5 Prenatal Ab Exercises To Shrink Love Handles During
Looking for ab exercises for pregnancy to target love handles?
Despite popular belief, working your core during pregnancy is extremely important.
Your core muscles are what push the baby out!
And after having an almost 9 pound baby myself, trust me, you want strong core muscles to get that baby out as fast and safely as possible!
This workout will not only target your love handles but consistently strengthening and engaging your core during pregnancy will help you push during pregnancy and help with postpartum recovery!
Prerequisites for Ab Exercises During Pregnancy
- Be aware of Diastasis Recti.
- Master proper breathing.
- Maintain proper posture to support your growing belly .
- How you carry your body during pregnancy makes a huge difference in preventing an achy body and larger abdominal separation.
- The Core and Pelvic Floor Connection.
- They work together for optimal strength and support during pregnancy and postpartum.
Ab Exercise Modifications for Each Trimester
1st Trimester:
Even though you may be seeing your belly growing toward the end of the first trimester, not much is changing yet with your actual core muscles.
The baby is only about the size of a jelly bean and the muscles have not yet had to stretch to accommodate the size of the baby.
You will most likely be able to the same exercises you would do for non-pregnancy ab workouts which makes the first trimester a great time to set a strong foundation for a strong core and proper posture for the duration of your pregnancy.
2nd trimester:
This is about the time where you want to start being aware of signs of abdominal separation (Diastasis Recti).
During your core exercises, place your hand on your belly to feel for any bulging or coning in the center of your belly.
If you do notice any bulging or coning, modify the exercise to make it less challenging or omit the exercise all together.
3rd trimester:
You may feel like your core has completely jumped ship at this point but I promise your abs are still there and sticking to your prenatal core workouts is more important than ever to reduce aches and pains and provide proper posture.
Try to avoid letting your belly just “hang” during the day and instead, focus on keeping your core strong, lifted and engaged. If you notice a sway in your low back or hips pushing forward, engage your core.
How To Get Rid Of Love Handles During Pregnancy
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but getting rid of love handles during pregnancy is very difficult.
The most important thing you can do to reduce love handles during pregnancy is to avoid gaining excess weight.
And the amount of recommended weight gain for you and your pregnancy will be determined by your pre-pregnancy weight.
These exercises will help you body build strength and burn more calories which will help prevent excess weight gain.
So even though spot reducing your love handles during pregnancy may be challenging, you can use exercise to burn more calories to control weight gain.
Exercises that target the love handles will strengthen the muscles that support your abs and low back allowing you to hold your posture better and may even give the appearance of a tighter, more toned core.
Will My Love Handles Go Away After Pregnancy?
It’s definitely possible!
If you lose the weight gained from pregnancy and heal your core correctly after pregnancy, those love handles will melt away.
Keep in mind that your body shape is largely determined by your gentics and people lose weight differently.
However, you can reach your goals by simply staying consistent with healthy postpartum eating and exercise.
These postpartum recipes are created to help fuel your body for both breastfeeding and weight loss!
Both are important, and you shouldn’t do one without the other.
Related: 11 Reasons You Aren’t Losing The Baby Weight & How To Fix It
5 Prenatal Ab Exercises To Target Love Handles During Pregnancy
The best way to get rid of love handles during pregnancy is to control weight gain and perform exercises that both burn calories and strengthen the core muscles.
This workout will get your blood pumping to help burn extra calories while also targeting your love handles during pregnancy.
Equipment:
Interval Timer
Directions:
Perform each exercise for 40 seconds with 20 seconds rest
Repeat for 10-12 minutes or longer if feeling motivated!
Side Plank Leg Lifts
Are side planks safe during pregnancy?
Yes! Different variations of side planks are great both during pregnancy and postpartum. This is one of my favorite variations because it targets both love handles and glutes.
1. Start by carefully working your way onto your right side in a straight line with your knees bent for support.
2. Place your right arm under your upper body so that your elbow is bent and stacked directly under your shouler. Make sure your arm is not too far forward or back causing your neck to scrunch up.
3. Engage your core (think hugging your baby) and lift your hips off the floor while maintaining a straight line.
4. Extend your left leg and in a very slow and controlled manner, using your glutes, lift your leg up and then lower slowly.
5. Focus on keeping your core and glutes engaged to support your body while lifting your leg for the duration of the interval, resting when needed.
6. Repeat the movement for the duration of the interval then switch sides.
Squat Side Crunch
This exercise will get your heart rate up a little to help burn calories while also strengthening your core.
1. Start in a squat position with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. You can hold a weight at your chest to increase the intensity of the exercise.
2. Engage your core and slowly lower into a squat position.
3. As you stand perform a standing side crunch by lifting your right knee and lowering your right elbow to bring them together.
4. Return to the starting position then squat and repeat on the opposite side.
5. Continue alternating back and forth, squat-crunch-squat-crunch.
6. Repeat for the duration of the interval.
Modified Mountain Climber Twists
If you are in your second or third trimester or new to core work, you will need a sturdy chair or elevated surface for this exercise.
1. Begin by placing your hands on a sturdy surface with your shoulders stacked over your wrists. Focus on keeping your shoulders down to avoid scrunching your neck.
2. Engage your core (thinking hugging your baby), and extend your legs out behind you into an elevated plank position.
3. Begin the exercise by bringing your right knee toward your opposite elbow. You do not need to be able to reach your elbow. Only go as far as feels comfortable for you and your body.
4. Return to the elevated plank position and repeat on the opposite side.
5. Continue alternating back and forth for the duration of the interval.
Important notes:
Make sure you focus on keeping your core engaged and shoulders relaxed.
If you feel any pain in your low back, either reactivate your core, stand up and reposition yourself or rest all together.
Squat With Rotation
Key points: Focus on rotating with your core and hips, not just swinging the ball. Inhale as you squat down, exhale as you stand and twist.
1. Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with your toes slightly pointed out.
2. Holding an exercise ball or light weight, squat down while bringing the ball or weight to the outside of your right hip. Make sure to keep you core engaged.
3. Press through your heels to stand as you rotate the ball across your body and up to the right. Focus on rotating with the core and lifting tall as you stand with the ball.
4. Continue this movement for the duration of the interval then switch sides.
Reverse Curtsy Lunge Side Crunch
This exercise will get your blood pumping to help burn more calories which will help target those love handles!
1. Start with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Raise your right arm above your head as you reach your right leg back and slightly behind the left leg to perform a curtsy lunge.
3. As you stand, bring your right knee to your right elbow to perform a side crunch.
4. Repeat the exercise by moving back to the curtsy lunge then standing to do a side squat crunch.
5. Continue for the duration of the interval then switch sides.
Brooke is a certified Prenatal and Postnatal Exercise Specialist with a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology-Exercise Science. She is also a mom of 3 girls with more than 15 years of experience in health and fitness. Brooke’s goal at Struggles of a Fit Mom is to help motivate, educate and inspire other busy mamas who struggle with finding time, energy and motivation to take care of themselves in the chaos of motherhood.
