The effect of collagen on the pelvic floor

pelvic floor Jan 13, 2023

Just as with the rest of the body, the pelvic floor loses collagen as we age. So just like when our boobs and our chin starts to feel the effects of gravity over time due to decreased skin elasticity, so too does the pelvic floor. A lifetime of high impact activity without a proper pelvic floor routine to provide support can cause just as much (if not more) wear and tear on your pelvic floor as pregnancy and childbirth. Which is why it becomes even more important to strengthen and tone the pelvic floor as we get older, whether we’ve given birth or not.  

 

I am seeing more and more women in their 40s who’ve never given birth who say to me “I think I might have a diastasis but how can this be when I've never given birth?”   

 

Collagen is kind of like a glue that holds all the cells in the body together. It is very important for helping the connective tissue of your pelvic floor to remain linked together in order to support healthy...

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What's so special about the Postpartum Protocol LIVE?

DO YOU KNOW YOU NEED ACCOUNTABILITY TO STAY ON TRACK?

If you're someone who buys all the courses and then forgets to actually do them, you're not alone!

I created the Postpartum Protocol because people kept asking me when my second child was due (even though I wasn't able to have anymore children!)

I had a 4 finger diastasis, a helluva mommy-tummy, I would never have DARED get on the trampoline with my daughter, I was constantly throwing my back out etc etc.

But all that changed once I developed the Postpartum Protocol and committed to making it a part of my life. For life.

And it's my passion to help you do the same!

 

IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR BODY AGAIN

With professional guidance and group support, you've found your inner mom circle to nurture you, and teach you how to learn how to trust your own body again.

If your core just hasn't felt the same since giving birth, and no amount of core workouts seem to make any difference, then this is...

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Do you experience knee pain when you squat?

pilates postpartum Nov 15, 2022

Do your knees hurt when you squat? This is one of the most common postpartum complaints I hear from mums besides core and pelvic floor issues.

 

First, let’s address why it happens in the first place:

 

During pregnancy, we carry a lot of extra weight in the front. When we carry or hold weight in the front of our body, it causes the front of our body to overwork. The quads (fronts of our thighs) get overused as we carry around this extra weight in the front, and as the quads become stronger, they start to take over, thus allowing the glutes to become weaker.

 

Have you ever heard the term “mom-butt”? Which refers to the saggy butt we experience as moms. This is why. So unless you were actively and intentionally training your glutes with weights during pregnancy, there is a high probability that your glutes are essentially turned off.

 

Squatting is a glute exercise. But when the glutes are very weak, we can lean too far forward when we squat,...

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Want to learn how to flatten your mummy tummy?!

You’ve heard me say it a thousand times on instagram “your breath is the most important piece of the puzzle”, but WHY exactly is it so important??

 

During pregnancy the front of our ribcage must flare out in order to make space for our growing baby. Remember how it became more and more difficult to breathe towards the end of your pregnancy..? We basically all forget HOW to breathe during pregnancy.

 

After pregnancy, when the bottom of the ribcage remains flared out in the front, it causes the stomach to also protrude. It is not possible to get a truly flat stomach if the ribcage is still flared.

 

Look at the image below . This is a student of mine. I've put the arrows on there so that you can see the difference in ribcage flare. Look at the difference in the angle of the arrow. It might not look like much, but it makes a HUGE difference to the shape of your midsection. We have almost entirely corrected it due to correcting the BREATHING...

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The Pelvic Floor: Everything You Needed To Know Sooner!

I was recently given the incredible opportunity and great privilege to collaborate with doctors, physical therapists and birth professionals in the kind of book that should be handed out in high schools and gynecologists offices. This book was a passion project like no other. All of the authors of this book had something unique to share. From personal stories, to anatomy lessons, to helpful tips and solutions to some of the most common postpartum symptoms. 

 

But this book is not just for women. Men have a pelvic floor too. And many even suffer from Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) without even knowing it. Do you know a man who refers to his “dad belly”? That could very well be related to PFD. In women it’s affectionately referred to as the “mummy tummy”, the fupa, the mom pooch. We’re told “you’re a mom now. It’s part of the package”, but it simply isn’t true. We just have to have the knowledge of how to fix...

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Why I created the Postpartum Protocol...

I initially set out to create this 12 week program for myself. Because at 2 years postpartum I still looked 4 months pregnant, i had a very severe 4 finger diastasis (ab separation), I couldn’t pick up my child without feeling like my vagina was going to fall out, penetration was extremely painful, and i was just about ready to give up teaching Pilates.

 

The Pilates ab exercises just weren’t cutting it like they used to and no one seemed to be able to give me any answers. I even went to several of my most trusted mentors and asked them why it felt like I was being stabbed in the stomach when I tried to do the Pilates ab exercises. And they all pretty much told me “your core is weak. You just need to do more of it”. I now know however that the absolute opposite is true! So in a last ditch effort, I turned to the teachings of some trusted physical therapists and finally found the missing piece of the puzzle - the core functions differently after birth and...

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Stress vs Urge Incontinence - What’s the difference and how do they each relate to your pelvic floor?

pelvic floor postpartum Apr 13, 2022

Stress Incontinence occurs when you cough, laugh, run, jump, sneeze etc, and you pee your pants a little as a result. This often happens when too much pressure is exerted on the bladder, forcing urine out. In most cases, this is a result of weakened pelvic floor muscles, usually due to childbirth, age, and/or menopause. But there are also circumstances that can aggravate stress incontinence, such as obesity, smoking, high-impact activities like running and jumping, and a chronic cough. Women can also experience stress incontinence when doing things like standing from sitting, getting in and out of a vehicle, lifting heavy things and having sex.

 

Urge Incontinence is also known as Overactive Bladder (OAB) and occurs when there is a strong urge to urinate despite the fact that your bladder may not be full. This urge is often strong enough that you can’t make it to the bathroom in time. While women with stress incontinence leak urine, women with urge incontinence may...

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What is Diastasis Recti and can it be fixed?

pelvic floor postpartum Jan 17, 2022

A diastasis is a thinning of the fascia in the front of your abdomen. When you peel an orange, think of fascia as being like the white layer between the juicy orange and the thick skin. Fascia is the layer in between your skin and your muscles and it runs through your entire body, connecting and facilitating movement. It’s an incredibly overlooked structure in our body that plays a key role in holding us together and is a very important piece of the body puzzle.

 

With a diastasis (or the thinning of this part of the fascia), think about when you wear a hole in the knee of your jeans from over stretching the fabric. That is essentially what has happened with a diastasis. But the big difference is that fabric cannot repair itself (you’d have to sew on a patch to prevent it from getting worse), but the body has a remarkable ability to repair itself. As long as you stop doing the things that are making the thinning worse in order to allow the body the space to heal.

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How to Manifest the Body you desire!

motivation postpartum Jan 14, 2022

If you can manifest your dream job, dream house, dream life etc, why can’t you manifest your dream body?

 

Imagine living your life in the most energized, healthy, and beautiful body you can. I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that ‘thoughts become things’ and that ‘you are what you think’. If you can manifest a pay rise, a new job, a dream house etc, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t manifest the body you’ve always wanted. Now of course you can’t change your height or overall structure. But you absolutely can manifest your way to becoming strong, flexible, toned, and tight if you follow the steps to manifest your dream body and take action.

 

Not only can you manifest better health, but you can also manifest your dream body with the Law of Attraction - (a highly regarded philosophy that teaches us that we attract what we THINK so you’d better think positive thoughts). Sure, you are going to have to...

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Why you need a workout buddy for accountability...

motivation postpartum Jan 10, 2022

If you’ve been trying to get more physically active but just haven’t been able to find the motivation, how about working out with a little help from your friends? Even the CDC recommends it! Lol.

 

We know that training the mind to be disciplined makes working out WAY easier, and when you harness extra discipline from a friend, it becomes even easier still. Like a mindset Power Up! 

 

You and your workout buddy will cheer each other on. When you work out with a friend, you’re more likely to:

 

  1. Feel more motivated. When you and your buddy encourage each other, you’ll work harder (and get better results!). And there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.
  2. Be more adventurous. You’re more likely to try something new with a buddy. It will feel more like fun and less like a workout.
  3. Be more consistent. When someone else is counting on you to show up, you won’t want to let them down.

 

To enjoy all these...

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