You’ve been working out for weeks – maybe even months.

You’re trying, putting in the effort, making it happen as best you can.

You may not be as consistent as you’d like (being a mom means that exercise often gets shoved to the bottom of your to-do list under 500 other things that seem so much more important).

But you’re doing the best you can with the time and energy you have. That’s why you’re getting frustrated. Because you’re trying and you’re just not getting the results you were hoping for.

Here are 3 possible reasons why.

Did you know that crunches actually aren’t the best exercise to get a stronger core?

And they’re definitely not something I recommend for most moms – especially new moms.

So what exercises should you do to get a stronger core?

There are actually so many great options out there beyond the traditional core exercises.

Like these 3 moves. These are great for moms because they’ll help you develop more strength in your core and they also mimic movements that you’re already doing on a daily basis. That means you’ll have more strength to keep up with the demands of motherhood.

All you need is a dumbbell, heavy ball, or even a small backpack with something in it (like a couple soup cans or a bag of rice).

Go light if you’re newer postpartum and still working on rebuilding your core strength.

If your body is ready for more of a challenge, grab a weight that feels heavy but doable.