hey hey barrebabes!

today I want to talk about abs!

reframe it: your abs

abs abs abs... there are a million reasons why our abs may not look quite how we wish them to. posture slumps, hormonal cycles, indulgent meals, too intense workouts, not enough rest, cocktails, and family/work stress - all of these regular parts of life, for various reasons, can hide your firm & fabulous abdominal muscles with a layer of puff. and this can be frustrating, especially when you're a leetle bit of a perfectionist (ahem, like me) or grew up in the 80s & 90s when it nearly every female celebrity was super duper tiny thin af (also me - the 80s part, not the skinny part).

something i've learned over time and oh so much trial and error is that obsessing gets us basically nowhere when it comes to abs. rather, the key is to focus on technique and let go of outcomes. i can't guarantee you super flat abs for life (nor can anyone else, so don't be fooled!) but i can promise that practicing excellent alignment and not focusing on unpinchable pancake flatness will help keep deep connection and strength in your center. so when the puffy layer finally does deflate, it will reveal a smooth, firm, functional low belly zone. 

reframing common abs cues is very helpful with this. movement teachers, myself included, often tell classes to "keep abs in," "pull navel to spine," or "hollow out the belly." real talk: this is lazy, shortcut language to get a roomful of people to get their breath, abs and pelvic floor muscles on board with whatever else they're doing and to try to make sure no one hurts their back.

truth is, you really don't want to try to stay like that permanently. if you've been taking my class for awhile, chances are your core muscles already do their job, and who has ever seen any improvement from walking around with their abs sucked in all day? not i, says the ex-ballerina with teenage body image issues. in fact, over time, keeping your abs cinched in can impede both movement and breath and lead to pelvic floor issues. not cool.

instead:

 - focus on moving/standing/walking with great posture.

 - bring your pubic bone into the same plane of space as the front of your hip bones.

- relax abs and pelvic floor muscles on your inhale. contract, lift, and engage on your exhale. 

try it. now. with hands on the bones of your pelvis to sense their placement, check in with your alignment while seated, standing, walking, doing dishes, painting a wall, etc. if you, like me, tend towards a slight sway back or anterior pelvic tilt when standing, you will feel a lift in low belly when you bring pubic bone forward. if you, also like me, tend to slump a little when seated, bringing your pubic bone back to line up with hips will feel like a similar lift. no grip, no clench, certainly no stress, just your good 'ol postural alignment serving you well.

and someday, when i stop breastfeeding and/or eating snacks like a teenage boy, my abs will look fabulous and yours will too and we'll all go to the beach!

that's it for today, babes. take care of yourselves, do good and righteous things, and i'll see you at the barre!
with love & planks,
annie