This exercise gets a lot of credit for its benefits working the upper back and shoulder, but let’s not forget how effective it is at working the transverse abdominis–those inner most “corset-like” abs. A few things to remember on this exercise. You can adjust the resistance with the band you chose and/or where you hold […]
Diastasis Recti
Monday Move: Wall Plank
I get asked with great frequency if planks are safe postpartum, while pregnant and/or with diastasis recti. My answer is annoyingly vague. Watch this to understand why. If you can do a plank and maintain that tensile strength throughout the movement, then plank away. However, if you are newly postpartum, pregnant and/or have diastasis recti, […]
Spoiler alert…your low-belly pooch may not be fat
What if I told you that the little pooch you keep trying to “crunch away” was actually a displacement of intra-abdominal pressure? Don’t know what I mean? Watch this quick video on our body’s pressure system by renowned physical therapist Julie Wiebe. Women are notorious “sucker inners”. Watch this. We want to fit in […]
The Shake Up: Keri of Make It Work Momma
Too often, new moms are given the message to workout harder, do more, and do it sooner. It takes over your social media feeds, and penetrates our culture. Keri, founder of Make It Work Momma, is a breath of fresh air in the black hole of social media misinformation. Her account showcases her pregnant […]
The Shake Up–Brianna Battles: Pregnancy is Temporary. Postpartum is Forever.
When Brianna Battles, a highly qualified strength and conditioning coach with a Master’s Degree in Coaching, birthed her firstborn, she expected to bounce back quickly. After all, she had been lifting weights and exercising routinely throughout her entire pregnancy. She understood body mechanics, had solid form, and like many athletes, she had the ability to […]
Healing Diastasis Recti–Activities of Daily Living
The first thing my pelvic floor physical therapist (Success Physical Therapy, LLC) taught me when I went in with a bad case of diastasis recti (abdominal separation from my pregnancy) was how to use my breath and core interconnected. Next up on her list–teaching me to change the way I move throughout the day. Honestly, […]
Monday Move: Push Up Modifications and Breathing for Core (Diastasis Recti)
The push up is pretty straight forward, but if you are pregnant, postpartum, or working on healing diastasis recti, an abdominal separation common from pregnancy, then learning these modifications and how to use your core throughout the movement are essential. The most common mistakes I see in the push up is simply not modifying when […]
Which exercises are safe with diastasis recti?
Wondering which exercises are safe for diastasis recti and which are not? Here is the world’s most simple answer. Your body will tell you. The key…you need to watch yourself in a mirror to garner feedback. I know, I know. You don’t want to look like one of vein gym rats staring at your abs […]
Reconnecting with your core postpartum
Here are four great exercises to begin reconnecting with your core postpartum, and/or to work toward healing your diastasis recti. Be sure to get the green light from your doctor before exercising! Move slowly through the movement Stay flush to ground (no tipping ribs and arching low back when on your back) Use your breath […]
Core Engagement vs. Sucking In
Proper core engagement on the left. Sucking in, on the right. The other day as I was on social media, I came across a big fitness guru’s post on her first postpartum workout back in the gym. She has millions of followers, and I’d venture to guess a hefty portion of these followers are moms or moms-to-be. […]