"MUM BUM" and Why you Can't Blame the Jeans
Jan 14, 2020
5 Ways to Get Your Bum Back After Pregnancy
During pregnancy your centre of gravity shifts and many women try to counterbalance that shift by tucking their tailbone, overusing the posterior pelvic floor muscles and under-using the glutes.
This result is a flattened backside that can’t fill up a great pair of jeans – or even hold that pair of jeans up!
While it may seem a bit odd, next time you are at your mom group, check out your friend’s butts – what do you see? Or maybe the better question is what don’t you see?
Chances are you will see a lot of flat bums, flatbacks and pants that are continuously being hoisted up. What you won’t see is much, if any, booty! Mum bum syndrome is rampant and below are some tips and exercises to help you get your booty back!
Stand Up
Sitting does nothing to build the glutes and everything to make it flat as a pancake and let’s face it, we spend a lot of time sitting these days don’t we? Minimizing the amount of time spent sitting is critical to maintaining a healthy backside!
Walk
To make up for the amount of time we spend sitting, many of us head to the gym to burn some calories while often choosing a high-intensity activity that may not be well suited to our body, especially after having a baby.
One of the best exercises out there is walking, particularly hill walking. Walking is low impact and when you add in the incline of a hill, it really blasts those glutes into high gear along with revving up the cardio!
Bridges
One of the best glute exercises out there is the bridge and this can be done during pregnancy with a wedge and as early as the 2nd week postpartum.
As your strength increases, you can also add some resistance with a sandbag on your pelvis and once your pelvic stability is on track you can also up the challenge by performing the movement with one leg off the ground and extended.
Hip Extensions
These can be done standing or on all fours (however I don’t recommend being on all fours during).
You don’t need a fancy piece of equipment – you can simply use your body weight or you can tie a theraband around your ankles to add some resistance.
Squats
Squatting is a great glute builder and is also a movement that will be done over and over and over as you bend down to pick up your babe or toddler (or their toys, or spilt food, or…).
Squatting can be done (and should be done) during pregnancy and within a few weeks postpartum. The range of motion can be modified but you want to aim for a nice deep squat with the tailbone un-tucked and your pelvis in neutral (keeping the small curve in your low back).
There are many glute exercises out there but these versions offer versatility both before and after pregnancy. They help maintain and build up the glutes while also encouraging the sacrum to stay un-tucked which is key to avoiding and curing mum bum syndrome!
Kegels
Kegels themselves are not a booty builder but Kegel Mojo exercise is! Kegels coordinated with movement (like the ones listed above) are a game-changer for optimizing core function and a side benefit is a fuller backside. Many of the participants in the 28 Day Kegel Challenge notice more fullness. I also recall a client of mine saying 'I came to see you because of my abs and I left with a butt - something I didn't know I needed but it has been a game-changer with how I feel and how I look'.
Other Resources:
Tips for a Perkier Butt and Flatter Midsection
Programs:
There is a ton of free content available to anyone who downloads the app including a 7-day pelvic floor fitness challenge to introduce you to the concept of a whole-body fitness approach to pelvic health. Once the free challenge ends you have the option to join the membership for ongoing support from me, your very own vagina coach.
