinion is, it is one of the most over-hyped and feared consequences of having a baby. It is all too often blamed for people’s dissatisfaction with their postnatal bodies. In my experience, I think health professionals need to listen to our patients more, dig deeper, look beyond DRAM and do better than issuing same/same gentle, static exercise program for all postpartum women. I have worked with clients from mums of four children to elite athletes with abdominal wall concerns post baby and I want to talk you through my process of assessing and treating the abdominal wall.
When you go beyond DRAM and look at the function of the entire abdominal wall and trunk, a common presentation that I find is clients that present with weak lower abdominals and tight upper abdominals. When I watch people performing abdominal or core exercises, I can see they are not engaging their lower abdominals at all and upper abdominals are doing all of the work. Having tight upper abdominals sinching in just below your ribs can accentuate and bulge the lower abdominals especially when those lower abdominals are doing very little.
So once we have established that we need to wake those sleepy lower abdominals up, we set to work! I develop a detailed program to work on the lower abdominals and loosen/ relax other areas that may be too tight. You would be surprised how just a few cues can completely change the way your muscles perform an exercise and allow the correct muscle to be targeted. This advice/ program is in conjunction with any advice re diet and cardio exercise for weight loss if this is needed.
I think the one thing that cannot be underestimated from the patient's end, as with any type of rehab is (and you may not want to hear it), but you need to be prepared to work hard on this. Nothing comes for free, especially when it comes to exercise, so you need to stick to your program and work with your health professional to progress you through the program. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen!
Abdominal wall assessment and treatment is also works very effectively through a Telehealth consult, so if you don’t live near one of our clinics, don’t stress! By booking a Telehealth appointment, you can still access the same level of expertise from the comfort of your own home.
So see you in the clinic or online!
Rebecca Liberatore is the Co-Director of Melbourne Pregnancy and Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy (MPPP) in Essendon and Pascoe Vale South. She has worked in the Post Natal Physio Rehab space for over 15 years and is a regular tutor on Melbourne Uni Post Grad Masters of Pelvic Health Course. Rebecca has spent extensive time tutoring and mentoring her team at MPPP to follow her assessment and treatment style.
Book here for any In Person or Telehealth Abdominal Wall Assessment at Melbourne Pregnancy and Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy.