Anonymous wrote:After you check with your doctor, do some planks. They will gently engage your core muscles. Swimming is good too.
The Pilates excersise called the hundred. Lay on your back, put your feet up 90degrrrs as straight as they go. Raise your neck and make your stretched arms go up and down (about an inch off the floor). Do 100 counts. After that seems easy, lower your legs a little, that will engage more of your core. Etc.

Don't do the hundred if you have diastasis recti.

Yeah! it took me a year to be able to do crunches and I only have 1 kid! And I was healthy and fit before. I would even lift my legs up to do stomach crunches that way BEFORE the kid. Something happened and it was just impossible to lift my pelvis without stopping and taking a rest.

Running (more like jogging slowly) seem to reduce my mid section.

Oh and as a twin mom the best thing about BBG is you can do it in your own home. Minimal equipment needed- dumbbells and a medicine ball to start. Each day is 28 minutes and it's a hard 28 minutes but it's just 28 minutes. Perfect for those of us who have to squeeze in a workout around our kids.

(I am not a BBG rep or anything. Just really love the program.)

You have to start somewhere! Try the Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide. Workouts are all over the Internet for free, don't even buy it. Ignore the cutesy name- it's a hard workout. My husband even started doing it with me when he saw my progress. I was kind of like you- thin, skinny, but so out of shape. I've done it now for 27 weeks and the difference is crazy. She included pre-conditioning weeks in the first BBG to help acclimate you to working out. They will leave you so sore but you'll be on your way. I can easily do regular sit ups now to the point I don't even bother with them- I do them holding a 25 lb weight. Abs for days!

Anonymous wrote:I'm one year post-partum from a set of twins - my last kids. I tried to do some ab exercises for the first time last night and realize I cannot even flex my abs. My only choice is to flip over and push up on my hands. How do you even come back from that?

With practice. You don't need to complete the crunch to get the benefit from it, as long as your muscles are working that's all it takes. I couldn't do one pull-up when I first started, I just did a bunch of half pull-ups until I got there. Good luck!

I'm no trainer, but there are other exercises you can do where your abs are engaged, such as planks, leg raises, scissor kicks, even push ups. Perhaps you could try some of those and build strength before going back to crunches.

Anonymous wrote:What shape were you in before you had the kids? i.e. were you able to do crunches then? Did you have abs at some point or are you starting from 0?

I'd start with planks, but I'd also check with the doctor to make sure that the mild separation hadn't gotten more serious.

It has been a few years, but yes - I used to be in shape. I'm thin now and very weak.

I agree with seeing your doctor. I'm pretty out of shape and haven't done ab exercises in years (I know, I know), but I was still able to do some crunches just now.

What shape were you in before you had the kids? i.e. were you able to do crunches then? Did you have abs at some point or are you starting from 0?

I'd start with planks, but I'd also check with the doctor to make sure that the mild separation hadn't gotten more serious.

Anonymous wrote:BEFORE you start a new workout/activity you should check with your doctor, especially if you can't even feel yourself flexing the muscle.

OP here - I feel my muscles trying to flex but nothing is happening - they tense but not enough for me to move up in the crunch motion if that makes sense. And no c-section - cleared by my doctor last year to do whatever I want. She said I had a very mild separation that wouldn't limit exercise.

After you check with your doctor, do some planks. They will gently engage your core muscles. Swimming is good too.
The Pilates excersise called the hundred. Lay on your back, put your feet up 90degrrrs as straight as they go. Raise your neck and make your stretched arms go up and down (about an inch off the floor). Do 100 counts. After that seems easy, lower your legs a little, that will engage more of your core. Etc.

BEFORE you start a new workout/activity you should check with your doctor, especially if you can't even feel yourself flexing the muscle.

Try vinyasa yoga. Great for stretching, but also great for slow strength building. And if you get a good teacher, they'll meet you where you are, so to speak, and help form/modifications until you are able to do the full moves.

Did you have a c-section? Have you been checked for diastasis recti? Sorry to hear about this.

I'm one year post-partum from a set of twins - my last kids. I tried to do some ab exercises for the first time last night and realize I cannot even flex my abs. My only choice is to flip over and push up on my hands. How do you even come back from that?