Archive for the 'Diastasis Recti' Category

Fitness Trends….For Moms??

Well let’s just take a quick gander, shall we??

There are a LOT of trends buzzing around these days but not too sure how many of them are what I would consider mom “friendly”. Correction; new mom friendly.

However, whether a lot of these trends are for new moms or not, there can become a point where almost anyone can do them as long as they do their groundwork first. You want to be sure to rehab any diastasis or pelvic floor issues and stabilize so you have a strong foundation to build on.

Now these trends go anywhere from army style boot-camps and obstacle courses to dancing or just feeling sexy again. But they all kick butt. It just depends on what your taste of the month is. Read the rest of this entry »

What NOT to do for your Mummy Tummy

So if you have a mummy tummy, a pooch or roundness right around your belly button that’s bigger at night than in the morning, there is a pretty good chance it’s more than just those wings and beer you had last night. The most common cause of this post-delivery belly is a condition called diastasis recti, or in lay mans terms, separation of the rectus abdominis.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I am more than just a personal trainer, but more an educator when it comes to what happens to your body both during pregnancy and postpartum. I am basically here to tell you the sh*t no one else does so you can feel confident knowing what you can and can not do when it comes to fitness pre and post.

So for all of you who may know (or not know, but suspect) that you do have diastasis recti, know this; you are very NORMAL as this affects approximately 85% of FIRST pregnancies. Some physiotherapists, however, would say it’s more like 95% because if your abdominals have separated at all, that’s a diastasis. I mean, before, your abdominals weren’t separated, right? (or were they?) Read the rest of this entry »

Return to running after baby – by team member: Kate Rita

I have been an avid fitness runner for 14 years. During both of my pregnancies I stopped running the first time because I was overcautious, and the second time because it caused bleeding at 14 weeks. We runners tend to be hyperactive A-type personalities who are a bit obsessive about the sport. We can’t wait to get back to running after baby!

Recovering from my first pregnancy I hit the streets again after 6 weeks. I remember my hips killing me but I trained through it. I shudder to think of the state of my postnatal body returning to the sport before it was ready, but still I trained up to my first half marathon at 3 years postpartum.

Read the rest of this entry »

Postnatal training – Becoming a mother can inspire you! – by team member: Kate Rita

I am very happy to be writing this article as this topic comes up often in my work and this is a perfect forum to share that conversation with many more women.

Women are very understandably concerned about the long lasting impacts of pregnancy on the body. The transformation we undergo physically to carry a baby is staggering; delivery is a difficult, physical, painful although wonderful experience which leaves us injured to some degree without exception. Compound that with the new emotions we must understand, increased
demands on our depleted resources, as well as social pressure to be a bikini babe in 3 months, and we have a potential recipe for an overwhelmed new mom with defeated personal goals becoming increasingly frustrated and resigned to never being as fit as she once was. It can feel insurmountable. Can you relate? Read the rest of this entry »

Hypopresive training….the weirdest but coolest thing in a long time.

Fitness, exercise and training has come along way from Jane Fonda and the 20 Minute Workout. We now have Kettlebells, BOSU balls, bootcamps and INSANITY!! Things are constantly moving and changing to keep us intrigued, motivated and push us that little bit more so we don’t stop.

But if you look at the trends and the way we train, there seems to be the constant need to propel us to “where no man has ever gone” and for what?? Depending on what your goals are, the women I work with don’t need to do 100 squats or burpees to help them function in their every day life.

What I do know is (most) pregnant women and new moms needs are simple; the need to feel whole, strong and in control of their bodies again. With the onset of diastasis recti, low back pain, hip pain, incontinence and POP (pelvic organ prolapse), it’s pretty hard to feel like “yourself”.

But like I said, things are a changing and so my eyes have been opened once again. Hypopresive training. What the what??? That’s exactly what I thought the first time I had heard of it but my curiosity definitely got the best of me. Read the rest of this entry »

What your mother never told you….

Or your aunt, sister, doctor, friends; not anyone!!

How many times have I met a new mom just to hear her say “why didn’t anyone tell me?” or “how come nobody checked?”. I honestly can’t tell you how many times but all I say in response is: “this is why I am here. To tell you the sh*t” nobody tells you”. Lucky me.

I spoke at a Mommy Connections group today about all the “things” that seem to slip people’s minds when they talk about being a new mom. You know; the tummy, extra skin, stretch marks, aches, pains and “down there”. And although some moms in the group looked like deers in head lights, I am sure there was a sigh of relief as well.  Read the rest of this entry »

Postpartum training….too much too soon?

Well you asked for it. I posted this on my newsletter last month and got a lot of feedback! So much so that people have asked for me to post it on my website for reference. Now I know some people are not going to be too happy with me but this is my personal opinion (and a few other professionals I have to say) so take from it what you will and keep in mind the big picture….train hard now for a limited time or take one step at a time so you can train hard for the long run? Read the rest of this entry »

My “Dream” Client

One of the amazing things about my job is I get to not only watch my client’s transform, but I also get to share and be a part of the journey as their family grows. And whether it’s watching their belly grow week by week during pregnancy or noticing the glimmer in their eyes as they fit into those sexy jeans again, I am constantly in awe and grateful for being allowed to be a part of it all.

But just when I didn’t think it could get any better, my “dream” came true! One of the most inspiring clients I have had the honour of training, just confided in me that she’s pregnant. Squeeeee!!

As the mother of two very sweet and playful boys (let’s call her Sandra), I observe how well she connects and that she is one of “those” women who were just born to have kids. So after almost a year of training, we tells me that she’s “thinking” of having a third, but of course my first thought is – “hell ya!”. If anyone should have more, it’s her.  Read the rest of this entry »