Mummy Tummy & Why You Don’t Have to be Stuck with it for Life!

Eliminating the “mummy tummy” is such a hot topic in the world of mums!

I can’t even count how many times I have been told “I just want to lose my mummy tummy, I’ve tried everything and nothing works!”. 

Of course we can decrease the fat stores in our belly and bring ourselves into the lean women we want to be, but you also should remember you have birthed a child….or 3 in my case!

There are 3 Key Lifestyle Changes You can Take to Reduce Belly Fat and step away from the harmful diseases associated for good:

🍏 NUTRITION:

As busy mums, it can be so easy to always be reaching for that quick hit of energy in chocolate, coffee or just a small handful of lollies.

If you want to beat the bulge then it is important to fuel your body with fresh wholefoods as much as you can. Avoid highly processed foods and sugars and ensure you are drinking at least 2L of water every single day. Just doing this alone will give your body more energy and help you start glowing from the inside.

🚶‍♀️GET MOVING:

I know the drill….You’ve been up all night with the baby and just don’t have the time or energy to even think about getting moving in any way whatsoever!

What if I told you, moving will actually give you MORE energy and help reduce the mummy tummy for good!

Exercise is one of the best things to increase your changes of living a long, healthy life and avoiding disease.

This DOES NOT mean doing 100 crunches a day and “spot reduction” exercises, this is not possible.  The best exercise is weight training and HIIT which will not only help you reduce body fat while you’re doing it but for hours and hours afterwards as well. 

There have actually been studies that have found that exercise after weight loss prevents you from regaining any abdominal fat - with a balanced diet of course 😊.

Why wouldn’t you get moving?

🤰KNOW YOUR PELVIC FLOOR AND WHAT MUSCLES TO ENGAGE:

So many women jump in and start many traditional ab exercise to flatten their tummy without knowing what muscles to lock on….this can in turn result in the belly “bulging out” during exercises.

The good news is, it doesn’t matter how long ago you had your babes, you can do postnatal rehab moves to build proper abdominal functioning and banish your baby belly for good!!

Some of these exercises include:

Activating Pelvic Floor:

• Squeeze the muscles all around your front and back passages
• Lift up and inwards as if you are pulling your belly button in as far as you can
• Relax for 5 seconds & repeat up to 10 times

Pelvic Tilts:

• Lie on the ground with knees bent and feet flat
• Flatten the curve of your back by tilting pelvis upward
• Hold for 3-5 seconds & repeat up to 10 times 

Abdominal Bracing:

• You can lie, sit or stand; whatever is comfortable
• Gently draw your belly button to your spine & squeeze
• Hold for 5-10 seconds & repeat up to 10 times

🤱 THE BOTTOM LINE:

Abdominal fat is linked to an increased risk of certain diseases.

Most women can reduce their abdominal fat through the above key lifestyle changes.

HOWEVER, you do also need to remember that you have created a human beautiful mumma and we all have that flappy bit of skin that hangs down while planking and that is NORMAL.

Of course we can decrease the fat stores in our belly and bring ourselves into the lean women we want to be, but it is also healthy to be grateful to your body for what it has gifted you.

For more support and guidance please comment below with any questions that will help you on your journey xx