In our Belly Bootcamp classes, we get lots of questions about hips – specifically, will they ever shrink back to their pre-baby size? Well... maybe not. The changes to the skeleton that occur during pregnancy (in this case, the widening of the hips to make way for childbirth) do not always reverse perfectly after baby has come. Embrace your mothering hips – they held baby while she was inside of you, and now they help you carry baby on the outside! Tone the glutes (the muscles of the “hip”) with Sidelying Leg Circles from Belly Bootcamp and make the most of your new shape! Baby can easily lay next to you while you do this exercise. Lie on one side with legs extended, angled slightly in front of you, head resting on lower arm. Place other hand in front of you on floor to help you balance. Lift top leg and make large, forward circles with toes pointed. Aim for 20-30 circles. Pause, then make large, backward circles with toes pointed – aim for another 20-30. Repeat on other side. Complete another set, if desired.
~ Dara Duff-Bergeron is a veteran fitness trainer and a specialist in women’s health and fitness. With a decade under her belt, Dara now shares her exceptional experience and down-to-earth philosophy through Fit Family (fitfamily.ca) personal training and Belly Bootcamp (www.bellybootcamp.ca/) pre- and post-natal fitness. Dara is mommy of one with another on the way, and lives in Toronto with her own little fit family.
