How to trim your mum tum 1 - crunches

Targeted exercise is the only way to de-flab your abs without resorting to surgery (and better for you all round, not to mention a lot less painful and non-invasive).

Wait until at least six weeks after the birth of your baby, longer if you had complications or a caesarean, and always check with your GP before you start any exercise.

A tried and tested method for toning your tummy, whether you’re a mum or a marathon runner, or both, is regular sit-ups or crunches. Try and do them five times a week. Check with your GP first if you have any back problems.

Here’s how:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor as close to your bottom as possible. You could also try the butterfly crunch, in which you place you feet soles together instead of flat on the floor, with your knees bent out to the sides.
• Rest your hands on your chest or behind your head and relax your neck.
• Look up at the ceiling, contract your stomach muscles and slowly raise your shoulders from the floor using only your stomach muscles to lift you, keeping your lower back on the floor.
• Breathe in, hold the position for a count of 10 then breathe out.
• Slowly relax your stomach muscles and allow your shoulders to return to the floor (or almost to the floor once you’ve built up stamina).
• Repeat 10 to 15 times, rest for a minute then repeat once more.
• You can make it more effective than the standard crunch by bringing your legs up one by one, bent at the knee, when you lift your shoulders from the  floor and, touching your left elbow to your right knee followed by right elbow to your left knee as you crunch.

• Yummy mummy tummy
• How to trim your mum tum 2 – the plank
• How to trim your mum tum 3 – Pilates

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