Try the 6-week online support program! It’s taught by Julie Tupler herself!

The Tupler Technique® six-week Online support program was created for people that need more support than doing the program by themselves with the DVD. This is for people who can’t get the support they need. They either do not have a licensee in their area or if they have one but can’t get to them for some reason!

This program requires a daily six-week commitment of doing all 4 steps of the program. The first six- week part of the program is crucial in starting the healing process of the connective tissue while strengthening the inner most abdominal muscle (transverse muscle). In week six you will then learn how to incorporate the Tupler Technique® into an exercise routine so you can maintain the results you have achieved as well as to continue the process of closing your diastasis even more! There are weekly Tupler Tips to read, weekly videos to exercise with as the program progresses, three live webinars with Julie Tupler, RN to answer your questions and a Belly Buddy to support you through this process. This program is interactive and participants will be sharing suggestions and their experience of the program. There is a Best Belly contest and the winner will receive a one hour free Skype session with Julie Tupler, RN as well as a brand new Diastasis Rehab Splint®.

Use this discount code akurz and receive a $25 discount on this program.

What are you waiting for? You deserve a “better belly.”

For more information and to register please visit HERE

The list of mental health benefits include:

1. Much less chronic fatigue

2. Improved executive control

3. Improved memory

4. Improved self-esteem

5. Improved cognition

6. Improved quality of sleep

7. Reduced anxiety

8. Potential reduction in depression – Further research is needed in this area. Several studies show significant improvements in symptoms, while other show little change. 4 studies looked at the effect of resistance training on adults diagnosed with clinical depression. In those cases, the results were unanimous: resistance training participation is linked to large reductions in depression.

The news of improved mental health via exercise is very exciting and may be especially important for new moms wishing to improve mental health and avoid postpartum depression.

Read the full article by Len Kravitz, PhD and Amanda Ramirez in IDEA Fitness Journal January 2012

This is a sentiment echoed by many of my current and past students of the Tupler Technique®, particularly those who have already had at least one pregnancy and have already gone through the Diastasis Rehab Lose Your Mummy Tummy® workshop. If you’ve never heard of the Tupler Technique® or diastasis recti, let me quickly get you up to speed.

The Tupler Technique® is a research-based program to heal diastasis recti. If you’ve had children and you’ve never heard the term diastasis recti it would behoove you to not only know and understand what it is but to also have yourself checked by a qualified professional. Diastasis recti simply means; separation of the rectus abdominis muscle. This is the most superficial of all the abdominal muscles. In laymen’s terms it is called the six-pack muscle. Pregnancy hormones combined with the pressure of an expanding uterus and then incorrect abdominal exercises contribute to the creation of diastasis recti. Learning to effectively engage your transverse abdominis muscle (the deepest muscle of the abdominal wall) will help you to heal and create a flat tummy.

OK. So now that you have a brief idea about the Tupler Technique® and diastasis recti let’s get back to the subject at hand. When you are pregnant your focus shifts from one of healing to one of prevention. Your abdominal muscles will separate to some degree but ideally you’ll keep that separation as small as possible.

Here are a few of my tips for pregnancy.

1. Continue doing your Tupler Technique® exercises:
Contracting – 5 – 10 sets of 100 repetitions per day

Headlifts – 3 sets of 15, 1 x per day

Yes. You can lie supine and exercise when you’re pregnant. Just roll to your
left side between each set to return venous blood flow. If you begin to feel light-headed, roll to your left side until it subsides.

2. Splinting:
A splint is used to approximate the rectus abdominis muscles together and to speed the healing process in the postpartum period. During pregnancy you don’t need to wear it, unless you want to. In general, splinting is reserved for women who are 5 fingers or more separated during pregnancy. If you do not wear a splint during pregnancy you should get back into it ASAP following delivery (unless you have a cesarean birth, in which case you need to give the scar time to heal before wearing a splint). If you have a vaginal birth you can pop that puppy back on within hours of delivery. The earlier you get in it, the better.

During pregnancy you should consider holding a splint. You should hold a splint during your exercises as often as you can and as much as is comfortable. A held splint is used to approximate the abdominal muscles together while doing the exercises. You can use a simple fashion scarf for this purpose. Wrap it around your waist, cross it over itself, and draw your rectus muscles together with the scarf.

3. Your goal:
As previously mentioned, during pregnancy the focus shifts from a one of healing to one of prevention. The smaller you can keep that separation the better. It is most desirable to keep women at 2-3 fingers separated at all spots during the length of the pregnancy. This is feasible. It also makes healing in the postpartum period that much quicker and easier.

4. Your strong transverse:
Keeping your transverse abdominis muscle strong throughout pregnancy will help to prevent the all too common lower back pain. It will also allow you to push like you’ve never pushed before. Your transverse muscle runs perpendicular to your uterus. When you engage it by pulling it back it will facilitate pushing the baby down and out. As it is the primary muscle that you’ll use during the pushing phase having it as strong as possible will make a huge difference in how quickly you fatigue. Practice drawing your transverse back to your spine, exhale breath, and relax your pelvic floor as you have a bowel movement.

5. Getting back into the exercises postpartum:
Do this ASAP!! This is imperative. Your body WANTS to heal at this stage. The earlier you start the better. You can start these within hours of delivery. Start from scratch, i.e. follow the progressions in your Tupler Technique® guidebook starting from day one.

Please consider checking out an in-depth, hands-on workshop. Our list of upcoming workshops can be found on the Pea in the Pod Fitness website. Use code friend1 at checkout to receive $10 off either of the two upcoming workshop sections.

Abby Kurtz owns Pea in the Pod Fitness in Boulder, CO. She is a certified personal trainer specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness and Tupler Technique® licensee. www.PeainthePodFitness.com

Are you pregnant or a new mama? Then this is the event for you! We are pleased to announce that we will be holding the 2nd annual BE WELL MAMA EVENT this spring. Enjoy a relaxing Saturday with your friends. Have fun, win door prizes, and learn about some local resources to help you care for yourself and the new baby. There will be practitioners on hand to answer all of your burning mommy questions. These practitioners and businesses are leaders in their respective fields. We will provide informational sessions and demonstrations to answer all of your questions and possibly even expose you to something you had never heard of before. In addition, there will be henna tattoos, nutritional advice for mom and baby, a breast feeding zone, baby wearing demos, yoga, prenatal fitness, and more. The best thing about this event is, it’s FREE. Look at your calendars and sign up now because the first 50 people to pre-register receive a gift bag chocked full of fantastic goodies such as; Suthe lotions, Lara bar, Fiona’s Granola, Pangea Organics, chocolates and much more!

When: April 21, 1pm-4pm

Where: Solstice Center 302 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302

Please visit our website for more details and to register www.bewellmamaevent.com

Look forward to seeing you there!!!
Be well Mama – An event inspiring moms to take care of their body, mind and soul during pregnancy and after.

As the New Year approaches many women will be thinking about starting up new exercise regimens. Before starting a fitness program it is important that you have your belly checked for diastasis recti.

Diastasis recti simply means; separation of the rectus abdominis muscle (A.K.A the six-pack muscle). This separation weakens the support system for your back and organs. It can cause umbilical hernia, low back pain, and digestive distress. Physically, it will give you abdomen a distended or “mummy tummy” appearance. This unsightly distention will only be made worse by exercising incorrectly.

Diastasis recti can occur in anyone, male or female, young or old. It is most common in women who have had children at any time in their lives. As this condition does not get better on it’s own following pregnancy, it will get worse with each additional pregnancy and progressively cause increased structural deficits and weaknesses in other areas of the body.

Diastasis recti has a profound effect on the structural stability of your body. A diastais recti will compromise your body’s ability to stabilize the trunk through movement such as weight training, cardiovascular exercise, and yoga, just to name a few. Knowing how to properly use your abdominals is imperative if you wish to correctly function in your own body and keep your diastasis from getting worse.

Has your belly been checked for diastasis recti? Listen to the free web conversation and then come to one of three free diastasis recti screenings being put on by Pea in the Pod Fitness in the months of December and January.

Upcoming Belly Checks:
Date: Monday, December 5th, 2011
Time: 2:30pm-3:00pm
Location: Childish Things Consignment (3183 Walnut St. Boulder, CO 80301)

Date: Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Time: 4:00-4:30pm
Location: Mountain Kids Louisville (474 S. Taylor Ave. Louisville, CO 80027)

Date: Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Time: 4:00-4:30pm
Location: Mountain Kids Louisville (474 S. Taylor Ave. Louisville, CO 80027)

Learn more and join in the conversation:
When: Monday, December 5 at 1pm ET
What: A global announcement to encourage everyone to have their belly checked for diastasis recti prior to starting a new workout regimen.
Where: This will be a live webcast put on by Tupler Inc. from New York City.
To participate in person, contact julie@kaimenco.com or (888) 989-8808 x703
To participate via web – visit www.ustream.tv/channel/checkyourbelly

Even if your baby is 30 years old you can lose the mummy tummy with the research-based Tupler Technique®

Don’t settle for second best!