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 benefits, you’ll need the right workout buddy. Look for someo...

The research is clear. You can improve your physical and mental health by thinking this more frequently…

Neuroscientists tell us that because body-centric lifestyle changes (like diet and exercise) are difficult to maintain, they recommend starting with the mind. And they've identified the one thought that, when regularly focused upon, is most likely to propel your mind and body into an upward spiral.

That thought? Gratitude.

I know, i know, sounds kind of granola right..? But there's actually extensive research into the positive mental and physical effect of that specific thought and emotion, according to a fascinating article published by the Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association. Here are a few highlights:

1. Gratitude makes you more likely to exercise.

People who keep gratitude journals "reported fewer health complaints, more time exercising, and fewer symptoms of physical illness." (According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) 

2. Gratitude redu...

Where are all my fellow c-section mammas at..?

For decades i had dreamed of a beautiful, unmedicated home birth. But due to a complicated pregnancy, i had accepted the fact that a hospital birth was the safest option for me. I came well prepared with an incredible doula, birthing techniques, breathing techniques, pre natal yoga, pre natal pilates, all the things. After 20 hours of unmedicated labor, the mention of an emergency c-section was more disappointment than i could ever have imagined. If you’ve been there too then you know. But we did it! We did what we needed to do to keep ourselves and our babies safe. We are brave. We are strong. We are RESILIENT.

Most likely a c-section wasn’t what you chose for your own birth story either. But we birthed. We became mammas. And it was beautiful and stunning and we got through it. I cried through mine. I cried because it wasn’t how i wanted things to go. I cried because i felt like a failure. But i didn’t fail. I gave BIRTH that day....

So we all know and love high pressure ab exercises (crunches etc), but what exactly is a low pressure ab exercise? Well, it’s pretty much any ab exercise where the spine stays in neutral, and it can have varying degrees of intensity. Here’s an example of a moderate low pressure ab exercise for you to try:

• Lie on your back and bring your legs into tabletop position.
• Lift your pelvic floor and wrap your transverse abs to a level 3 like we talked about above 
• Bring your right hand and press it against your left knee and raise your left hand up towards the ceiling
• As you exhale, press your right hand and your left knee towards each other quite hard without changing the position of your spine or pelvis, whilst simultaneously reaching your left arm and right leg out straight to about 45 degrees from the ground (diagonal)
• As you inhale, bring it back in
• Think about diagonal energy coming across your core from your right ribs to your left hip and notice just how much core strength i...

Are you wondering whether the Postpartum Protocol 12 week course is worth the investment? Wondering whether you'll find the time to complete it? Wondering whether you'll notice a difference in your body..?

Here are some testimonials from other Postpartum Protocol mammas who are saying it's worth the commitment!

Want to experience these results for yourself..?

We would LOVE to have you join us! Click the link below to sign up

>> The Postpartum Protocol <<

Emma xo

I used to teach kegels as a stand alone exercise, but in my lifelong ‘research paper’ on the pelvic floor, i have learnt that the pelvic floor was never designed to function/move on it’s own. It was designed to move in tandem with the diaphragm and it actually behaves and functions infinitely better that way.

If the pelvic floor is the baby hammock (see previous post), the diaphragm is the Mommy hammock that attaches to the bottom of your ribcage and expands and contracts as you inhale and exhale. These two muscles are meant to move together which is why the breathing (pelvic floor training) i teach incorporates BOTH rather than just the pelvic floor muscle (kegels).

The reason why this tandem movement of the two muscles moving as one is so important is because as you exhale, we want both the diaphragm AND the pelvic floor to lift. Now here’s the really important part… As you INHALE, we want both the diaphragm AND the pelvic floor to move down (i.e lengthen). Lengthening AND St...

Think of the pelvic floor as a hammock that holds all of your internal organs in place. In women it also supports the uterus and it’s made up of ligaments, connective tissue and muscle that attaches to the inside of the pelvis.

A weakened pelvic floor can be the cause of all sorts of uncomfortable consequences ranging from leaking when you run, jump or laugh, to pelvic organ prolapse (you’d feel a heaviness or a bearing down sensation in your vagina). A strong pelvic floor on the other hand, is necessary for optimum sexual function.

There are several reasons why the pelvic floor can become weak, but I am just now learning about the impact of collagen and the effect it has not only on keeping the skin firm and fresh, but also on the muscles and keeping them resilient and strong, and that includes the pelvic floor. As we age, the body’s ability to produce and retain collagen diminishes, which is why us older mammas (wink) have to work much harder than the younger mammas to keep o...

If you know me, you've probably heard me say before that it takes 4-6 weeks of consistent workouts to notice a significant change in the body. And just 72 hours before we start to loose some of that fabulous muscle tone we've worked so hard for. 

Now don't let that discourage you. On the contrary. Personally I think that might be the most motivating thing I've ever heard!

And since there is just under 6 weeks left of 2020, it's the perfect amount of time to get a really good head start on our 2021 workout goals. Because why wait til January 1st when we can do it now?!

So unless you are injured or sick, you want to make sure that you don't ever leave 3 full days in between your workouts. Why? Because the body CRAVES movement. And because working out will make you feel AMAZING!

If you get your workouts in this week for no other reason than because it makes you feel amazing, then my work here is done my friends!

So let's get those workouts scheduled in!

My top tip for you this week ...