WILL MY POSTBABY TUMMY EVER BE FLAT AGAIN?

Don’t give up! It’s not just  about losing pregnancy pounds. Your abdominal muscles and skin have stretched out, and how quickly they bounce back depends on your age, the size of the baby and whether you had a C-section (surgery makes for a longer recovery),  explains Michele S. Olson, Ph.D.,  a FITNESS advisory board member and professor of exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery. While cardio and a healthy diet are crucial to reducing fat under the skin, you also need the right exercises to work all the muscles in your abs without straining the ones that are already stressed and stretched. Once you get your doc’s OK, forgo crunches in favor of the forearm plank and these two middle whittlers.