Can Pilates help moms tighten their tummy after having a baby?
Effects of Pilates on inter-recti distance, thickness of rectus abdominis, waist circumference and abdominal muscle endurance in primiparous women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Pilates reduced abdominal separation without increasing muscle thickness.
Common fitness wisdom says stronger muscles = bigger muscles. But here, function improved dramatically while muscle size stayed flat—suggesting neural or connective tissue changes are the real heroes.
Practical Takeaways
Do 50 minutes of Pilates, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks postpartum to reduce abdominal separation and waist size.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Pilates reduced abdominal separation without increasing muscle thickness.
Common fitness wisdom says stronger muscles = bigger muscles. But here, function improved dramatically while muscle size stayed flat—suggesting neural or connective tissue changes are the real heroes.
Practical Takeaways
Do 50 minutes of Pilates, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks postpartum to reduce abdominal separation and waist size.
Publication
Journal
BMC Women's Health
Year
2023
Authors
Namee Lee, Young-Hyeon Bae, S. S. Fong, Wan-hee Lee
Related Content
Claims (8)
To see abdominal muscles, a person needs to have a low enough level of fat over the abdomen and enough muscle mass in the rectus abdominis.
After doing supervised Pilates five times a week for 50 minutes each session over four weeks, women who recently gave birth do not show a measurable increase in the thickness of their rectus abdominis muscles.
In women who have recently given birth, a structured Pilates program performed five times a week for 50 minutes over four weeks can reduce the separation between the abdominal muscles and increase core endurance compared to not doing any exercise.
In women who have recently given birth, participating in a structured Pilates program five times a week for 50 minutes over four weeks is associated with a measurable reduction in waist size compared to not exercising.
Women who have recently given birth and participate in a supervised Pilates program five times a week for four weeks show an increase of about 8.55 more repetitions in a 1-minute curl-up test compared to those who do not exercise.