Pearly Wisdom: In a Mommy Minute

Today’s Pearly Wisdom topic is:

In a Mommy Minute!

What does that mean exactly? Well, let me explain. Today I’m thrilled to welcome Danielle who is here to teach us some exercises that focus on the abdominals and can be done in a matter of minutes! A little more about Danielle. She is a personal trainer, Pilates instructor and group exercise teacher at CORE in Providence, Rhode Island.

I’ll let her take over from  here…

 

Fitting in time to workout seems nearly impossible when you have a baby to take care of or a toddler running around. Exercise for moms needs to be quick, effective, and convenient to do at home. Set aside 10 minutes at least twice a week to help strengthen your core and trim your waistline. I’ve put together a 5-part ab circuit that can be done in a mommy minute.

Side Plank with Rotation

{12-15 reps}

*Rotate your trunk while trying to maintain your hips stacked and aligned. Think about rotating your ribs toward the back wall. You should be feeling deep work in your obliques.

*You can also omit the rotation and just work on building endurance in your abs by holding a side plank for 45 seconds or longer.

A modification to this exercise:

Abs with Leg Presses

{20 reps}

*Legs should be at a 45 degree angle. If your lower back feels uncomfortable raise the angle of your legs.

*You can try and keep your head and neck flexed throughout the exercise or leave it down on the floor with your arms by your sides if your neck feels strained. As you get stronger try and do half the reps with your head up until you build core strength.

Abs with Scissor Kicks

{20 reps}

*Keep the toes pointed throughout to help lengthen your hamstrings.

*You can also do scissor kicks with your head down until your core strengthens and you are able to maintain neck flexion throughout the exercise.

Bridge with Single Leg Lifts

{10-12 reps}

*Keep the pelvis lifted throughout your leg lifts. Lower the leg from 45 degrees to 90 degrees. You can rest your pelvis when you are ready to switch sides.

Peel Up

{10-12 reps}

*Think about peeling your spine off the floor when you rise up and then melting your spine on the floor when you roll down.

 

Repeat the Mommy Minute circuit 2-3 times through for best results.

For all exercises, listen to your body. Should you feel any neck or back strain lower the amount of repetitions for the exercise until you build core strength and endurance.

 

Besides being a personal trainer and Pilates instructor, Danielle is also a Mommy herself. Her daughter, Grace, is 6 months old.

Photo courtesy of Mandy Mayberry Photography

 

Thank you for your expertise, Danielle!