Woman Reveals the Type of Exercise She Did for 6 Months to Lose 'Mom Pouch'

A woman's incredible six-month weight loss transformation has racked up over 14 million views on TikTok.

While society often rushes to discuss bouncing back to a pre-pregnancy body, the reality is far more complex. Ruby Venegas, 24 (@rubymonroe_ on TikTok), told Newsweek about having diastasis recti, a condition that occurs in postpartum women when the abdominal muscles split due to stretching during pregnancy.

The separation can make a woman's belly stick out or bulge months or years postpartum. This is what some refer to as a "mom pouch," something Venegas tried to get rid of in the gym before finding success with Pilates, a low-impact exercise method designed to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility.

Lifting weights and walking 10,000 steps per day helped her drop from 207 pounds to 168 pounds. The home exercises focusing on her core allowed her to lose an additional 38 pounds, reaching her ideal weight of 130 pounds.

The stay-at-home mom told Newsweek: "I look better than I did before pregnancy."

On February 21, Venegas shared a montage of videos of herself doing Pilates at home during her 2-year-old daughter Brielle's naps. The footage began six months ago, and as the one-minute clip continues, her frame gets smaller.

She told Newsweek: "After giving birth, I was sad about my body because my belly was hanging a bit."

Discovering Pilates in July 2023 marked a turning point for her.

"It's changed my life," she said. "I haven't stepped foot in a gym since."

Pilates was instrumental in realigning her body, enhancing her health, and achieving a leaner, more toned physique.

Venegas praised the convenience of exercising at home, noting the challenge of finding time and energy for the gym as a mother. She highlighted the impracticality of always having a babysitter available and emphasized discipline over motivation in maintaining her routine.

She told Newsweek: "Pilates helped put everything back in its place.

"I feel like I look the best I've ever been in my life. I feel very healthy and I am much more lean and toned.

"As a mom, it is difficult to have energy for the gym and time. It's a bit easier to exercise at home while the baby sleeps," she said.

"I don't rely on motivation, it comes down to discipline. Even when I'm not feeling it, I push myself."

Tamara Galinsky, a fitness entrepreneur and the founder of JETSET Pilates in Miami, Florida, explained to Newsweek how the strength-training exercises can help shift any unwanted weight postpartum.

"Almost every exercise in Pilates requires additional core stabilization for proper form, necessitating deep recruitment of core muscles including the obliques. It prioritizes staying under tension for the duration of the class with an emphasis on isometric contractions that increase the heart rate and recruit the most muscle fibers," Galinsky said.

"Targeting core and oblique muscles, Pilates offers a holistic approach to toning after childbirth, aiding in the restoration of pelvic floor strength, rectifying diastasis recti, and enhancing overall stability and posture.

"Through precise movements and controlled breathing techniques, Pilates assists new mothers in reestablishing muscle balance and functional movement patterns post-delivery."

At the time of writing, Venegas' video on TikTok about her fitness journey has amassed 1.4 million likes and plenty of positive comments.

"Pilates transformed my body also girl!!!!! you look strong and great!!" praised one user.

Another said: "Alright you convinced me."

A third commenter said: "You have inspired me."

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