Best exercises to lose extra skin and fat on lower abdomen.

Sherbear1109

I know popular belief on here seems to be that you can't target where you want to lose fat. So, this query is directed at those of you who use exercise to target specific body parts. My lower abs are wrecked from pregnancy and an unavoidable c-section. After carrying my very large son, in a very low position for the last 3 months+ of being prego, my lower stomach is literally stretched out and hangs down in this horrible way. It is getting smaller, but I would love to fix this faster. What exercises work best for targeting this area and losing the extra skin, too?

Caper88

I would be curious to know the answer to this as well however a trainer once told me something different. That our body determine where it is going to store and burn fat from. That targeting a specific area is no different then an over all work out. You need to burn fat from all over your body and then eventually it gets to the area you want to target.

TeaBea

I would be curious to know the answer to this as well however a trainer once told me something different. That our body determine where it is going to store and burn fat from. That targeting a specific area is no different then an over all work out. You need to burn fat from all over your body and then eventually it gets to the area you want to target.

This ^ IS the answer. I would love thin thighs.......not happening without surgical assistance.

For specific lower abdomen exercises look to pilates. NO, you won't lose fat any faster, but pilates helps strengthen your core. A strong core helps you stand taller and helps you hold things in.

Loose skin.......this is largely genetics. How far the skin was stretched, how long the skin was stretched, your age ....all play a role in determining when/if your skin will snap back. You can't exercise to shed skin.

CitizenXVIII

I would be curious to know the answer to this as well however a trainer once told me something different. That our body determine where it is going to store and burn fat from. That targeting a specific area is no different then an over all work out. You need to burn fat from all over your body and then eventually it gets to the area you want to target.

Knowledgeable trainer. That is exactly the way it works.

Your skin will snap back over time or it won't. Surgery is the only way to fix it if it doesn't. Give it time. My youngest will turn 1 in July. My wife dropped her baby weight quickly and had loose skin for several months. Eventually, it readjusted.

Fitfully_me

<snip>
You need to burn fat from all over your body and then eventually it gets to the area you want to target.

An exercise in patience and the above.

Sherbear1109

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

dakotababy

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

I agree - I think these answers are completely and totally accurate. I hear skin can not "bounce back" by exercise, but through time and patience...and if that does not work, surgery!

Way to go MFP! YOU ROCK!

sleepy_mum

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

Just because you don't like the answers doesn't make them wrong.

JTick

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

We aren't going to lie just to give you what you want to hear.

How do you plan to shrink loose skin via exercise anyways? It's not a muscle, you can't work your skin.

thatonegirlwiththestuff

Bottom line is you can build muscle under the layer of fat, so that when the fat does eventually come off, there is some muscle there to essentially fill out some of the loose skin. As far as the loose skin, it depends on the elasticity of your skin. Some women have thicker skin that can rebound pregnancy after pregnancy, some do not, and the only cure would then be a tummy tuck. Lifting does help immensely, but you cannot do anything specific about that one area.

dixiewhiskey

Can't lose extra skin unless you have surgery. You can try to fill up the area with loose skin with muscle.

MissFlab2Fab2014

I know for a fact you cannot target weight you lose it from your feet up and your head down, until you meet in the middle and abdominal, and back fat is LAST TO GO... however I think loose skin goes away with conditioning and toning... also not losing weight to quickly... like don't drop 20lbs in one month kind of thing.. if you do it in progressive steps, few lbs by few lbs it should re-adjust with time.... As for exercise like I said do conditioning and toning. weight lifting, muscle building.... stretching, yoga, etc.

aliwhalen

I have the same problem. 3 pregnancies, one was twins. I try to mention diastasis to everyone I know whose problem area is their abdomen. As I understand working on your core strength is the best way to tighten those muscles, but depending on how much loose skin you have, there's no way to get rid of it without surgically removing it. There is something called the Tupler Technique that I've considered trying to help bring the separation together. Now, to get serious about it! I will likely have my extra skin removed someday as when I sweat I get a horrible rash there. It itches and drives me mad!

aliwhalen

Oh! Another thing - if it IS diastasis recti, be REALLY careful with lifting and don't do crunches! It will make your problem a lot worse. Here's a website to help you determine if you have diastasis. If you don't, ignore all my rambling

http://www.befitmom.com/diastasis_recti.html

Mischievous_Rascal

I would be curious to know the answer to this as well however a trainer once told me something different. That our body determine where it is going to store and burn fat from. That targeting a specific area is no different then an over all work out. You need to burn fat from all over your body and then eventually it gets to the area you want to target.

This ^ IS the answer. I would love thin thighs.......not happening without surgical assistance.

For specific lower abdomen exercises look to pilates. NO, you won't lose fat any faster, but pilates helps strengthen your core. A strong core helps you stand taller and helps you hold things in.

Loose skin.......this is largely genetics. How far the skin was stretched, how long the skin was stretched, your age ....all play a role in determining when/if your skin will snap back. You can't exercise to shed skin.

Exactly - you can't spot reduce and how well your skin tightens up is all about genetics.

However, before you start doing any sort of traditional ab exercises, please google "Diastasis recti". This happened to me after having an 11 pound baby via C-section, only I didn't know it and after three years of targeted ab work like crunches, pilates and yoga, it got worse. If this is the case, there are a few transverse ab exercises you can do, or you can save up for a TT.

Edmond_Dantes

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

Try table pushbacks and fork put downs. Seriously, if you have 50 lbs to lose, start there. And don't blame your "2nd son" for this.

LunaGreen

Well this is not an exercise and not a miracle cure but...
I have a similar issue, not from a baby, but from being so overweight in the past. I have been using red light therapy and started noticing results pretty quick as far as my skin looking better (stretch marks) and feeling a bit tighter. Might take some googleing to find one near you. I know there are also sprays and moisturizers you can buy to "speed up the results" I haven't tried them yet.
I also find that with problem areas I like to just paint it brown, ie spray tan makes everything look better
Best of luck

1princesswarrior

You won't like this either but it's great advice and had exercise suggestions:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

aileenmtaylor

Watch the super fit people in your gym and then copy their ab exercises. And then do them until your stomach hurts the next day, and then alternate to different ab exercises the second day and repeat each day. If you are not at least a little sore you might improve but not at any speed. Also up your cardio with interval training.

There is a person who goes to my gym (and I'm sure there is one at every gym) and they are there every day for 90 minutes and they look almost the same as they did a two years ago. Don't be that person be like the ninja warrior tv show and you'll see results.

Sherbear1109

Wow. Those were all such great suggestions for exercises to add to my current routine. Seriously. Way to comprehend what you read and respond with an actual answer to the question.

Try table pushbacks and fork put downs. Seriously, if you have 50 lbs to lose, start there. And don't blame your "2nd son" for this.

You sir have never been prego and obviously don't know what you're talking about. I'm not trying to blame my 2nd son. Just stating what caused the muscle damage and skin stretching. Any woman who has had more than one child can tell you that every pregnancy is different. Size of baby, where you gain weight, how the baby sits, and more can all be different and can cause various changes in a woman's body. My sons are my world and I have no remorse over the changes having them has caused in my body. That doesn't mean I don't want to repair what can be repaired, though. As for your petty comment about maybe I should try not eating, not eating was part of the problem. I came here and started tracking calories to help gat back in the habit of actually eating 3 meals a day. Forgetting to eat until late afternoon most days has slowed my metabolism down quite a bit. I have still been under my calorie goal everyday since I started tracking it.

Sherbear1109

Watch the super fit people in your gym and then copy their ab exercises. And then do them until your stomach hurts the next day, and then alternate to different ab exercises the second day and repeat each day. If you are not at least a little sore you might improve but not at any speed. Also up your cardio with interval training.

There is a person who goes to my gym (and I'm sure there is one at every gym) and they are there every day for 90 minutes and they look almost the same as they did a two years ago. Don't be that person be like the ninja warrior tv show and you'll see results.

Unfortunately, I don't go to a gym or that would be great advice. :-( I workout at home. I do cardio daily, legs and arms twice a week, abs 3 days a week, & yoga most days. Just started tracking my calories on here a week or so ago to help get back into healthier eating habits. Just getting bored with the same ole stomach routine and looking for some new lower ab excercises to change things up a bit. Thanks for getting what I was actually looking for, though! I don't know what the ninja warrior tv show is, but I am definitely going for those results. Lost an inch on the waist over the last two week period. So yay. :-)