Category: exercise

July 9, 2010

Another round of latest results for Closing the Diastasis Recti AND Pelvic Floor – Pregnancy AND Postpartum

So, NO PICS THIS ROUND, as its a quick rundown.  HOWEVER, I do expect to get pics in the next couple of weeks 🙂

CLIENT A:  This client is in her early 30s and is now 34 WEEKS pregnant.  She had started out at 28 weeks with a diastasis of 5 fingerwidths in the middle, 4 three inches above the belly button, and 3 1/2 three inches below the belly button.  She had since brought things in to a VERY decent 3 in three middle, 2 3/4 on top and 2 three inches below the belly button.  THEN – and this is what ALWAYS seems to get my clients – she MOVED.  All the lifting boxes…and making sure to bring the transverse in BEFORE lifting the boxes, and also NOT lifting the boxes that you can’t keep your transverse in….which means the box is TOO heavy for the current strength of the tranverse.  At this point there is a couple choices (before moving) – strengthen your transverse BIG TIME so you CAN help to move the invariably heavy boxes, or leave the heavier boxes to someone else.  Well, my cute client told me the day before I was to come for our session that she CRAMMED – (did I mention she did tons of school, being a neurologist) meaning she did several sets of  100 SEATED  TUPLERS.

Well since I have never seen anyone MOVE unscathed, at least those in the PROCESS of closing their diastasis, let alone a PREGNANT women 34 weeks along (increasingly more forward pressure of the uterus) – I was VERY PLEASANTLY surprised to find she had actually DECREASED her diastasis.  She was a 1 3/4 in the middle, 1 1/2 on the top, and 1 on the bottom.  This is considered CLINICALLY closed, at this point.  With Diastasis rehab, we know its not too much more work to bring that ALL the way closed, and strengtouhen your belly, your back, and bring your waistline in and make you cosmetically look SO much better!. ALL THIS while MOVING and having a RAPIDLY expanding belly. 

CLIENT E:  This client has not been introduced yet.  She is in her late 30s, and a mom to 4 kids.  She is a real go-getter. She is a 4 on top, 4 in the middle, and 6 on the bottom with her diastasis, as well as a hernia in the middle and bottom.  She has been using pelvic floor weights called “STEP FREE” and had always had the experience of the weights FALLING OUT.  You are supposed to be able to put them in and “forget about them.”  Well, since they always FELL out, she didn’t want to wear them.  So since doing SEATED TUPLERS sets of 100, which works the pubococcygeus muslce ( the “kegel” muscle, or the one that controls urine flow) she can now put in the STEP FREE WEIGHTS   
and the step free will FINALLY STAY PUT.  So while that was an unexpected perk for HER, it IS one of the benefits of doing 5 + sets of Seated Tuplers Daily.

The only exception?  While PREGNANT you RELAX THE PELVIC FLOOR while doing the Seated Tuplers, so that when PUSHING OUT A BABY, you will bring your transverse BACK to the 5th floor and open the pelvic floor.  The mind body connection will be established of “transverse back, pelvic floor relaxed” throughout the entire pregnancy, and practiced during a bowel movement.  Then when its time to push, its AUTOMATIC.  This is called PERFECT PUSHING.

May 20, 2010

What Abs Should I do When I’m Pregnant? Can I do Any? Maternal Fitness..

So this area of fitness has always been shrouded in uncertainty.  Some people have been told “not to do ANY abs” and some people do abs regardless and keep their workouts very similar to before they were pregnant.

So what is the answer?

Lets talk about what is NOT the answer first.  DO. NOT. DO. CRUNCHES. OR. SIT. UPS!!

As the uterus protrudes, it creates a forward forceful pressure that splits the recti in UP TO 98% of women creating a diastasis recti.  If there are any movements which THEN create a forward forceful motion – like crunches, it is TOO MUCH for the muscles and they most likely will split.

So what else not to do while pregnant?  Pilates 100, Teaser, V sit, Rolling like a ball, Jacknifing up or down, side to side obliques, twisting motions (they SHEAR the diastasis).

AND  I think its VERY helpful to get Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery

because it will go over ALL the exercises you SHOULD do.  Among them
SEATED TUPLERS and HEADIFTS.

in terms of abdominals.

These help immensely with BACK PAIN during pregnancy.  Because the RECTI’S (outermost abdominal muscles) function is back support, when they are split, the back support is compromised.  When I am pregnant – I always have to do a set before bed so I can sleep without back pain.  There are also other abdominals – CORRECT OBLIQUES and ELEVATORS that the book talks about that are fantastic.

There are also scores of other exercises there that are fantastic.

Also a newer video which is great is Maternal Fitness Prenatal Pilates.

This one actually tells you the safe pilates to do while pregnant, but especially to keep those recti together.  There are so many pitfalls with pilates for pregnant women because quite a few of the exercises have forceful forward movement of the abdominals  – so BE CAREFUL!!

On a personal note, when I am teaching classes and training women, they get ANGRY that no one told them what to do and what NOT to do while pregnant.  They are mad that they had to needlessly deal with a diastasis, that can be closed even in the NINTH month of pregnancy.  OH YES!!!!  One of my clients was a three fingerwidth diastasis at 7 1/2 months pregnant – took my class, and totally closed it by her 9th Month.

SO WHAT GOOD DOES THAT DO?  Well, perfect recti for PUSHING!  Closed Recti are very importnant for effective pushing , as well as a strong transverse.

NO HERNIA!!!  The connectie tissue between the recti won’t get a hole or tear with closed recti, which is a hernia (the organs pushing through the connective tissue).

PREPREGNANCY MIDSECTION BACK QUICKER!  Those women with a diastasis usually feel like they look 3 to 5 months pregnant, EVEN IF they are very in shape, and skinny.  It is literally the LAST PUZZLE PIECE for a restored pre pregnancy midsection.

PLUS NO BACK PAIN, as mentioned.

So, I realize I have left pregnant women out of the equation of this blog – and so I wanted to address that.  You have SO MUCH MORE advantage in doing the TUPLER TECHNIQUE while pregnant !!!!

May 12, 2010

PICTURES! FINALLY – SOME BEFORE AND AFTER – diastasis/TUPLER TECHNIQUE PICS!!

Many of you have asked me to post pictures of people – before and after – with diastasis rehab and the tupler technique.  I have been slow to acquiesce because I don’t feel comfortable meeting a client and asking them if I can take pictures of an area they are very sensative about.  So I generally post stats – and several stats I have posted are very impressive, if I do say so myself.  The women I work with have had OUTSTANDING results.

However, those of you that are thinking about surgery to correct your abdominals LIKE the fact that a surgeon can show you some warm fuzzy pictures of pre and post surgery – tens of thousands of dollars between pictures, not to mention hours and hours of pain, and potential infection in between the warm fuzzy – pre and post surgery pictures.

One of my clients mentioned to me after her 3rd visit – that she had taken pictures of herself, as well as some video footage.  I asked permission to post these, and she has kindly agreed.

Here is a brief history – which I will replace with her own words once she emails me with her story.  In a nutshell.  D.P. (we will call her)  comes from a dancing background.  She danced with various dance companies in her past.  After pregnancy, she was left with severely split recti.  She was told immediatly by her OB GYN after the birth that she would need surgery to correct it, but that it would be very painful.  She was also told that because of the nature of her split – the netting needed to basically  paste and sew to the muscles would have a high risk of getting infected.  She saw two SURGEONS who gave her the same scenarios.  The first pictures you can see the organs are protruding out the abdominal walls – there are no muscles holding them in, so client felt like her belly looked several months pregnant, when she was not.

I began to work with D.P. 8 weeks ago.  Her total background was unbeknownst to me until our 3rd session.  We went through the normal session – measuring her diastasis (5 fingerwidths on top, 6 in the middle, and 4 on the bottom), going over the exercises – seated tuplers, elevators, pelvic tilts, kegels, headlifts (our version of the crunch which does NOT bulge out the recti) and showed which exercises not to do (CRUNCHES, JACKNIVES, etc).  WAIST MEASURES 32 3/4 INCHES.

We met a 2nd time – 2 weeks later, going over the advanced variations and isolating different parts of the diastasis, along with obliques, and postural correction stretches and exercises.  Her diastasis was a 2 deep on top, 4 deep in the middle, and a 3 deep on the bottom.

We met a 3rd time – 4 weeks later (during the past 6 weeks, client does 5 sets of 100 seated tuplers daily, and other exercises as directed).  Client measured shallow 2 on top, 3 in the middle, and shallow 3 on the bottom.  It was at this time D.P. took these photos.  A couple days before our 3rd session, her OB looked at her and told her her abdominals “looked pretty good – maybe she DIDN’T need any surgery.”  She then told him she was seeing me – and that she was doing exercises to correct the diastasis.  Waist measured 30 INCHES.

HIS RESPONSE?  “I’VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT!”  (classic!)  

You will notice the belly button was an “outie”- and is now and “innie” and you will notice the organs protrude FAR LESS, and her belly looks supported.  The muscle tone is MUCH better, and the waist is noticably smaller.  This is all without any dietary changes – its JUST the exercises.

There is still room to go – approx 3 fingerwidths all the way down – but a MARKED improvement.  And her status has gone from IMMINENT SURGERY to NOT NEEDING SURGERY – in 6 weeks.

May 5, 2010

Mummy Tummy friendly GYROTONICS

 click HERE to view Naomi Campbells gyrotonics workout  

This was featured on Oprah a few days ago.  I was VERY impressed that most of these – at least the ones I saw her doing were for the most part mummy tummy friendly.  The one where her legs are in a 90 degree angle, I would raise the feet closer to the head for that one, small of the back on the ground, but otherwise great.

I love workouts that lengthen the body AND and are “mummy tummy” friendly.  SO many workouts I see are NOT mummy tummy friendly, meaning they make the diastasis larger or CREATE one by the forward forceful movement of the abdominals.

WHAT IS GYROTONICS: 
Derived from words for “circle” and “stretch,” Gyrotonic works your body in a decidedly nonlinear way through a fusion of expressive-looking circular movements. Combining elements of dance, yoga, swimming, t’ai chi and gymnastics, it’s a liberating experience — a way to exercise outside the lines.

“There’s something about the 360-degree orientation that wakes up the spirit,” says Janet Rupp, a four-year Gyrotonic student at White Cloud studio in Boulder, Colo., who shifted to Gyrotonic from Pilates and hiking at age 58.

“It’s playful and fluid,” Rupp adds. “We tend to take ourselves so seriously. This adds lightness to life.”
“Gyrotonic brings that circular motion,” he says. “It’s unique in that you’re using your muscles throughout their range.”

“Gyrotonic increases the functional capacity of the entire organism,” says Matt Aversa, vice president and COO of the Gyrotonic International Headquarters. “Even if you’re just playing ping-pong, it helps.”

HOW IS GYROTONICS DIFFERENT THAN PILATES OR YOGA?
Gyrotonic is “more expansive” than yoga, says Gyrotonic Master Trainer Alice Diamond, who opened her Boulder, Colo., studio after studying personally with Horvath. “There’s more balance between strength and openness,” she says, “and more emphasis on rotation and spiraling movements.”
Aversa says Gyrotonic also differs from yoga and Pilates because there’s “no end point in the movements.” Pilates is more linear; yoga is more static; and Gyrotonic is both circular and fluid. In fact, Gyrotonic can actually accelerate advancement in your yoga practice, says Aversa, allowing you to get into difficult positions more easily.

Aversa also points out one way that Gyrotonic is different from toning or weight-training work: “In Gyrotonic we use resistance to open the body — to leverage rather than to build mass.”
More info on GYROTONICS HERE

Has anyone out there tried Gyrontonics?  Did you love it?  Did you do machines or non-machine gyrotonics?

Also, if you watch the link above to the video –  I thought the jumproping was a great tip to thin that part of the face!

March 13, 2010

Latest Results? Diastasis Recti…

I have decided to periodically post great results that I am seeing lately to let women know that surgery or perpetual frustration does not have to be the answer.  There is hope for your abdominals POST PREGNANCY!!

I have one woman in one of my classes who just had her 2nd baby 5 months ago.  Shet had a 5 fingerwidth separation of the recti three inches above the belly button, a SEVEN fingerwidth separation of the recti right AT the belly button, and a 4 fingerwidth separation of the recti three inches below the bellybutton.  (We always measure the diastasis in these three areas).  This case would be considered by many doctors and most plastic surgeons, if not all, to be a prime tummy tuck candidate to artifically bring the recti together.

Well, first thing she did was get a Splint to bring the two halves of her recti in closer approximation.  You can get a splint if you are two fingerwidths apart.  The larger the gap, the more pronounced the need to splint the recti.  She even wore hers to bed, so she would train herself not to jackknife out of bed.

She did 5 to 7 sets of 100 a day of seated tuplers.  Since she is a working mom, she would do all her sets on her commute to and from work.  She would say, “I’m going to do 2 sets by the time I reach Aurora” and things like that to give her a goal.

By the time the 6th week rolled around, we retested – she was 2 on the top, 3 in the middle, and 3 on the bottom – MARKED improvement.

The 8th (and final) class rolled around.  We measured her recti – TOTALLY CLOSED – TOP, MIDDLE, AND BOTTOM.  We measured her waist as well – 32.5 inches before, and 30.5 inches after – TWO inches lost. Total time to close a LARGE diastasis and get back her prepregnancy midsection?  8 WEEKS!!

Her husbands comments that last week (who she claimes never notices anything), “You look kinda hot in that tank top.”

********************************************************************************

Another girl I trained during a private 3 session course was a very tall, dancer’s body, slender woman. She was frustrated about her tummy not looking right, 6 years after having twins.  She had a FOUR fingerwidth gap on the top part of her recti, a FIVE fingerwidth gap in the middle – right at the bellybutton – and a FOUR fingerwidth gap on the bottom. Her waist – 29 1/8  inches.  She was also what would be considered by many to be a prime tummy tuck candidate due to the separation of her recti.

She immediately got a  Splint to approximate the recti.  She did her 5 sets of 100 seated tuplers a day and by the 2nd session (two weeks later) was down to CLOSED recti at the top, 2 fingerwidth split in the middle, and ONE fingerwidth split on the bottom. Her waist size  27 5/8  – down 1 1/2 inches.

She continued to do her 5 sets of 100, get up and down correctly, avoid “crunches”, and wear the splint. We measured her after the 3rd session and she was CLOSED on top, CLOSED in the middle, and CLOSED on the bottom. Total time to close her diastasis and get back her prepregnancy midsection? 6 weeks!

*********************************************************************************
Do you know of anyone who has a “mummy tummy”?  Feel free to spread the word – its VERY HARD information to find.  Most practitioners, surgeons and most personal trainers DO NOT KNOW this is out there for their clients and patients!  Spread the word and give some hope for those who don’t know that there is an answer to post-pregnancy midsection woes!

March 2, 2010

What do you mean I shouldn’t do crunches? Never? But…

Yes, I have been asked this question many times.  Lets face it, people just LOVE their crunches.  I don’t know why – it doesn’t make sense to me.  Even before I knew the damage they could do to the recti, I knew that they hurt my neck muscles.  There is ALWAYS an abdominal bulge-out.  Even when people THINK they are bringing their stomach muscles in, they are not able to fully engage the abdominals because it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to bring in the innermost abdominal muscle (TRANSVERSE) while doing a crunch.

In fact, the only REASON, in THEORY, to do a crunch is to SHORTEN the long stretched out recti muscles (outermost abdominal muscles – 6 pack muscles)  and make them strong, toned, and lean.

Well, a crunch will shorten the recti from the TOP by bringing your head off the ground, and a crunch will shorten the BOTTOM of the recti by bringing your legs to a bent position in essence tilting the pelvis.  HOWEVER, the pitfall is that it DOESN’T shorten the recti from the MIDDLE – which is the MOST important part.

Why doesn’t a crunch shorten the recti from the middle you ask?  Because it does NOT work the transversus abdominus – a.k.a transverse.

If the crunch does not work the transverse, or shorten the recti from the middle, is there ANY POINT in doing the exercises?

The answer is so VERY simple – absolutely not!!!

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!?!?

Two things:

SEATED TUPLERS: Imagine your belly is a sideways elevator and the 1st floor is where your belly is normally at in its relaxed position. Bring your belly all the way back to your spine (5th floor) and hold it there for a second, then release to the 3rd floor (in between the 1st and 5th), then back to 5th floor again (squeeze and hold for a second) then back to 3rd floor. Continuing doing until you reach 100.

100 may seem like a lot, but a set of 100 only takes 2 ½ minutes. Do 5 sets a day, altogether, or spaced out, whatever is easiest. Do this exercise sitting down with firm back support. You should be able to feel this in your back, as it also works the lower lumbar muscles. This is the FASTEST way to repair your recti and bring them back together, closing the diastasis.

Yes you DO breathe. You “sniff” to bring air in, and COUNT as your exhale, which forces the air to work through your body.

HEAD LIFT: Lay on your back with your knees bent. Expand your belly to allow air to come into the body, Exhale, bring your bellybutton all the way to the spine (this is working the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS – the key to bringing in the recti). Hold the belly there and you slightly tilt your pelvus to bring the small of the back pressed into the floor, tuck the chin, and then lift up your head and bring it back down fairly quickly.

If your abdominals show any movement, then it means your TRANSVERSE is not quite strong enough. There should be no visible movement on your abdominals.

ONE LAST QUESTION: How do you get the transverse strong enough to do the headlift? THE SEATED TUPLERS – it is the fastest way because it strengthens your abdominals in a seated position, which is the MISSING LINK of abdominals. You will not have gravity working against you in a seated position. Then when you begin to do abdominals while laying on your back where gravity is working against you, you will already have a mind body connection to the muscle to tell if your transverse muscle is actually engaged.

So my question is WHY WOULD YOU DO A CRUNCH when there is really no benefit, and EVEN damage you can do to your stomach muscles (further splitting of the recti)?  Even if you CLOSED your diastasis, the gap, why would you then go back to an INFERIOR way?

Have you tried these?  Did you get stumped?  Did you feel the seated tupler exercise in your back or your kegel area (that would mean you are doing them right)?

February 3, 2010

INVEST IN YOURSELF: YOU’RE WORTH IT (guest post by fitmepink)

I am SO excited that one of my all-time favorite fitness blog gurus is posting for us.  This Stay at home mom of 2 1/2  and personal trainer with a love of nutrition (including sneaking those veggies into her kid’s food),  has great insight on fitness and how to balance being a mom and balancing the fitness routine.  Here is FITMEPINK’S outlook on investing in yourself:

“There are few investments I’ve made in my life that have reaped greater benefits than joining a gym. I had just returned home after living abroad (in cold, dark Finland) for 18 months. I was 30 lbs. heavier than when I left.  One day soon after returning home, some guy friends invited me and a girlfriend to the beach. I was mortified as I watched my friend take off her clothes to reveal a cute, slender, tan, perfect beach body. I’ve never wanted to be the girl who refuses to wear a swimsuit, so I removed my clothes to reveal a chubby and white-from-literally-not-seeing-the-sun-for-a-year-and-a-half– body. I wanted to hide. I wanted to be ANYWHERE but at the beach, wearing ANYTHING but the full-coverage, black one piece swimsuit that didn’t hide enough.

 
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe that a perfect body is the key to happiness. But I was depressed. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin.  I wasn’t healthy, and I wasn’t happy.  I wasn’t sure what to do with my life at that point, and at that yucky beach moment, I was miserable…and feeling fat and ugly didn’t help.
 
A few mornings later, I woke up and made a decision. I was joining a gym. I didn’t care how much it cost, I was going to join. Yes, I was the perfect walk-in-potential-member. I walked into the gym (with my little brother who I coerced into joining with me), and started looking at my options. When the guy-hoping-for-the-sale told me about the “lifetime membership,” (which included 5 sessions with a Personal Trainer), I was sold. I knew that fitness had to be a way of life. I wasn’t going to be in this for the short haul. I wasn’t going to lose the 30 lbs. and quit. I was going to start doing something that I would continue forever. So I paid a nice chunk of change (especially for a girl who’d spent a year-and-a-half giving service AKA making no money), signed some papers, and started chipping away at those lovely extra pounds.
 
I definitely don’t think joining a gym is the only way to a fit body and life, but for me, it was an investment in myself that I wasn’t going to waste!  By purchasing a “life-time membership,” I knew that I was in this for life.  I wasn’t going to work really hard to lose the weight only to fall back off the wagon.  I wanted to be healthy, and I was literally committing myself for…well…forever!
 
The Best Decisions I’ve Made On This Lifetime Fitness Journey
For me, joining a gym that day was the FIRST best decision I made in the beginning of my on-going fitness journey.
The second best decision was signing up for those 5 Personal Training sessions. Before working with a trainer, I really only did cardio. Working out meant running. Period. (OK, and Tae Bo with Billy Blanks). After my first few sessions with a trainer, I was sold on the benefits of resistance training. I was sore in places I didn’t know existed on my body! I loved it! I loved knowing that I was making changes on my body that couldn’t be made any other way. I fell so in love with resistance training, that I went on to become a certified personal trainer.
The third best decision I made on my fitness journey was stepping foot into a group fitness class. I used to watch from the outside and feel totally intimidated by the barbells, steps, and free weights. I vividly remember my first experience in a lifting type class (strength endurance training). I looked to see how much weight the other ladies had on their bars. Being the overly-competitive girl that I am, I foolishly matched the ones with the most. I barely made it through class, and couldn’t walk normally for days. I’m sure the instructor cringed as she watched my form…I had no idea how hard the class would be. But now, the classes are honestly what keep me going to the gym. They’re on my schedule, and I plan many of my days around these workouts. I work out longer, and harder than I probably would on my own. I’ve made friends in the classes. I heart group fitness!
The fourth best decision I ever made was signing up for a race. Mind you, signing up for a full 26.2 mile marathon as the first organized race probably wasn’t the smartest thing. A 5- or even a 10-K would have been better. But regardless of how long the race, I had a goal to work towards. I couldn’t NOT run knowing that I would probably keel over and die on the race course if I didn’t train. Running soon became an addiction with which I have an ongoing love affair.
The fifth best decision I made was asking for a heart rate monitor for Christmas two years ago. I probably go a little overboard by wearing it for each and every workout, but it has truly helped me understand my body.  I know what it truly feels like when I go anaerobic.  I also know when my perceived rate of exertion is a lot higher than I’m actually working.  I occasionally feel like I’m working at a level 10, but my heart rate tells me I’m working at more like a level 6.  The heart doesn’t lie!
The sixth best decision was starting a fitness blog. I love that health and fitness is always on my mind! I love that I get to learn as I research. And I love that I get to glean insights from other healthy-minded readers and writers.  Plus, it keeps me accountable.  Having even a friend to check up on you and your fitness goals can be life changing!
I hope to continue making new life-altering decisions as I crawl along in this on-going fitness journey. However, the most important thing for me is knowing that I’m doing something that I feel I can sustain for life. I don’t work out for hours upon hours each day. That’s not a pace I can maintain. But I can chug along, go to the gym, and not be completely mortified at the thought of wearing a swimsuit on the beach! Yes, I definitely have some post-baby-body issues, but I’m a happier, healthier, more confident me.
 
Investing in your health, your body, and your overall well being is ALWAYS worth it!”
  
THANKS SO MUCH, ROBYN!!  For more great insights, tips, recipes, and strategies, go to www.fitmepink.blogspot.com.

July 2, 2009

Kickboxing Postpartum…What you NEED to know…


So does anyone out there still do kickboxing? I think kickboxing is so fun and gives you that feeling like you can do anything and no one better mess with you. I remember doing that everyday before my wedding 9 years ago. (Anyone remember Tae bo with Billy Blanks? What ever happened to him anyway….)

However, there are some things you MUST know if you have had a baby…no matter how long ago. In 98% of women, there has been a split in the rectus abdominus muscle. If you don’t do anything to bring it back together, it will stay separated. It looks unsightly and creates a bulgy poochy “mummy tummy” and it can cause and exaserbate back problems, effect posture..

So if you have NOT brought your diastasis (split stomach muscles) together then you must avoid a couple things of kickboxing.

When you punch, don’t go side to side . Don’t punch (in the air) on the right side of your body with the left fist, and the left side of your body with your right fist. This will cause a

SHEARING MOTION.

Any side to side motion is a SHEARING MOTION on your diastasis and can make your split BIGGER!!

How to modify until your close your diastasis? Try bringing your belly button to the spine and punching straight in front of you. When you CLOSE your diastasis… then you can go back to punching from side to side, but take care that you can bring your belly button ALL the way back to the spine (transverse) EVERY time your punch.

When you do your kicks, your belly button must be all the way back to the spine (transverse muscle) or your can make your diastasis bigger. If you can’t do this, then the exercise is either too hard for you (transverse muscle not strong enough) or you shouldn’t be doing it.

Do you kickbox? Or do you prefer softer movements for condition – such as pilates and yoga? Do you like to mix up your workouts – muscle confusion – to condition the body?

June 17, 2009

The pitfalls of PILATES


I LOVE Pilates – and so you must read this post KNOWING that. Pilates has become the IN and the ALL for many people – especially women.

One thing to understand is that the pilates that we do is ADAPTED Pilates. The original work of JH Pilates was mostly on machines.

One other thing to point out – JH Pilates was a MAN.

In the perspective of a Personal Trainer who specializes in helping Pregnant and Postpartum women LOSE and AVOID a “MUMMY TUMMY” I modify ALL, I repeat, ALL of the BACKYLYING Pilates exercises so they don’t increase the size of their split stomach muscles (DIASTASIS).

How must these exercises be modified? Very simple – if you keep your shoulders GLUED to the floor, and keep your belly button PLASTERED to your spine, you will be fine.

What happens if your shoulders come OFF the ground? Your transverse (innermost abdominal muscle) bulges forcefully forward. It is a forward forceful motion or pressure that CREATES a diastasis.

So for the pilates 100 – you may either keep your head glued to the floor if you are not as strong, or tuck your chin and lift your head like you were nodding YES. Also, my other problem with the teaser, is that your legs are at a 45 degree angle. If you cannot keep the small of your back on the ground for this, your transverse muscle is not strong enough, and you will have another BULGE OUT.

I frequently meet women who do pilates that have very large diastasis. This is because their instructors do not have that missing puzzle piece about the diastasis, the transverse, and how the two must be considered with every exercise taught.

The other PILATES NO-NO for pregnant or POSTPARTUM WOMEN (no matter how long PP) is no JACK-KNIFES!!!!! This creates a big bulge out and is one of the prime sources or prolonged split stomach muscles. Most people go in and out of bed this way. Once those shoulders come off the ground, that transverse bulges forcefully forward and widens your split.

About 10 to 30 minutes AFTER the classes I teach are spent modifying people’s pilates moves to accomodate their POSTPARTUM bodies (even if it has been TENS of YEARS since having a baby).

FAST RULES TO MODIFY PILATES FOR WOMEN:
1) keep shoulders on the ground at all times
2) keep small of the back on the ground while doing back-lying pilates
3) keep your belly button GLUED to the spine (we call this 5th floor in my classes)

Do you do Pilates? Are there any exercises that haven’t felt right to you? Have you ever modified your OWN Pilates? What Pilates exercises do you love?

April 14, 2009

FLATTERING WORK OUT WEAR???

Its really hard to find CUTE workout wear that lasts in my opinion. Either it gets saggy in the bum, or it stretches out in the knees, or it fades, or it tears or SOMETHING.

So, when I was out in New York I heard from several fellow fitness people – LULULEMON

BUT, they warned, they are really expensive.

BUT, they said, they are REALLY FLATTERING

AND, they said, they make your BUM look CUTE. EVEN the higher sizes, if you know what I mean.

AND, they said, they will last a long time.

AND, they said, you can wear them to work out, or you can wear them as DRESS PANTS to a nice dinner or whatever.

They are VERSATILE, they said.

AND, they said, the REVERSE GROOVE PANTS, are black with both a foldover AND high waist band option on one side, and ALL BLACK on the other side.

TWO PANTS IN ONE!

There is even “DENIM” reverse groove pants that literally LOOK like Jeans, but are SOO comfortable, and you can go workout with them after dropping the kids off at school, and then look totally presentable for that doctor’s appointment.

So I am determined to find me a pair, but I DON’T want to pay $100 ish dollars (usually between $80 and 140 for pants).

I have been stalking the website http://www.lululemonportal.com/ where all the lululemon pants, or many of them anyway, are on display that are selling on ebay. I just missed an auction where some REALLY cute ones went for $33. I was really bummed.

COME TO FIND OUT, if you get a pair on ebay, and you live near a lululemon store, you can take it there and they will hem it for free, as long as they are clean.

If you have enough dough to spend on FULL PRICE in store, then before you leave they will have them custom hemmed for you if you want.

SWEET.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORKOUT WEAR? Do you have a preference? Is it worth it to you to invest in some nice workout clothes? Would it make it easier for you to WANT to work out, instead of putting on some sweats?