The mummy tummy lecture from a TTapp Trainer's perspective
Patricia-
Welcome to TTapp! As one of Teresa's TTapp Mommy Fitness trainers, I was asked to respond to your email along with Michelle and Esther. I am delighted to tell you that TTapp may hold the solution you are searching for. Hopefully, Esther, Michelle, and myself (the TTapp Mommy Fitness trainers) will be able to help you through this. As always, please feel free to call me if you have any questions. I have unlimited long distance and so I can call you back so we can chat on my dime!
Just to make sure we are on the same page, Teresa told me that you have about a 7-8 inch separation in your rectus abdominus muscle, correct? You are looking to avoid surgery, if at all possible as well, correct? It sounds like you have a pretty severe case of diastasis rectis--you are very wise to seek alternate solutions before undergoing surgery. For most women, exercise alone will work to close the gap between the rectus abdominus. However, for extremely severe cases, no matter how much exercise is done, that gap won't close up enough. Fortunately, by seeking to rehabilitate your muscles prior to any possible surgery, your results are going to be far, far better and your recovery will be much quicker! I urge you though, to try to rehab your tummy before seeking surgery. You might be surprised at the results!
As a personal trainer, I feel like I need to give you a little anatomy lesson on what is going on inside. We all have three sets of abdominal muscles--the rectus abdominus, the obliques, and the transverse. The rectus abdominus is the outer most muscle and it runs up and down from the sternum to the pubic bones. It has two halves, known as recti, that are normally about a quarter of an inch apart and are joined together by a fibrous piece of tissue called the linegra alba. The linegra alba, or white line, is stretchy, kind of like a rubber band. The hormone that prepares a woman for labor by relaxing the joints and muscles also affects the linea alba and makes it stretch more easily. As the muscles separate, the linegra alba stretches sideways and becomes thinner, like a piece of plastic wrap covering your organs. This separation is called diastasis.
The other sets muscles, the internal and external obliques, are the middle layer of the abs. The obliques are the muscles that enable you to flex your trunk and turn from side to side. Since the obliques are attached to the recti, doing forward crossover oblique exercises will make the diastasis bigger so avoid cross-over situps while rehabbing your tummy!
Finally, the transverse muscle, (the innermost abdominal muscle) goes straight around the abdomen and back like a corset. It attaches to the bottom six ribs and the top of the muscle goes behind the recti and the bottom of the muscle goes in front of the recti. You will want to get to know your transverse muscle well--it will be come your best friend in the process of rehabbing your mummy tummy! More on that later though.
The transverse abdominus is the muscle that we use to push babies out, to get up, to lie down, and to support our backs. It is also the secret to developing a strong core and to rehabbing the tummy. The best part about working your transverse is that you are actually working at least four muscle groups at the same time!!! Talk about working smarter, not harder! Besides the transverse, you also work the recti in front, the lumbar multifidius (the deepest muscles in the back which cover the spinal column in your lower back), and the pelvic floor muscles such as the pubococcygeus.
Okay, so now we have a basic understanding of the transverse abdominus and why it is so important. Here is the really great news: every single TTapp move, whether standing or on the floor can work your transverse abs if you do it correctly!!! But first, you have to get in touch with it so you can learn how to contract it properly. Organs in Place/Half Frogs are the best exercise to help rehab the trans. abs., but before you learn that, here is something you can use effectively NOW, to help you get accustomed to recruiting it. This will help you fire it up for the entire TTapp workout, even when standing!
Patricia, meet your Transverse Abdominus:
1. Lie down on your back on a firm surface, knees bent, feet flat on floor, hips width apart.
2. Place a small folded towel under the small of your back, so that the natural curve through the lumbar region feels supported; it should feel comfortable.
3. Take in a deep breath, relaxing the belly open as you do so. Don't be shy, just let it all hang out. After all, no one is there to see you, and we are all friends, anyway! Now place your fingers just below your bellybutton and push in. Cough hard--did you feel that contraction under your fingers? That was your transverse abdominus! Do it several times if you have to too really get a feeling for it. After you have found it, don't worry about the hands anymore for now.
4. Exhale and imagine pulling from behind the pooch in and up toward the spine, pressing the lower back into the towel.. You may NOT use gluteals, legs, feet, or anything else; just the muscle deep in the belly. You will only be able to tilt the pelvis about 10 degrees using the TA alone; if more than that, you have kicked in other muscles through hips and you want to isolate for training.
5. Now, take your right hand and place it on the left side of your stomach, with the heel of your hand near the belly button and the fingers toward your right hip. Place your left hand on the right side of the belly, heel of the hand towards the belly button and fingers towards the hip bone. While maintaining pelvic stabilization with the TA, breathe deeply through the belly as you hold your back pressed into the towel and “pull” your trans abs together when you exhale, using your hands to help maintain neurokinetic awareness. This requires that you contract the external obliques slightly while relaxing the rectus abdominus (the large "6 pack" muscle which always wants to kick in and is used in situps).
6. Hold pressure against the towel for about 10 seconds. Don't overdo the push with full force, because remember the tilt can't be that big anyway .
7. Relax and repeat for several more times.
Now, when you do TTapp, Teresa is always saying, "Tuck harder, bend deeper," etc. When you are tucked hard enough and your knees are bent deep enough, you will actually feel the transverse abs engage and pull everything in about another 1/4" to 1/2". That's why TTapp is so good at helping rehab the transverse abs--the basic TTapp stance activates all those muscles, in particular the transverse abs.
On any of the floor moves, it is very important to avoid any cross-abdominal action situps until the diastasis is healed (there are a set of cross situps on HTF). However, I would recommend that you do the breathing exercise about, followed up by Organs in Place, Half Frog 3 times a day. You can get information on how to do them from the TTapp website at http://www.t-tapp.com/articles/flatstomach/ . On count 1 of the Half Frogs, when you bring the legs together, picture your transverse abs pulling diastasis rectis together and closing the gap. Really concentrate on using the transverse abs to lift the butt up off the ground and bring the knees to the shoulders (count 3) and set them back down.
This should keep you busy for the next week!!! Please call me or email me and we can go from here--the most important thing for you to start doing today if OIP/HF and to really concentrate on tucking harder and bending deeper in the Total Workout (or MORE or which ever TTapp workout you are currently using). If you have any other questions or need advice on putting together a workout routine based on your personal needs and fitness level, email me and I will help you set one up. I am passionate about helping other mommies avoid surgery if at all possible--TTapp has helped correct my prolapsed uterus and I have successfully avoided having surgery to correct it! I know TTapp can help you and I am excited to be able to help you through this process.
Once again, please don't hesitate to call me or email me at this email address.
Welcome to TTapp! As one of Teresa's TTapp Mommy Fitness trainers, I was asked to respond to your email along with Michelle and Esther. I am delighted to tell you that TTapp may hold the solution you are searching for. Hopefully, Esther, Michelle, and myself (the TTapp Mommy Fitness trainers) will be able to help you through this. As always, please feel free to call me if you have any questions. I have unlimited long distance and so I can call you back so we can chat on my dime!
Just to make sure we are on the same page, Teresa told me that you have about a 7-8 inch separation in your rectus abdominus muscle, correct? You are looking to avoid surgery, if at all possible as well, correct? It sounds like you have a pretty severe case of diastasis rectis--you are very wise to seek alternate solutions before undergoing surgery. For most women, exercise alone will work to close the gap between the rectus abdominus. However, for extremely severe cases, no matter how much exercise is done, that gap won't close up enough. Fortunately, by seeking to rehabilitate your muscles prior to any possible surgery, your results are going to be far, far better and your recovery will be much quicker! I urge you though, to try to rehab your tummy before seeking surgery. You might be surprised at the results!
As a personal trainer, I feel like I need to give you a little anatomy lesson on what is going on inside. We all have three sets of abdominal muscles--the rectus abdominus, the obliques, and the transverse. The rectus abdominus is the outer most muscle and it runs up and down from the sternum to the pubic bones. It has two halves, known as recti, that are normally about a quarter of an inch apart and are joined together by a fibrous piece of tissue called the linegra alba. The linegra alba, or white line, is stretchy, kind of like a rubber band. The hormone that prepares a woman for labor by relaxing the joints and muscles also affects the linea alba and makes it stretch more easily. As the muscles separate, the linegra alba stretches sideways and becomes thinner, like a piece of plastic wrap covering your organs. This separation is called diastasis.
The other sets muscles, the internal and external obliques, are the middle layer of the abs. The obliques are the muscles that enable you to flex your trunk and turn from side to side. Since the obliques are attached to the recti, doing forward crossover oblique exercises will make the diastasis bigger so avoid cross-over situps while rehabbing your tummy!
Finally, the transverse muscle, (the innermost abdominal muscle) goes straight around the abdomen and back like a corset. It attaches to the bottom six ribs and the top of the muscle goes behind the recti and the bottom of the muscle goes in front of the recti. You will want to get to know your transverse muscle well--it will be come your best friend in the process of rehabbing your mummy tummy! More on that later though.
The transverse abdominus is the muscle that we use to push babies out, to get up, to lie down, and to support our backs. It is also the secret to developing a strong core and to rehabbing the tummy. The best part about working your transverse is that you are actually working at least four muscle groups at the same time!!! Talk about working smarter, not harder! Besides the transverse, you also work the recti in front, the lumbar multifidius (the deepest muscles in the back which cover the spinal column in your lower back), and the pelvic floor muscles such as the pubococcygeus.
Okay, so now we have a basic understanding of the transverse abdominus and why it is so important. Here is the really great news: every single TTapp move, whether standing or on the floor can work your transverse abs if you do it correctly!!! But first, you have to get in touch with it so you can learn how to contract it properly. Organs in Place/Half Frogs are the best exercise to help rehab the trans. abs., but before you learn that, here is something you can use effectively NOW, to help you get accustomed to recruiting it. This will help you fire it up for the entire TTapp workout, even when standing!
Patricia, meet your Transverse Abdominus:
1. Lie down on your back on a firm surface, knees bent, feet flat on floor, hips width apart.
2. Place a small folded towel under the small of your back, so that the natural curve through the lumbar region feels supported; it should feel comfortable.
3. Take in a deep breath, relaxing the belly open as you do so. Don't be shy, just let it all hang out. After all, no one is there to see you, and we are all friends, anyway! Now place your fingers just below your bellybutton and push in. Cough hard--did you feel that contraction under your fingers? That was your transverse abdominus! Do it several times if you have to too really get a feeling for it. After you have found it, don't worry about the hands anymore for now.
4. Exhale and imagine pulling from behind the pooch in and up toward the spine, pressing the lower back into the towel.. You may NOT use gluteals, legs, feet, or anything else; just the muscle deep in the belly. You will only be able to tilt the pelvis about 10 degrees using the TA alone; if more than that, you have kicked in other muscles through hips and you want to isolate for training.
5. Now, take your right hand and place it on the left side of your stomach, with the heel of your hand near the belly button and the fingers toward your right hip. Place your left hand on the right side of the belly, heel of the hand towards the belly button and fingers towards the hip bone. While maintaining pelvic stabilization with the TA, breathe deeply through the belly as you hold your back pressed into the towel and “pull” your trans abs together when you exhale, using your hands to help maintain neurokinetic awareness. This requires that you contract the external obliques slightly while relaxing the rectus abdominus (the large "6 pack" muscle which always wants to kick in and is used in situps).
6. Hold pressure against the towel for about 10 seconds. Don't overdo the push with full force, because remember the tilt can't be that big anyway .
7. Relax and repeat for several more times.
Now, when you do TTapp, Teresa is always saying, "Tuck harder, bend deeper," etc. When you are tucked hard enough and your knees are bent deep enough, you will actually feel the transverse abs engage and pull everything in about another 1/4" to 1/2". That's why TTapp is so good at helping rehab the transverse abs--the basic TTapp stance activates all those muscles, in particular the transverse abs.
On any of the floor moves, it is very important to avoid any cross-abdominal action situps until the diastasis is healed (there are a set of cross situps on HTF). However, I would recommend that you do the breathing exercise about, followed up by Organs in Place, Half Frog 3 times a day. You can get information on how to do them from the TTapp website at http://www.t-tapp.com/articles/flatstomach/ . On count 1 of the Half Frogs, when you bring the legs together, picture your transverse abs pulling diastasis rectis together and closing the gap. Really concentrate on using the transverse abs to lift the butt up off the ground and bring the knees to the shoulders (count 3) and set them back down.
This should keep you busy for the next week!!! Please call me or email me and we can go from here--the most important thing for you to start doing today if OIP/HF and to really concentrate on tucking harder and bending deeper in the Total Workout (or MORE or which ever TTapp workout you are currently using). If you have any other questions or need advice on putting together a workout routine based on your personal needs and fitness level, email me and I will help you set one up. I am passionate about helping other mommies avoid surgery if at all possible--TTapp has helped correct my prolapsed uterus and I have successfully avoided having surgery to correct it! I know TTapp can help you and I am excited to be able to help you through this process.
Once again, please don't hesitate to call me or email me at this email address.