It would be wonderful if right after giving birth our abdominal muscles would just spring back to the way they looked before pregnancy. Unfortunately, many women are shocked at how flabby and stretched out the abdomen is even a few weeks after the birth.

The good news is abdominal muscles will get back to normal eventually. In addition, exercising them during pregnancy is not an exercise in futility, but may actually help you get a head start on getting you back into shape and into your pre-pregnancy jeans.

According to Dawn Braud, fitness services manager at the Fitness Club in the Woman's Center for Wellness at Woman's Hospital in Louisiana, pregnancy is not the time to get into shape but, rather, a time to optimize health habits, one of which should be a regular exercise program. With a doctor's approval, most women can train their abdominal muscles throughout pregnancy.

"It is a misconception that you can't tone the abdominal muscles throughout pregnancy," says Braud. "These muscles lengthen and stretch during pregnancy, but it's an excellent idea to strengthen them to stabilize the body. This core stabilization of the abdominal, back and pelvic floor muscles that make up the torso can offset some of the common problems during pregnancy, like back pain, and can help with balance. Finally, these muscles can assist in the pushing phase of labor."

There are additional benefits to keeping toned throughout pregnancy. Tracy Washington, an exercise physiologist at the exclusive Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson, Ariz., says abdominal exercises help maintain muscle tone, strength and proper posture.

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