Secrets of Success for a Flatter Tummy!

I am often approached by women who are desperate to get their tummy muscles back into shape after having had their baby(ies), or as they’ve got older, the muscles have just become “flabby”. Women often report that with all the sit-ups in the world they simply cannot get their tummy flat again. On questioning these women further, it’s the lower tummy muscles that seem to bulge.

Does this sound familiar to you? If so, don’t be disheartened, as there is a way that you can get your tummy muscles back into shape! Have you heard of “Pilates”? Well, this is the buzz-word that is going around at the moment. Physiotherapists teach a modified form of Pilates which helps to improve your core stability and posture.

“Core stability” refers to the muscles that form a corset around your spine and pelvis, which help to form a cylinder of support. The two muscles we are most concerned with are your deep lower tummy muscles and pelvic floor muscles. When you tighten your deep lower tummy muscle, it causes your waist to narrow and you’ll be pleased to know that your lower tummy draws in and flattens. As you probably already know, your pelvic floor muscles form a hammock at the bottom of your pelvis, which helps to support your bladder, womb and bowels. These muscles are also vital in keeping the floodgates closed, thereby preventing a leaky bladder and bowels.

“So how do I work these deep lower tummy muscles then”? Before I answer this question, I would like to look at the value of doing “sit-ups” or “abdominal crunches”, etc. Most women believe this is the key to getting a flatter tummy. This is partly true, as they help to flatten and tone your upper abdominal muscles, but the women I see are still left with this dreaded lower tummy bulging. So why don’t I recommend sit-ups, then? When you do a sit-up, you increase your abdominal pressure. This causes your lower tummy muscles to bulge, which strains your back and may cause your pelvic floor muscles to stretch and weaken, perhaps causing future problems such as prolapse (dragging sensation down below due to your bladder, bowel or womb coming down) and incontinence (leaky bladder and/or bowels).

So, coming back to your question on how to work these deep tummy muscles, there are numerous ways. Recent research suggests that your deep lower tummy muscles and pelvic floor muscles normally work together, provided you don’t have problems such as back problems, incontinence etc. This means that when you tighten your pelvic floor muscles, your lower tummy will hopefully flatten naturally. This is good and we encourage this. The old advice given that your tummy muscles shouldn’t tighten when you do pelvic floor muscle exercises no longer holds true (we still don’t want your upper tummy muscles sucking in, though). Wow, isn’t this a strong motivator to do those pelvic floor muscle exercises we somehow seem to conveniently forget about? Not only can we now ensure that we stay dry, but we can also get back into those old jeans again…

Learning core stability and/or modified Pilates will target your deep lower tummy muscles and, hopefully, your pelvic floor muscles. Arm and leg movements and the use of a gym ball can further challenge these muscles.

Should you be experiencing any problems with your waterworks and/or bowels, remember specialised physiotherapy can help. Often with a success rate of up to 80%.

In closing, I hope you feel inspired and challenged to get that flatter tummy in a safe and effective way with the help of those deep lower tummy and pelvic floor muscles.

If you have any unanswered questions, Tracy would be delighted to hear from you so ring her confidential line on 01189 693119.