Strengthen the Core: Places to Help Bridge Your Abdominal Separation

Ab Rehab

As mamas, many of the things we were familiar with before baby aren’t quite the same after our new arrival. Sleep. A lot less sleep, if any, for us. Our morning beauty routine… remind us what that was again?! And our bodies where so many parts (especially our stomachs) just don’t look like what we remember them to be.

Our mid-sections, home for the last nine months to another little human, have been kicked, punched and skin stretched beyond what we thought possible. After baby arrives and we are ready to get moving, we might wonder where to begin the pursuit toward stronger mid-sections. We spoke to our favourite experts in hopes to help strengthen the core, bridge the gap between those abdominal muscles and get reacquainted to that tummy we once knew.

Hong Kong’s well known authority on core strength, H-Kore is the place to go to for postnatal expert training.  Leveraging their state of the art Megareformer machines, all instructors have been well-versed in teaching postnatal movements to safely strengthen the core from the inside out. Exercises target the back and obliques to strengthen the abdominal back/corset and encourage better posture. For prenatal and postnatal classes, clients must first undergo a private training session ($500 HKD).

For more information and class times, go to h-kore.com

Entrepreneur, yoga instructor, and previous That Mama, Dee Chung knows what it’s like firsthand to balance a full-time career, motherhood and fitness.

Dee has been involved personally and professionally in health and wellness as far back as she can remember. Based on the Birthlight Baby Yoga Method, Dee specialises in Forrest style yoga (which relies heavily on core connection) but always offers variations for each mum.

Dee’s approach is to always “LISTEN TO YOUR BODY”. She loves mummy and baby yoga as a great starting point to postnatal training. This class focuses not only on connecting to baby but also reconnecting to your body.

www.deecheung.com

If you are looking to get back to the basics at the gym, opt for some one-on-one personal training at Raw Fitness.  Instructors here carefully screen women before using a progression based training approach to safely and efficiently strengthen all muscles starting with the core. The instructors encourage training before pregnancy to make recovery faster and easier after birth.

To find more information, contact Jay Horley of Raw Personal Training at Jay@Raw

www.rawpersonaltraining.com

Physiotherapy can be an integral step toward women regaining strength and fitness. Suzie Williams is a registered physiotherapist at Joint Dynamics. She assesses the pelvic floor, abdominal wall, pelvic stability and offers advice on what approach can be taken.

Suzie points out that a postpartum assessment gives women a far greater chance of safely and effectively achieving their goals. An assessment and prescribed exercises tailored to each individual can help mothers to recover and gain strength at their own pace.

www.jointdynamics.com.hk

Postnatal pilates is excellent in helping mamas to strengthen and tone because it focuses on the muscles most affected by pregnancy.

Flex Studio’s expert post-natal instructor, Nicole, focuses on breathing technique and engagement of core. With over 10 years of teaching experience, Nicole has worked extensively with a wide range of clients from professional dancers, to rehabilitation clients, to pre/postnatal mums. As a mother of three, it also helps that she knows firsthand all of the stress and change that mamas go through in the pregnancy and birth process.

Nicole teaches post-natal on Wednesdays at Flex, One Island South.  She is also available for private sessions.

flexhk.com