The Best Pilates Moves for Losing Baby Weight

August is one of the biggest birth months. If you're a new mom and want to tighten and tone your abdominals pronto, make like Uma Thurman and Christy Turlington and try Pilates. "Both of these women are extremely flexible and loose limbed to begin with, and then pregnancy stretches all the muscles in your midsection even more. Pilates focus[ed] on the core toned them both up faster," said Alycea Ungaro, owner of Real Pilates, who has also designed post-baby routines for Sarah Michelle Gellar and Campbell Brown.

Besides banishing belly flab, Pilates helps new mothers recover well from upper and lower back and pelvic pain and postural problems like stooped shoulders, a contracted chest and a forward-jutting head. "Christy's focus, for instance, was strengthening her arms and upper back, which got weak from carrying her baby all the time," said Ungaro.

Here are Ungaro's "as soon as you get home from the hospital" exercises:

Kegels: To reactivate your pelvic floor muscles, squeeze your rectum tightly. Hold for five seconds and concentrate on the tightening you'll feel within the vaginal canal. Release to a three count. Repeat five times.

Ab Wake-Ups: During breast-feeding, your uterus contracts and eventually returns to its original size. Help your abdominal wall do the same by pulling your abs in toward your spine, holding for five seconds and releasing. Continue for the length of the feed.

Do Ungaro's New Moms Part 1 - Find Your Abs series within the first few days of delivering your baby.

Then after four to six weeks and with your doctor's clearance, dive into her New Moms Part 2 workout a minimum of three times a week (but try to do it five).



Perform these moves on their own or integrate them into your larger workout routine. Increase your reps as you get stronger. Just remember to check with your doctor about when the right time is for you to begin an exercise routine after giving birth.

New research shows Pilates can also give you amazingly sexy, sculpted arms.