“I Don’t Need to be Quick Fixed, Thanks Though!”

postpartum fitness

So, hands up if you saw the NPR interview (what felt more like an infomercial) last week, “Flattening the ‘Mummy Tummy’ with 1 Exercise, 10 minutes A Day.” I first heard about it when I was at a fitness supply store doing some pricing for the new studio.  When learning of my fitness specialty, the sales manager excitedly exclaimed, “Hey, …

Abdominal Separation FAQs: Part II

I’m often asked about diastasis recti (the medical name for abdominal separation) by both pre and postnatal clients and do believe that education is key when it comes to both minimizing and rehabilitating this condition. If you haven’t yet read Part I, you can find it here! Let’s get started with a bit of research: Boissonnault & Blaschak (1988) found that …

Abdominal Separation FAQs: Part I

Today I’m talking about abdominal separation or diastasis recti to which it is formally, or medically referred.  This separation can lead to the appearance of a “mummy tummy” or “pooch”…the “mommy belly.” Speaking from personal and professional experience, I know that some days it’s easier than others to refer to and interact lovingly with this pooch that may remain! Below are five …

Why Parenting is Yoga for the Soul (and the Title I Didn’t Choose)

I had initially entitled this article “Why Parenting is the Ultimate…Mind-F#@!”  but it felt too harsh.  It felt angry and maybe even a little sad.   I’m neither of those things, but I am changed from and changing through parenthood.  And, this article is an attempt to capture the always present dichotomies of life as a parent, which in the …

Abdominals During Pregnancy

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ABDOMINALS DURING PREGNANCY? With all the pressure outward and downward as the size of belly grows, you may be wondering
”What happens to the abdominals during pregnancy?”  This quick read provides insight into all that is happening as your body adapts to pregnancy. The six-pack muscle (Rectus Abdominis) runs from your breast bone to your pubic bone …

Safe Core Exercise in Pregnancy

This can be so confusing!  Sit-ups?  Crunches?  Leg-lifts? Planks?  If you are pregnant, hopefully you are no longer performing traditional abdominal exercises such as crunches or sit-ups.  If you have been, that’s okay…but this might be a great time to transition to more beneficial, safer core exercises.  I will explain more about why and how to do so safely in …

Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Your Mummy Tummy–Part II

Ok, so this is part two of a three part series of articles concerning your “mummy tummy”. Recently, I discussed how new moms often feel a bulge or layer of fat around their mid-section, and no matter what they do, they can’t shift it! That’s the pillow-like feeling I referred to—and it can be a bit of a surprise postpartum. …

How do I lose my Mummy Tummy?

 PART I How are you feeling about your postpartum belly? Personally, I’ve always been conflicted. Physically, mine felt like a pillow for quite some time and I even remember resting my arm on it while I nursed my newborn son!  What an odd feeling that was!  A belly that had been full and taught for so many months was now …