What happens to the ab and stomach muscles during and after pregnancy?
During pregnancy your abdominal muscles (rectucs abdominus) separate. The basic purpose of this to allow the growing fetus to come forward, not backwards which can cause strain on the low back. Though it sounds like a big deal, this is completely normal and in most cases the muscles return to their normal state postpartum. This separation is known as diastasis and is generally detectable after about the fifth month. The problem occurs when the muscles separate too much (generally caused by weak abdominal muscles) which can lead to low back, pain, sciatica, inflammation etc…. The great news is that this separation begins to close within days after delivery. A sound core training plan will have those abs back in shape before you know it – though you should allow at least six weeks for a full recovery. What are the best ways to tone post-baby? Generally speaking the best way to tone up post baby is with a routine consisting of cardio vascular exercise, total body strengthening, and proper
