The "Mum Bum" - Top 5 Tips to Get Rid of a Flat Bottom

The concept of the “mum tum” is nothing new - we all know that pregnancy can alter the function and appearance of our tummies - but who knew it could have such an effect on our bottoms?

During pregnancy your centre of gravity shifts and many women try to counterbalance that shift by tucking their bum under, overusing the back of the pelvic floor and underutlising the glutes. The hip flexors at the front of the legs often end up becoming overactive causing the pelvis to shift forwards even more.

This serves a purpose when you are pregnant but what about afterwards? This posture is often maintained as you carry your baby around for long periods of time - jutting the pelvis forwards to help support the weight of holding your baby. This will maintain the poor pressure on the pelvic floor and can often lead to back pain, incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction if not addressed.

So what can you do about it? You might be surprised with how simple changes can make a huge difference to the way you use your glutes and in turn off load your pelvic floor and get rid of that flat “mum bum”!

1. Stand up and walk around.

Minimising the amount of time you spend sitting is critical to maintaining a health backside. Our bodies are designed to be moving so much more than they do now, with studies showing that our ancestors probably walked more than 7 miles a day, everyday! Today most of us don’t even get close to that, and as the saying goes - “use it, or lose it!” - any body part that is not used as it should be eventually reduces in size and loses its function.

Walking is one of THE best exercises out there, particularly hill walking. Walking is low impact and when you add in the incline of a hill, it really kicks up some good glute activation as well as upping the cardio benefits! I would always advise to try and do some walking without your child if you can as it allows your body to move more freely but if you can only get out with your child then use the buggy and make sure that the handles are set high enough that you aren’t leaning forward over it and are able to maintain a good upright posture.

2. Do the Basic Glute exercises

Two of the best exercises that you can do for your glutes are the bridge and the squat.

The bridge is one of my favourite as it doesn’t put any pressure on the knees or lower back and so is a great starting place if you haven’t done much exercise recently. It can easily be made harder by adding bands or by doing it with one leg but make sure you get the basics right first!

Squatting is also a great glute builder and is also a movement that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine when you squat down to pick up your child and pick up toys etc. Again form is really import and in this situation adding a resistance band (albeit a light one) to start with really helps you to focus on getting good glute activation through the whole of the movement. You can use the bands to create a whole body exercise like the one shown here.

3. Take note of your body’s form during glute exercises.

There is no point doing an exercise unless you do it correctly - not only because you are trying to activate particular muscles, but also to try and prevent any injuries from occurring. Focussing on your form should be MORE important than counting how many reps or how much weight you add to the exercise. If at any point the exercise gets too difficult and you feel your form starting to slide then stop and rest before trying to start again in a better position.

4. Stop blaming your genes for your flat butt.

Your genes do play a role in determining how your glutes turned out, but just like any other muscle in the body, a little attention and hard work can improve it. Lunges, step ups, and squats are not guaranteed to give you the perfect bum you might be dreaming of, but if you train them consistently and religiously can definitely improve its shape and size.

Consistency really is the key - to grow properly the muscle needs to be challenge (or overloaded) 3-4 times a week. This may seem like a lot but if you create a short focussed 20 minute exercise program then it makes it easier to fit in - you do not need to be exercising for an hour to see a difference. To make the exercises harder and therefore more effective start adding weight in the form of resistance bands and hand weights.

5. Feed your muscles properly

No matter how seriously you workout, all your effort could be of no use if you don’t eat the right things. To build muscle, your body needs protein . For a great bum-friendly diet, opt for high-quality protein from lean beef, chicken, and fish. You can also get this from complex carbs like rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, as well as healthy oils and fats from nuts, avocado, coconut oil, and olive oil.

As always if you are struggling and would like more tailored advice then dont hesitate to get in touch!