Pregnancy and C-sections can bring significant changes to the body, making postpartum fitness a gradual and often challenging journey. Fitness trainer Zoe Modgill, a mother of two, recently shared on Instagram how she rebuilt her strength, restored her core, and regained visible abs after two pregnancies and C-sections. (Also read: Tamannaah Bhatia’s fitness trainer explains why ‘healthy’ foods can still lead to weight gain; shares easy fat loss tips )
The myth that abs are gone forever after C-sections
According to Zoe, one of the biggest myths women hear after childbirth is that their abdominal muscles are gone for good. Addressing this misconception, she wrote, “The lie women are told after babies, especially C-sections: ‘Your abs are gone forever. Just accept it.’ I hear this all the time. And it’s not true.”
She explained that while pregnancy and surgery altered the way her core functioned, they did not permanently damage it. “Two C-sections didn’t ‘destroy’ my core. What they did was disconnect it. Pregnancy and surgery change how your core works, how pressure is managed, and how muscles fire. That’s not damage. That’s physiology,” Zoe said.
Highlighting a common mistake many women make during postpartum recovery, she added, “Most women don’t fail to rebuild their abs. They just start in the wrong place, jumping into crunches, planks, HIIT, or fat loss without restoring core function first.”
How Zoe rebuilt her core strength after childbirth
Instead of rushing into intense workouts, Zoe focused on rebuilding her foundation. She revealed that she regained her core strength by doing what she described as the “boring, unsexy work” of recovery, including:
- Learning how to breathe properly again
- Reconnecting her deep core and pelvic floor muscles
- Managing pressure before increasing workout intensity
- Building strength from the inside out
Zoe said this philosophy inspired her programme, Heal Your Core, which is designed to help women restore function and stability before chasing aesthetic goals. “It’s not an ab workout. It’s a reset, for post-baby bodies, post-C-section bodies, and women who are strong but still feel unstable, domed, or disconnected,” she explained.
Encouraging women to prioritise recovery and function, she concluded, “Your core isn’t broken. It just needs to be rebuilt properly.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
