Shape_USA_July_August_2017

There are some things you miss after having kids. “But fit abs are definitely not something you need to
in Alabama, who has done tons of research on training those key core muscles.
Will your abs be weak when you initially emerge from 40 weeks of pregnancy? “Yes,” Olson says, “because
they’ve been overly elongated.” But they won’t be irretrievably stretched out like last year’s Spanx. It’s really the
connective tissue, or fascia, of the abdominal wall—and not the muscles—that becomes more elastic to accommodate
your growing bump. For your abs to tighten up, they actually need to regain their muscle memory, so to
a doctor of physical therapy at Georgetown University Medical Hospital, who has worked on rehabbing abs
with postnatal women for 18 years. “The good news is that you can achieve great ab conditioning at all stages—
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Richard Fousler/Trunk Archive
90 JULY/AUGUST 2017 SHAPE.COM