Actress Gemma Atkinson has been wowing us all with her commitment to her fitness routine since giving birth to baby Mia, now six months old. The former Hollyoaks star is known for her love of working out, combining a combination of cardio and weights to achieve her toned figure – she's also taken things slowly since becoming a mum and shared details of her gradual return to exercise with her Instagram followers. Now Gemma has told fans exactly how she's got her pre-baby tummy back, sharing a clip of her exact ab workout with advice on how to take things slowly if, like her, you have had a C-section.
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Gemma wrote: "Since having Mia I’ve had a lot of messages asking 'what exercises I do on my tummy.' To be honest, the above I class as my post C section rehab program. Not just exercise. I waited until I was 20wks PP before targeting my abs. (I trained from 16wks but just light cardio).
"A C section is a BIG operation and between your skin and uterus there is 7 layers they cut through. It takes time to heal and just because visibly it may look okay, internally it won’t be and I didn’t want to rush and do damage down the line or cause my abs separation to get worse."
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Photo: Instagram/ Gemma Atkinson
The star continued: "The above are what I’ve been doing 3 times a week since Mia was around 5 months old. I do 20 reps of each 3 times slowly & controlled, and it takes around 15 mins. My aim isn’t to have a 6 pack. It takes way more than just ab exercises and I like my food too much to ever be lean enough for a 6 pack." That's music to our ears – we also like food way too much!
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Gemma explained: "I do however love working on and having a strong core. It helps prevent injury when training, it improves my posture & balance and helps to keep my belly tight. I was given the all clear from my physio after my mummy MOT to do the above based on MY pelvic floor MY ab separation and MY incision area."
Photo: Instagram/ Gemma Atkinson
Gemma did specify that the stomach exercises which work for her may not work for others and the workout she shows is done in combination with her training and diet. "Please check with your physio/doctor before doing any work on your tummy post pregnancy. It’s not worth the risk and it’s always worth waiting."
Gemma Atkinson's post-baby rehab/ab circuit:
- 1. 20 pelvic tilts
- 2. 20 (each leg) Single leg dead bugs
- 3. 20 Alternate leg dead bugs
- 4. 20 Scissors
She advised: "Always ensure your lower back stays in contact with the floor, don’t allow it to arch. These are harder than they look so start low rep and work your way up and ALWAYS stop if your incision area starts to hurt. I once ended up in tears with a bag of frozen sweet corn on my scar after trying to do too much too soon. Listen to your body & do it in your own time."
Sounds like good advice to us!