BOOTCAMP BLOG MUMS on the RUN, part 5

In an attempt to make my blog roll a little less lengthy, I am going to make this succinct. My words of wisdom this week?

RUN MUMS RUN! (And a bit about abs and stuff at the end!)

Your running plan at a glance

WEEK 1 - Preparation week, find 3 slots in which to run

WEEK 2 - Walk 4 mins, run 1 min, x 4 (i.e. for 20 minutes), 3 x per week

WEEK 3 - Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 4, 2 x per week, Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 5 (i.e. 25 minutes), 1 x per week. Do pelvic floor exercises every day.

WEEK 4 - Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 4, 2 x week, Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 6, 1 x week. Pelvic floor exercises every day and work on your running technique.

WEEK 5 - THIS WEEK'S POST! Walk 1 min, run 4 mins x 4 x 2 week, Walk 1 min run 4 mins x 6. Pelvic floor and abdominal exercises every day.

WEEK 6 - You should now be running continuously! 20 - 30 minutes, 3 x week. Enough to get you through (just) a 5K Race!

So if you are up to week 5 you should be running now with only a bit of walking in-between. On your shorter runs, try slowing down your pace and see if you can run all the way.

Now, to your tummy we go...In part 3 I talked about feeling your tummy come in as you pull up your pelvic floor. In part 4 I talked about drawing your tummy in and feeling your waist wind up as you run. If you have followed the advice on these posts then you should already be using your deepest abdominal muscle - the transversus abdominis (TA for short). This is the muscle that is a major part of your core muscles, is responsible for supporting your back and is the one that gets stretched to oblivion when you have babies. The good news is, with MUMS on the RUN you can get it back and flatten that belly, a) because you are about to reacquaint yourself properly with your TA and b) because running burns more fat than other forms of cardio. Muffin tops beware - no longer are you to rise above the top or, as fashion dictates, squelch behind a zip. Here's how...

As in part 3, sit tall and pull up through your pelvic floor. Imagine your pelvic floor is a lift going up 5 floors, start to pull up through the floors and at the same time, start to draw your tummy horizontally back 5 floors. Now stand with your feet hip distance apart - imagine a spirit level running from one hip to the other. Take a breath and as you breathe out, pull up through the pelvic floor and TA to 2nd floor, i.e. a third of your total effort. Now take your right foot off the floor. STAND TALL, DON'T let your hips tip, i.e. keep your 'spirit' level. Hold for a count of 10, change legs and repeat 3 - 6 times on each leg. Keep breathing and standing tall. Feel it in your pelvic floor, abs and buttocks (More about your backside in next week's posts!)

And what do you mean you haven't done it yet? STAND UP now! There's no time like the present!

MUMS on the RUN has been created and written by Jane Wake, the UK’s leading authority in exercise for mums and mums to be. Check out her recently released ,Baby A-Wake Complete Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise and Wellbeing DVD.