Sara Haley on 'Toning the Tush'
As a pre & postnatal exercise specialist, the part of the body I hear pregnant women complain most about is their booty. It’s easy to accept the fact that your belly is changing and growing throughout your pregnancy, but it can be a little more difficult to embrace your changing backside. No doubt your body is going to do what it needs to do to support your growing baby, and for some of us that means some extra cushion in our lower bodies, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on keeping a tight and toned tush.
Here are two of my favorite exercises for keeping your butt bootylicious throughout your pregnancy. Work towards doing these exercises 3-4 times a week.
[caption id='attachment_9066' width='351']
Mama Squats[/caption]
Mama Squats: Using a chair for balance (if you need it), stand behind it and take your legs hip width apart. Rotate out from the hips. Lower down, keep the chest lifted, and make sure that the knees are in line with the toes. Hold for a count of three (maybe even do a kegel), and then come back up. When you come back up, squeeze your cheeks together to really tighten the butt. Repeat 15-20 times in a row. These will help you maintain strength and stability in the legs and flutes (butt).
[caption id='attachment_9065' width='440']
Baby Butt Lifts[/caption]
Baby Butt Lifts: Face the side of your chair with one leg in front of the other. Hinge at the hips, so that your hands come to yourchair and the back leg is lifted off the floor. Turn your toes towards the floor as much as you can and pulse the leg up (Try your best to initiate the movement from your butt). Don’t be surprised if you feel a lot of the work happening in the supporting leg to help stabilize. Keep the knee of the supporting leg soft. Pulse the leg up 25-30 times before switching sides. This exercise will help keep your butt toned and sculpted.
If you want more exercises like these, check out Sara’s prenatal workout program, Expecting More®, available at http://www.sarahaley.com/shop. Get more from Sara from fitness tips and fun family fitness ideas, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @SaraHaleyFit.
Mama Squats[/caption]
Mama Squats: Using a chair for balance (if you need it), stand behind it and take your legs hip width apart. Rotate out from the hips. Lower down, keep the chest lifted, and make sure that the knees are in line with the toes. Hold for a count of three (maybe even do a kegel), and then come back up. When you come back up, squeeze your cheeks together to really tighten the butt. Repeat 15-20 times in a row. These will help you maintain strength and stability in the legs and flutes (butt).
[caption id='attachment_9065' width='440']
Baby Butt Lifts[/caption]
Baby Butt Lifts: Face the side of your chair with one leg in front of the other. Hinge at the hips, so that your hands come to yourchair and the back leg is lifted off the floor. Turn your toes towards the floor as much as you can and pulse the leg up (Try your best to initiate the movement from your butt). Don’t be surprised if you feel a lot of the work happening in the supporting leg to help stabilize. Keep the knee of the supporting leg soft. Pulse the leg up 25-30 times before switching sides. This exercise will help keep your butt toned and sculpted.
If you want more exercises like these, check out Sara’s prenatal workout program, Expecting More®, available at http://www.sarahaley.com/shop. Get more from Sara from fitness tips and fun family fitness ideas, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @SaraHaleyFit.
