Part 1: A Guide for Everyone
Create or Restore Core Functionality| Prevent or Heal Diastasis Recti| Learn Proper Breathing|
Strengthen and Balance Pelvic Floor
© Can Stock Photo / woodoo
By: Hannah Bower
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 3
Diaphragmatic Breathing .............................................................................................................. 4
What is Diaphragmatic Breathing? ...................................................................................................... 4
Why is Diaphragmatic Breathing Important? ..................................................................................... 4
How does Diaphragmatic Breathing Pertain to Pregnancy? .............................................................. 4
What are the Muscles Involved in Diaphragmatic Breathing? .......................................................... 5
How does Diaphragmatic Breathing Work? ........................................................................................ 6
What are the Steps to Diaphragmatic Breathing?............................................................................... 7
How do I Deliberately Activate my Core Unit (TVA and Pelvic Floor)? .......................................... 7
How Many Times a Day Should I Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing? ............................................ 8
The Pelvic Floor ............................................................................................................................. 9
What is the Pelvic Floor? ....................................................................................................................... 9
Why is the Pelvic Floor Important? ...................................................................................................... 9
How does the Pelvic Floor Pertain to Pregnancy? ............................................................................. 10
How do I Contract and Lengthen My Pelvic Floor? ......................................................................... 11
Diastasis Recti .............................................................................................................................. 13
What is Diastasis Recti? ....................................................................................................................... 13
How can I Test for Diastasis Recti? .................................................................................................... 13
How does Diastasis Recti Relate to Pregnancy? ................................................................................ 14
How do I Avoid Diastasis Recti? ......................................................................................................... 15
Core Activations ........................................................................................................................... 17
What is the Core? ................................................................................................................................. 17
How does the Core Pertain to Daily Life and Exercise? ................................................................... 18
What are Proper Core Activations? ................................................................................................... 18
Deep Core Activation......................................................................................................................................... 18
Belly Pump......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Active Core Breath............................................................................................................................................. 21
Abdominal Wrap ................................................................................................................................................ 21
Transition ..................................................................................................................................... 25
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Introduction
Hello mamas, mamas to be, and fitness friends! I am beyond excited that you have
chosen this guide to help you understand the power you hold within your own body. The
fundamentals and techniques taught in this guide are critical for everyone to learn in order to
create the foundations of a strong and functional core. The techniques that will be taught are
extremely valuable and should not only be utilized while working out, but also should be
incorporated into your daily activities and livelihood as this is where we often neglect our core.
This guide is packed full of important information that I have learned through education
and research, through my own experiences, and what I have been taught first-hand through other
professionals (chiropractic) and specialists (pre/postnatal and pelvic floor). The tools in this
guide will make sure you are on the right track for a healthy pregnancy, a confident post-partum
journey, and/or continued success in your fitness journey. The core engagement process and
tools are the same whether you are pregnant or not. If you are not pregnant and are here for
proper core engagement, simply skip past the parts that pertain to pregnancy; however, the
pregnancy portion does have valuable insight and may provide more clarity into how our systems
work if you are interested.
In this guide you will:
1. Learn about diaphragmatic breathing and other breathing techniques that play an
important role in daily life as well as in pregnancy and during delivery.
2. Understand how the core unit works, the specific muscles involved, why those muscles
are important, and how to properly engage/activate those muscles and the pelvic floor.
This knowledge will keep your body healthy and increase your overall strength as you
progress through your fitness and health journey pregnant or not.
3. Learn different exercises, tools, and cues to help you understand your own body by
feeling the correct muscles activating. These exercises, tools, and cues will help prevent
diastasis recti, pelvic floor prolapse, incontinence, and core dysfunction.
4. Gain an overall sense of confidence in the capabilities of your body during your fitness
journey or your pregnancy journey (including setting up your post-partum success). The
core is the foundation to our bodies; if it is functional and strong we are able to build
upon it while also preventing injury.
There is a lot of information and content within this guide. I encourage you to re-read the
techniques that you did not quite understand the first time through (use the table of contents to
get to specific areas of the guide), watch the videos that are on my website multiple times until
you have a full understanding, and try the techniques yourself. Following this guide in sequential
order will give you the best comprehension and confidence to apply and master these techniques.
Be patient with the process and master the basics before moving on. As with anything, repetition
and an understanding are key to success! I am not a Doctor and I am not giving any medical
advice. This is simply a guide to obtaining a functional core while pregnant, post-partum, healing
diastasis recti, or during your fitness journey.
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Chapter 1
Diaphragmatic Breathing
What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing is simply a deep breath that utilizes your diaphragm properly and
naturally engages the transverse abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor (known as the core
unit). As soon as we take our first breaths as newborns, we are breathing through our diaphragms
as this is the way we are designed to breathe. As we grow older and deal with stress, trauma, and
anxiety, we alter our natural way of breathing and typically become chest breathers. A chest
breath can typically be seen as inhaling into our chest (sucking in) and exhaling out (belly
expands). The chest breath is the opposite way of how we want to breathe. Belly breathing is
most often taught as a diaphragmatic breath, but it is not. When we breathe into our stomach
(expanding our abdomen) extra pressure is added on our abdomen and pelvic floor. Chest and
belly breathing do not utilize our diaphragm properly; hence the minimal ribcage movement. The
goal for diaphragmatic breathing is to utilize the diaphragm the way it was designed in order to
properly control intra-abdominal pressure.
Why is Diaphragmatic Breathing Important?
Many of us go about our lives unaware of how we are breathing and are not thinking about
whether those breaths are proper. I definitely was not thinking about my breathing, but I wish I
was as it would have benefited me immensely. Any type of breathing that is not properly using
your diaphragm will have some sort of effect on your body, especially on your nervous system.
Our parasympathetic nervous system is utilized during diaphragmatic breathing which allows our
body to be in a calmer, rest and digest state. When you begin to chest breathe, for example, your
nervous system goes into a sympathetic state which is our body’s fight or flight mode. Being in a
constant sympathetic state heightens anxiety/stress levels as well as causes lack of sleep and
fatigue. These issues become normalized and a part of your day to day life and overtime this
normalization decreases quality of life and can create major problems within certain bodily
functions like our pelvic floor or linea alba connective tissue.
Diaphragmatic breathing regulates intra-abdominal pressure ensuring no stress is put on
our pelvic floor or linea alba connective tissue. Unregulated intra-abdominal pressure overtime
can lead to damaging of the linea alba and pelvic floor. This unregulated pressure causes chronic
issues such as diastasis recti, umbilical and ventral hernias, circulation and blood pressure issues,
back pain, posture imbalances, pelvic floor prolapse, and incontinence to name a few. Chest
breathing is often the underlying cause in many of these stated chronic issues. Even though
learning to retrain your brain and body to diaphragmatically breathe takes time, it is essential for
establishing a healthy lifestyle and will only increase the quality of your life. Can this happen
just from changing your breathing? Yes! Crazy, right? Different stressors and responsibilities can
make your life chaotic and having that little extra patience just from breathing can make all the
difference.
How does Diaphragmatic Breathing Pertain to Pregnancy?
Diaphragmatic breathing plays an integral role during and post pregnancy. Sadly, it is not talked
about enough! So many women would have been able to help prevent diastasis recti, pelvic floor
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incontinence, prolapse, core dysfunction, back pain, and would have had smoother labors if these
tools were provided or made available by more professionals. One of the best benefits of
retraining your breathing is placing your body in a parasympathetic state so your beautiful baby
is in a calm environment in the womb. Some studies have shown that being in a calm, relaxing
environment in the womb can impact a baby’s development. Diaphragmatic breathing is also a
huge tool to utilize while giving birth and will help you manage and regulate pain and emotions
during pregnancy. It will aid tremendously during active labor, the transition stage, as well as the
second stage of labor (commonly known as the pushing stage). During labor it is important to
stay calm and relaxed, so we do not have any adrenaline and are not fighting our bodies.
Adrenaline is our body’s survival mechanism and is secreted during times of stress and increased
breathing. It is the hormone that closes our cervix in case of any danger; therefore, if we have
any fear or if our bodies are in a sympathetic state, adrenaline will be released. Diaphragmatic
breathing helps our bodies stay calm.
Diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation to learning proper core control. When you do
not breathe correctly, the pelvic floor and core unit are not able to work in unison which leads to
intra-abdominal pressure issues. During pregnancy, we are more susceptible to core dysfunction
because our abdominal muscles naturally separate. It is imperative we are more in tune with our
breathing and core to prevent diastasis recti, prolapse, and incontinence during and after birth. If
we do not establish this healthy core connection before or during pregnancy, these issues can
become far more severe and will be harder, and take longer, to heal post-partum. By establishing
proper breathing, you are already setting yourself up for a smoother recovery as you will have far
less to heal when baby is born because of all the work and training you did prior to delivery.
Preventative care is key! Having knowledge of your system is so powerful and knowing how it
works will help you make confident decisions in what you should and should not do pre and
post-natal!
What are the Muscles Involved in Diaphragmatic Breathing?
There are three key components to diaphragmatic breathing: the diaphragm, the transversus
abdominis muscle, and the pelvic floor muscles.
Diaphragm: Primary muscle that allows you to
inhale and exhale. Separates abdominal and
respiratory cavity.
Transversus (Transverse) Abdominis (TVA):
deepest core muscle that is critical in keeping the
pelvis stable. Aids in breathing and functional
movement. The TVA is also known as the Corset
Muscle as the muscle connects through fascia at
your spine, wraps around your waist and connects
to your hips up to your rib cage.
Pelvic Floor: Group of layered muscles that
support your abdominal cavity, bladder/bowel regulations, and sexual pleasure. The
pelvic floor plays an integral role in proper diaphragmatic breathing which establishes a
healthy core function and patterning.
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All three components of diaphragmatic breathing work as a functional unit to disperse and
regulate pressure as we breathe. If one component is not working properly, then the unit is not
functional; leading to core and pelvic floor dysfunction arising overtime due to unregulated intraabdominal pressure. Posture also plays an integral role in enabling our bodies to
diaphragmatically breathe correctly. Slouching, puffing out the chest, sucking in constantly or
having pelvis imbalances from tight hamstrings, weak glutes, or a weak core all can play a role
in how posture will affect our breathing. In turn, having correct breathing can dramatically
improve posture aiding in spinal mobility.
How does Diaphragmatic Breathing Work?
As you inhale filling your lungs with air,
your diaphragm expands (flattens) due to
increased air pressure. This pushes down
onto your abdominal cavity; slightly
expanding/lengthening the TVA. This air
pressure then descends down toward the
pelvic floor causing the pelvic floor to
lengthen. Thus, the TVA and pelvic floor colengthen as you inhale.
As you exhale, your pelvic floor contracts, or
rebounds back, to its initial balanced state
(occurs naturally with a proper diaphragmatic
breath) while your TVA contracts slightly by
wrapping inwards. Your diaphragm relaxes
back into its dome shape which expels your
air.
Diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation to establishing a functional core. There is no
deliberate activation of the TVA or pelvic floor in diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic
breathing will happen naturally if your diaphragm is utilized properly and your TVA and pelvic
floor are balanced without injury. Severe pelvic floor dysfunction or history of any kind of pelvic
floor prolapse can alter the mechanics of breathing and controlling intra-abdominal pressure.
Even if you are breathing into your diaphragm correctly, if your pelvic floor is weak or tight, the
mechanics are still altered because your pelvic floor will not be able to co-lengthen with your
TVA on the inhale and rebound back to its natural state on the exhale. If you have pelvic floor
issues (discussed later in detail) this is a great exercise to begin with to encourage your pelvic
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floor to start functioning the way it is designed. If you think your pelvic floor is not functioning
correctly, I recommend seeing a pelvic floor therapist.
What are the Steps to Diaphragmatic Breathing?
************Please watch the video first! It explains in depth what you will feel************
1. Lie on your back in a quiet, relaxing place so you can focus on your breathing. Place one
hand on the top of your ribcage and one hand on the side of your ribcage.
2. Begin breathing normally. Once you are relaxed, notice how you are breathing.
3. When you breathe, visualize filling air into the sides of your ribcage. Allow the air to fill
the diaphragm and then rise into your hand that is lying on top of your diaphragm.
a. Diaphragmatic breathing is a natural breath. You do not want to exaggerate your
breathing and force your stomach to rise. Do not try to breathe into your belly with
the mindset of making it expand big. This places more pressure on your linea alba
and pelvic floor.
4. Gently exhale your breath and immediately breathe again trying to fill your ribcage
properly. Repeat this process for 5-10 minutes daily, truly soaking in the sensations of
your body and your breath.
Inhale
Exhale
Ribcage expands first
Diaphragm relaxes
Pelvic floor lengthens
Pelvic floor contracts
Belly expands
TVA slightly contracts
22 weeks Pregnant in this photo
(Small bump is baby)
That is diaphragmatic breathing. Nothing is forced and there is no deliberate
activation…just a breath. When we breathe correctly, the TVA and pelvic floor will naturally
contract and lengthen. You will never force this in your breathing on a regular basis; however,
when you are learning, it can be extremely beneficial to deliberately activate the TVA and
pelvic floor to develop a mind-muscle connection. This awareness to the TVA and pelvic
floor will naturally be built upon in further techniques so beginning with awareness in the
most basic form is crucial. Every so often you can do deliberate activations of your TVA and
pelvic floor to help stimulate awareness if needed. Be patient with yourself. Breathing is hard
to re-learn but you will eventually become in tune with your core unit.
How do I Deliberately Activate my Core Unit (TVA and Pelvic Floor)?
Becoming in tune with your core unit is crucial into creating a functional core; and with proper
deliberate activations, you will gain a better understanding of exactly what your body is doing.
To deliberately activate your core unit, follow these steps:
1. Begin breathing directly into your ribcage with a natural, relaxed breath.
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2. Gently exhale with a soft “ssssss” sound. Notice how everything naturally wraps in. That
is your TVA activating.
a. Over time you will not need to say the “ssssss” in diaphragmatic breathing, it is
just a great tool that forces your TVA to wrap in and engage. Take note of that
feeling and really allow yourself to feel what is happening. This will strengthen
your mind-muscle connection.
3. Repeat this for a few minutes truly focusing on expanding the ribcage and feeling the
movement of air going into your body.
4. Now pay attention to your pelvic floor (please see pelvic floor section for further detail),
as you inhale, your pelvic floor will lengthen.
a. Think about bearing down or about the feeling you would have if you were to try
to urinate.
5. As you exhale, your pelvic floor will contract back to normal. If you have a hard time
feeling this, over exaggerate and actually contract your pelvic floor up and in.
a. Think about trying to hold in gas or a bowel movement. This will help bring
awareness to your pelvic floor if you have a hard time making that mind-muscle
connection.
How Many Times a Day Should I Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing?
When you are learning to diaphragmatically breathe, I suggest going through this portion a few
times in order to gain more awareness of your breathing, the TVA, and the pelvic floor. It could
take one day, or it could take a few weeks, of work to get this breathing down. I suggest
repeating the process of diaphragmatically breathing for five to ten minutes a day: in the
morning, when you are driving, lying in bed, after or before a workout etc. Please make sure to
maintain proper posture if you do the breathing sitting up or standing. If your posture is not
upright, you will not engage the core unit properly. Once you have mastered the breathing lying
down, sitting up, and on all fours, start diaphragmatically breathing while walking, running, in
your daily life chores, and during exercise. This will allow the re-patterning to take more of a
hold and become more natural.
Learning how to diaphragmatically breathe takes time. Be patient and understanding with
yourself. The more you can remind yourself to bring awareness to your breathing, the easier it is
going to be and the faster the re-programming will happen. If you find yourself being forgetful of
your breathing, do not panic. Simply set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself. Even just a
few minutes a day will make a difference. Our goal is to make this new pattern a habit regardless
of where you are in your journey. The deliberate activation and contraction of the pelvic floor
will be used during deep core activations. You should not be forcing any contraction in your
pelvic floor during diaphragmatic breathing once you have figured it out unless you have seen a
specialist and are directed to do so. Remember, the contraction is a tool only used to feel your
core unit activate when you start learning about your body or are having a hard time connecting
to your muscles that day.
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Chapter 2
The Pelvic Floor
What is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor consists of three muscle layers that have individual muscles and tissues built
within those three layers. These layers of muscle are known as the hammock muscles which span
the pelvis and attach from the pubic bone to the tail bone. The pelvic floor muscles support the
pelvic organs and stabilizes the pelvis; while also aiding in many functions such as posture,
urinary and bowel control, sexual pleasure, lymphatic circulation in your pelvis and aiding in
birth! When the pelvic floor muscles contract, they hold in bowel movements, gas, and urine
while also aiding in sexual pleasure. When the pelvic muscles relax and lengthen, defecation and
urination is enabled. The ability to lengthen and contract the pelvic floor plays an intricate role in
regulating intra-abdominal pressure.
Why is the Pelvic Floor Important?
The pelvic floor is one of the most commonly misconstrued and forgotten groups of muscles in
the human body. When asked about the pelvic floor, many people are unaware of what muscles
make up the pelvic floor and how they play an important role in everyday bodily functions.
Every muscle in your body can develop imbalances and every muscle can be healed and trained.
Our pelvic floor muscles are no different. When the pelvic floor muscles become imbalanced by
either being too tight (hypertonic tone) or too relaxed (hypotonic tone), constipation, pelvic pain,
and back pain can all occur. Experiencing a lack of sexual pleasure, painful menstrual cramps,
symphysis pubic dysfunction (SPD), prolapse (pelvic muscles become so weak they no longer
are able to support your organs) and incontinence (the lack of holding in urine or not being able
to urinate even with the urge) can all stem from pelvic floor imbalances.
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Maintaining a balanced tone for your pelvic floor is the goal. If you do not utilize your
pelvic floor correctly either with proper TVA activation during exercise or when intra-abdominal
pressure is present in daily activities, you are furthering core dysfunction by creating imbalances
that can lead to issues and injuries. I highly recommend and encourage you to set up an
appointment with a pelvic floor therapist to properly evaluate the tone of your pelvic floor and to
help you properly lengthen and contract your pelvic floor as distinguishing the two can be
confusing if you are learning on your own and through this guide. The tone of your pelvic floor
will dictate the way you engage your core unit. One appointment can truly benefit you
immensely and save you from future issues. Many insurances cover your visits as well!
How does the Pelvic Floor Pertain to Pregnancy?
“I can’t jump or sneeze without leaking or peeing my pants now” has been one of the most
common things I have heard from mothers. This issue has become so prevalent and common
amongst mothers that it is now normalized and expected to occur post-partum. Well, I am here to
tell you that this commonality amongst mothers are telltale signs of pelvic floor dysfunction. As
our baby grows, the pelvic floor supports not only our growing baby but the rest of our pelvic
organs which include the bladder, vagina, uterus, small bowel, and rectum. Hello pressure!
During pregnancy, engaging and lengthening the pelvic floor muscles appropriately to keep them
functional and strong is key as this gives the support we need due to the increasing amount of
pressure in our changing bodies. Severe issues like pelvic prolapse can occur either when our
pelvic floors were not given the right tools to do their job, had an undiagnosed imbalance before
pregnancy that worsened, or the pelvic floor simply got over worked without proper activation
and could not withstand the demands of pressure that was placed. This is the reason why we
want to avoid jumping during pregnancy around 20 weeks or when you are starting to show.
Jumping causes a lot of pressure to come down onto those muscles. You want to prevent injuries
and complications like pelvic floor prolapse not only for your health but the safety of your
precious one(s).
One of the biggest tools we have during labor is our pelvic floor muscles. The balance of
being able to contract and lengthen our muscles is critical! The stronger the pelvic floor muscles
are, the easier pushing will be during labor; however, having a strong pelvic floor also entails
being able to lengthen those muscles properly. If all we train our pelvic floor muscles to do is
tighten by doing Kegels, then we set ourselves up for complications during birth because our
pelvic floor muscles will not naturally be able to lengthen as easily and open up properly for
baby to be birthed smoothly. It will be as if you are fighting against yourself as not having that
mind-muscle connection of lengthening your pelvic floor in a time of stress can lead to a failure
to progress in delivery.
This all may seem so overwhelming and you may be thinking, “I can’t even feel my
pelvic floor muscles, how in the world am I supposed to train them for a healthy delivery?” It
takes time, practice, and a mindful awareness. But again, I highly recommend setting up an
appointment with a local pelvic floor therapist, as I am not a specialist and cannot evaluate your
tone or diagnose you. I can only give you tools and guidance on what to feel. I had major SPD in
the beginning of my pregnancy due to a hypertonic pelvic floor and a tilted pelvis from my
gymnastics days that I did not know I developed. I was suffering through a lot of pain until I
decided to seek help. I thought I was doing all the right things by lengthening and contracting my
pelvic floor appropriately with exercise while getting my pelvis adjusted by a chiropractor, but
my SPD was still causing so much pain. I sought out a pelvic floor therapist and this is where I
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learned the importance of the pelvic floor and why I developed SPD. I had an overactive pelvic
floor and I also was not lengthening my pelvic floor like I initially thought. I was still contracting
my pelvic floor even though in my mind I thought I was lengthening by the way it initially felt. I
immediately adjusted the way I engaged my core and pelvic floor during my workouts, so I did
not worsen my pelvic floor tightness, until we could get a balanced tone through manual therapy
which involved perineal massage and work done to my hamstrings, groins, and glutes. This is
why I encourage you to see a pelvic floor therapist first: to gain confidence in your training and
your ability to lengthen and contract your pelvic floor properly. Seeing a therapist may also give
you a better understanding of why you may be having a hard time feeling your muscles
contracting and lengthening. They can also diagnose why your pelvic floor muscles have an
imbalance. Without seeking a pelvic floor therapist, I was worsening my dysfunction because I
was not activating properly due to a condition I did not know I had. Fast forward to today, I can
happily say my SPD does not affect my daily life anymore, my pelvic floor is balanced, and I am
not in pain thanks to my pelvic floor therapist and chiropractor. Knowing the tone of your pelvic
floor will dictate the way you engage your pelvic floor during exercise and daily activities.
How do I Contract and Lengthen My Pelvic Floor?
For contracting and lengthening of your pelvic floor, please watch the videos that are on my
website. Further explanation is below:
When you are contracting your pelvic floor, think of your vagina wall (rectum if you do not have
a vagina) as a face of a clock (refer to picture below). 12 is your pubic bone, 6 is your tail bone,
while 3 and 9 are your sit bones. Now pull together your vagina walls (walls of your rectum if you
do not have a vagina) starting with your sit bones at 3 and 9 and then draw in your pubic bone and
tail bone at 12 and 6 until we have a tight clinch. Once you have pulled in your walls, begin pulling
them in and up toward your belly button. Imagine you are at an arcade and you are trying to get a
stuffed animal out of the machine. The claw clinching together to grab a stuffed animal and then
pulling back up is what you are doing.
12
3
9
6
You can also imagine the feeling of holding in gas or a bowel movement and really pay attention
to the sensations going on down there. What do you feel? Did you notice any movement? That is
the beginning of bringing awareness to your pelvic floor! You can also imagine a camera lens
closing after being turned off and then retracting back into the camera.
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1. Laying on your back, place your hand on your vagina and fingers on your perineum (the
skin between your vagina and anus).
2. Make sure you are comfortable and start breathing. You will notice a gentle movement
away and toward your vagina. As you inhale, your fingers will slightly push away from
your vagina and as you exhale, your fingers will descend back to your vagina. That is your
pelvic floor doing its job in relation to your breathing!
3. Stick the tip of your finger into your vagina and engage your pelvic floor around your
finger (this will feel like your finger is being squeezed).
o By engaging your pelvic floor muscles your finger may be pulled further into your
vagina, this is a good sign that you are properly engaging your pelvic floor.
4. Now add a diaphragmatic breath, notice what your pelvic floor is doing on your inhale and
exhale. You should feel a slight release of tension on your inhale and you should feel more
tension back on your finger on the exhale pulling your finger slightly further into your
vagina.
****Remember, these are gentle movements****
When you are lengthening your pelvic floor, place your hands on your vagina and perform the
same exercises you did for contracting, but focus on trying to bear down like in a bowel
movement or when you are urinating to get an idea of lengthening. If you were to try and use the
bathroom, what would you feel? You can even test this out by going to the bathroom and
stopping mid urine and then restarting to get a sensation of what your muscles are doing and
focus on that start feeling. Even though this is a great tool to use to form a muscle-mind
connection to your pelvic floor, you do not want to start and stop your urination and bowel
movements all the time. You can cause a lot of issues if you use that as a strengthening tool.
When you are placing the tip of your finger inside your vagina for the next exercise,
imagine pushing out a tampon and hold onto that feeling. See if you can relax your pelvic floor
muscles around your finger and push that finger out. I like to imagine my pelvic floor muscles
extending out of my vagina like a flower blossoming. If you relax into warm water what is the
initial response your body makes? Relax or melt into. Pretending like you are going to blow out a
candle can help lengthen your floor as well even though you are exhaling. The way we make
sounds with our mouth can directly correlate to our orifices around our body as they are made up
of the same cells.
Remember this process takes time and dedication. Do not expect to have your pelvic
floor muscles figured out right away. Doing your diaphragmatic breathing daily and paying
attention to your pelvic floor or imagining it being done the proper way whether contracting or
lengthening is key to making these changes a permanent habit by bringing mindful awareness to
your body. Implementing these techniques a few times a day will make a dramatic difference.
These tools are exaggerated methods to feeling and engaging your pelvic floor for awareness
only. They will only be used in deep core activations and not in your daily breathing.
By applying pelvic floor contractions and lengthening in the techniques that you will
learn in this guide, you will be on your way to obtaining and maintaining a balanced pelvic floor.
Having a balanced pelvic floor will prevent many pelvic floor issues as well as improve upon
and heal many of those same issues.
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Chapter 3
Diastasis Recti
What is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti is defined as an abdominal separation. This means that the linea alba has stretched
or weakened to the point where the rectus abdominis muscles in your abdomen split apart. The
linea alba is the strong connective tissue in which the rectus abdominis attaches.
Diastasis recti (DR) is most commonly diagnosed during pregnancy and post-partum (can
happen with any person at any age) as a small abdominal separation during pregnancy can
naturally occur and is normal. DR is caused by re-occurring intra-abdominal pressure pushing
against the linea alba to the point where the connective tissue thins and weakens so much that it
cannot hold together the abdominal muscles causing these muscles to split apart. The linea alba
tissue is resilient and meant to stretch in natural occurrences (as seen in pregnancy), but it can be
overused and worked to injury whether you are pregnant or not. Some of the injuries that could
form on top of diastasis recti include umbilical and ventral hernias, core dysfunction where
pooches form and getting a flat tummy again seems impossible, back pain, digestion issues,
pelvis instability, and pelvic floor dysfunction.
There are varying degrees of severity associated with diastasis recti. The level of severity
depends on the injury component to the linea alba, and depending on the severity, can lead to a
more permanent separation in which surgery is needed if not healed. The injury component to the
linea alba is defined by how far apart the abdominal muscles separate and how deep that
separation goes. Abdominal separation is measured in finger widths and deepness is measure by
how far your fingers sink into your separation. The deeper your fingers sink into your separation,
the more damage there is to the integrity of your connective tissue. You can diagnose your own
DR, but I recommend seeing a specialist in your area because they will be able to give you a
confident answer towards your situation.
How can I Test for Diastasis Recti?
Diagnosing diastasis recti can be a very intricate process and without having a specialist evaluate
the integrity of your tissue, it can be hard to self-diagnose whether you have an extreme
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weakening in your linea alba or actual diastasis recti. Even though there are a lot of nuances that
comes with DR, you can still test the width and depth of your separation:
********************Please watch the video first, before you test!********************
1. Lay on your back with your knees bent to 90 degrees.
2. With no activation, simply lift your neck and crunch looking directly between your
knees.
3. Take your fingers and place them in the midline of your stomach where your linea alba is
located.
4. Press down with your fingers. If your fingers sink there is a separation. The width of this
separation is denoted by the width of your fingers.
5. Test all the way down until below your belly button. It is not uncommon to have areas
along your linea alba with deeper or wider separation.
If you do this test and see a bulge or cone it can mean different things depending on if you are
pregnant, post-partum or not pregnant.
*Refer to video “Coning Demonstrations under Intra-abdominal Pressure & Diastasis”
If you are:
- Pregnant: a bulge or cone means your abdominal muscles have separated, which is
normal, and there is intra-abdominal pressure. This does not mean you have injured your
linea alba.
- Post-partum: give yourself time to heal before truly diagnosing yourself. It usually takes
10 weeks for your separation to heal. If there is a cone, significant gap, or pooch
protruding through your abdomen after 10 weeks, then you may have some form of
diastasis recti. The severity depends on the deepness, the width, and whether you can
close the gap, slightly or all the way, through TVA activation.
- Not pregnant: If you have any kind of bulge in conjunction with a finger gap there is
abdominal separation. Just having a bulge doesn’t mean you have separation, it just
indicates a weakness in your linea alba that you will want to strengthen. The bulge is the
intra-abdominal pressure pushing up against the weakened linea alba tissue. It is the
repetitiveness of this air pressure that eventually wears and tears down the integrity of the
linea alba tissue.
Even though developing DR can be a scary thought and feeling, you can have a functional
diastasis recti. Having a functional DR means that you have an abdominal separation, but you
can close it through proper TVA activation. This means that your core can be strong, but there
are areas in your daily life that are weakening your linea alba and are preventing you from
completely closing the gap. Through proper core activation (discussed later in this guide), those
daily activities can be addressed, and the unregulated intra-abdominal pressure can be controlled.
How does Diastasis Recti Relate to Pregnancy?
There is fear and anxiety around the word diastasis recti in the pregnancy world and I want to
calm those fears. Simply view diastasis recti as a word and its definition simply means
abdominal separation. Remember that there are degrees of diastasis recti and in pregnancy you
simply just have a naturally occurring abdominal separation in order to make room for your
baby. This abdominal separation should heal on its own and go back together around 10 weeks
after birth. The separation that occurs is still diagnosed as diastasis recti by literal definition, but
it does not mean there is damage done to your linea alba. I cannot express enough the importance
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of that message. Again, more than likely there will be abdominal separation during pregnancy;
however, it does not mean you have damaged your linea alba. If your separation does not go
back together a few months after birth (unique to each individual depending on many factors)
then you have had some damage done to the integrity of your linea alba tissue and have a more
severe case of Diastasis Recti. Even then, do not panic. Your tissue is strong and resilient; with
patience and hard work, you can heal your diastasis. There are a few cases of DR that may need
to have surgical repair to include an abdominal release and suturing to close the separation. You
can always improve your situation with the core activation techniques in this guide to minimize
that separation as much as possible before surgery or to even create a functional diastasis.
Since your abdominal muscles naturally split when pregnant, you are more susceptible to
intra-abdominal pressure against that linea alba because there is a larger gap for air pressure to
escape and push out against our tissue. It is important to be cognitive of your daily activities and
exercises to help protect the integrity of your linea alba from that intra-abdominal pressure. That
is why modifying your exercises during pregnancy is so important. Just because you can do a
certain exercise while pregnant, does not mean you should. Again, just because you can do a
certain exercise while pregnant, does not mean you should! Intra-abdominal pressure needs to be
controlled to protect the integrity of your linea alba. It is also crucial that you are more mindful
of your core in daily functions and activities such as sneezing, coughing, rolling over, standing
up, and eventually picking up our littles. Daily activities are the leading cause of damage because
we are not as aware of our core activation and those daily functions happen so often. It is the
constant repetition of the unregulated pressure against the linea alba that truly damages the
tissue.
The good news is you can prevent and limit the damage done to your linea alba during
pregnancy just by being more mindful of your core. This mindfulness will aid in your recovery
after birth and keep your core functionality intact. Even if you do form diastasis, it can be healed
by doing everything you are taught in this guide.
How do I Avoid Diastasis Recti?
The only way you can truly avoid DR and damaging your linea alba is by learning how to control
the intra-abdominal pressure that occurs in your daily life and during exercise. Any exercise that
causes a dome, bulge, or football like shape (refer to images) down the midline of your stomach
True Doming: DR
True Doming: DR
10 weeks Post-Partum
37 Weeks Pregnant
Unregulated
Regulated
Not Pregnant- Weakening in the linea
alba, not DR
means there is unregulated intra-abdominal pressure. Intra-abdominal pressure is just air pressure
in your abdomen. Intra-abdominal pressure is not always a bad thing as our breathing is a
pressure unit; intra-abdominal pressure becomes a problem when it is not regulated properly.
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Every time a bulge is present, added stress is being placed on the linea alba. With more stress
and pressure that is added over time, comes more damage to the connective tissue. This damage
directly correlates to the diastasis recti separation width and depth denoting the severity of the
injury.
Daily lifestyle activities inherently cause the most damage because we are not mindful of
our core unit during these times: sneezing, coughing, sitting up, picking up groceries, house
work, yard work, your job, ect. The constant and continuous unregulated pressure is really the
culprit of how our linea albas begin to be damaged. Over time, the weakening occurs, and you
become more and more susceptible to unregulated pressure. Having proper core control and
creating a lifestyle of being aware of your core and proper activation will benefit your fitness
journey and well-being immensely as our core strength is the foundation to everything we do.
So far in this guide you have learned proper diaphragmatic breathing and you have more
awareness of your TVA and pelvic floor. With these tools in your toolbox, you are on the cusp to
learning proper core control and activation. You are equipped with the proper tools to create this
mindful change in order to optimize your health. If you are pregnant, your goal is to help prevent
damage to your linea alba, heal any dysfunction, and make recovery and pregnancy that much
easier by using the knowledge you have gained. If you are not pregnant, the same concepts
apply. If you do have diastasis recti, the techniques that you have learned thus far can help heal
and restore core functionality. The core activations that you will learn next will strengthen and
further your healing. It is the engagement of your TVA and pelvic floor in conjunction with
proper breathing that closes, restores, and heals the separation. Learning awareness of your TVA
and pelvic floor during daily life and exercise is the key to establishing a strong, healthy and
functional core while avoiding damaging your linea alba which can lead to diastasis recti. With
the knowledge you have gained so far in this guide, you are now ready to learn how to control
your core by proper activation.
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Chapter 4
Core Activations
******Actively healing, preventing, and obtaining deep core strength and functionality******
What is the Core?
The core consists of more muscles then just your rectus abdominis (commonly known as abs).
The core is made up of the deepest muscles within your abdominal cavity that attaches to your
spine and pelvis. A few of the most commonly known muscles within the core are the transverse
abdominis, the diaphragm, the pelvic floor, internal and external oblique, and the rectus
abdominis. The core also consists of posterior muscles in the back which are known as the
multifidus and erector spinae. Some other schoolings will include glutes, adductors,
latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and hip stabilizers as part of the core, but for the purposes of this
guide, we are going to just focus on a few key players that directly correlate to correct breathing
and intra-abdominal pressure control.
© Can Stock Photo / AlienCat
The deeper muscles that are highlighted in blue in the picture above work together to stabilize
your pelvis and protect your spine while also allowing us to move and be functional. The core
muscles enable us to breathe, establish posture, and transfer energy. Your core can be seen as the
“athletic” driver in your body. Your limbs attach onto your core and your core allows you to
move and have great mobility whether you are playing sports, working out, or being active. A
strong core entails great control in your abdomen, pelvis, and hip regions. Contrary to popular
belief, having a well-defined six pack does not mean you have a strong and/or functional core.
Your six-pack muscle, also known as your rectus abdominis, is one muscle that sits on the
outermost layer and is visible. The muscles that help keep your body upright and functional are
your deep stabilizers which include the transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor.
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How does the Core Pertain to Daily Life and Exercise?
The core aids in everyday movement. Whether you are breathing, working out, or doing daily
chores, your core is involved. If your core is weak you may develop back pain, you may have
posture imbalances, and you may find yourself activating and using the wrong muscles when you
are exercising which can cause injury, muscle imbalances, and overuse. The core is the
foundation for healthy movement patterns and those patterns develop by activating your core
properly. Understanding the functionality of proper core activation and how the core unit deals
directly with intra-abdominal pressure will easily transition you into working out and completing
daily activities properly while preventing/healing diastasis and making you feel stronger,
healthier, and more mobile. Creating strong and functional activations within your core unit
(TVA and pelvic floor) will also allow you to naturally build other secondary core stabilizers
through more advanced core work and exercise. Without the basic inner unit of your core
working optimally, it does not matter how strong your glutes or lats become; your core will still
be imbalanced because the inner most unit is not being regulated properly. We begin creating
and establishing that important balance by doing all the techniques within this guide. Over time
you will increase strength, mobility, and functionality.
What are Proper Core Activations?
The following exercises and terms used within the rest of this guide will be the major ground
work for understanding and accomplishing proper core activation and achieving core
functionality. The core activation techniques and tools that will be explained in detail in this
guide are solely from The Bloom Method. I worked closely with the creator of The Bloom
Method and the tools and techniques that I have learned, and will share, has transformed my
pregnancy as well as my outlook on true core activation. These techniques and tools have carried
over into my daily life movements in and outside of the gym. The Bloom Method is a
phenomenal company that I support and trust. Their techniques and tools are only available in
this guide and within their network of training! I am honored and humbled to teach you guys and
use a technique that has helped thousands of individuals heal and improve the quality of their
life.
After you have a full comprehension of diaphragmatic breathing and are confident that
you are diagrammatically breathing properly, you are able to start the first technique in activating
your core. The techniques taught build upon one another. Take the time to learn and comprehend
the nuances of each technique before progressing to the next. If you do not completely
understand one technique before progressing, then it will be easy to get confused and
overwhelmed. All of these techniques can be done laying on your back or sitting/kneeling.
Learning these techniques allow for a great core workout in and of itself. The techniques will be
applied into functional daily movement as well as all exercises. Be sure to watch all of the
associated videos to get a visualization and better understanding.
Deep Core Activation
A deep core activation is a diaphragmatic breath with the deliberate activation of the pelvic floor
and transverse abdominal muscle through the exhale of that breath. Deep core activations control
intra-abdominal pressure when present. Watch the video on my website and read the tips and
tricks below for a better understanding! The steps for deep core activation are as follows:
1. Lay on your back and begin diaphragmatic breathing.
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2. After you have established good breathing, on your next exhale, make a deep, strong
“ssssss” sound.
3. As you make this “ssssss” sound, you will activate and lift up your pelvic floor and
wrap/tighten your torso as you continue to “ssssss” (imagine wrapping from your spine
all the way around to your belly button as if it was hugging you tighter and tighter)
a. The feeling of you wrapping/tightening your torso inward is your TVA
contracting and activating.
4. Think of your TVA as a corset around your waist and it is cinching in with your exhale as
you are wrapping inwards. When you inhale, you will gently breathe into your diaphragm
allowing your rib cage to widen.
5. Repeat for 45 seconds to one minute. Your rest periods are the regular diaphragmatic
inhales between the deep core activations on your exhales.
a. Play around with the tempo of your exhales. Faster exhales to slower exhales and
hold the activation for different periods of time. This will help strengthen and
bring more awareness to your activation.
Tips and Tricks for Deep Core Activations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You should not have a bulge or coning/doming. If you do, you either are not activating
your TVA or the activation is not strong enough to counter the intra-abdominal pressure.
Stop, rest a few seconds, and try again.
You will start lifting your pelvic floor just slightly before you wrap your TVA. You want
to be pulling all 4 sides of your pelvic floor walls “up and in” during the entire exhale
portion of the breath. It is important your pelvic floor does not relax until you inhale.
Think about keeping your abdomen as flat as possible (no sucking in) while your
transverse is cinching in toward your midline. You want a neutral spine and your pelvis
or rib cage should never tilt.
The stronger the “ssssss” sound, the easier it is to feel the engagement of your TVA. This
will create a stronger muscle-mind connection.
The tightening of your TVA is like a corset. It goes from the base of your hips to the
bottom of your rib cage. You want to feel your entire torso pulling in and trying to cinch
tighter and deeper towards the midline as the exhale comes to an end.
Micro shaking is a great sign that you have tapped into your transverse and your
activation is strong! Do not worry if you do not micro shake as it takes time and practice
to get deep core activation.
When you inhale, you want to breathe into your diaphragm, but into the outer most part
of your rib cage first.
Once you understand and feel your pelvic floor and TVA activation, you can progress the
deep core activation into sitting, standing, walking, and daily exercises/work outs.
The deep core activation is the fundamental activation that will be used in the other techniques’
exhale portion. Make sure you understand how to contract the pelvic floor and TVA properly
during the exhale portion of your breath before progressing. If needed, go back to the
diaphragmatic breathing or pelvic floor sections of this guide and refer to the corresponding
videos for each for further details and proper cues of how to activate and lengthen the pelvic
floor and TVA.
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Deep Core Activations in Daily Life
There are many opportunities to be mindful of utilizing deep core activations in your daily life.
Sneezing, coughing, laughing, sitting up, reclining, picking up groceries, etc. can all cause
unregulated intra-abdominal pressure. For example, when you sneeze, you will do a quick
activation. As you inhale for the sneeze, be prepared to lift your pelvic floor and wrap fast to
control the intra-abdominal pressure the sneeze will place on your linea alba and pelvic floor. As
always, repetition and awareness are key to success!
Belly Pump
A belly pump is a diaphragmatic breath that has an intentional lengthening of the pelvic floor
during the inhale portion of that breath followed by a deliberate deep core activation on the
exhale portion of that same breath. A belly pump is repeated during multiple, consecutive
breaths. Watch the video on my website and read the tips and tricks below for a better
understanding! The steps for the belly pump are as follows:
1. Lay on your back and begin diaphragmatic breathing.
2. During the inhale portion of the breath, think about filling the outside of your ribcage
first, then allow that air to fill into your diaphragm.
• This will allow your belly to naturally rise slightly while you deliberately
lengthen/soften your pelvic floor.
3. As you exhale, exaggerate the “ssssss” sound and begin lifting/contracting the pelvic
floor. This is the deliberate deep core activation portion.
• Remember that while the pelvic floor is lifted, wrap your TVA toward the midline
of your body. Wrapping tighter as your breath is coming to an end.
• The deep core activation starts from your hip bones and slowly cinches its way
inward until the top of your rib cage is left to wrap
4. Belly Pumps are slow, deliberate, and controlled movements. These movements should
almost be exaggerated. Be deep in your breaths and strong in your activations. Do not
rush the belly pumps.
5. Belly pump for one to two minutes.
• Once you feel confident in the belly pump, progress into other positions like
sitting on a ball, sitting on all fours, or standing.
Tips and Tricks for Belly Pumps
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Never let your pelvic floor relax during the exhale.
You want the appearance of a flat belly and should never see doming or coning.
Because you are having a deeper controlled breath as you inhale and fill your diaphragm
properly, you can allow for slightly more air to move into your chest.
If you are pregnant, think about hugging your baby tightly (baby is completely safe).
Think big, controlled movements during this exercise. Big inhale, strong exhale, and
strong engagement from contracting to lengthening.
Do not allow your spine or pelvis to curl or move. This will prevent you from tapping
deeper into your TVA or inhibit TVA activation all together.
Feeling some muscle engagement in your back is okay. Remember your transverse
abdominis attaches to your spine. What we want to avoid is our oblique muscles taking
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over. If you are curling your hips or feel activation more in your sides this is an indicator
that your oblique muscles are taking over.
The belly pump is the foundation to true core engagement for everyone. For pregnant women,
the belly pump is the main tool you will use to train for the delivery of your baby as the process
of lengthening your pelvic floor with strong activation of your TVA will aid tremendously in
pushing and recovery. The ability to control, activate, and lengthen the pelvic floor with TVA
activation is key to establishing core function and pressure regulation in daily functional
movements as well as exercise.
Active Core Breath
The active core breath gives you the ability to have constant deep core activation of the TVA and
pelvic floor while being able to breathe and allow air to fuel your body. Watch the video on my
website and read the tips and tricks below for a better understanding! The steps for the active
core breath are as follows:
1. Lay on your back and start diaphragmatic breathing.
2. You will activate your core through your “ssssss” sound (just like you do on the belly
pump) and maintain that deep core activation.
3. While maintaining the deep core activation, breathe into your chest.
a. This a quick chest breath. When you breathe, the only change in movement
should happen is in your chest. There should be no change in the appearance of
your abdomen as it should still be in a deep activation.
4. The breath will stay in your chest as you begin to deepen the activation in your core by
cinching further with a deep core activation with each exhale.
5. Repeat for one to two minutes.
Tips and Tricks for Active Core Breath
•
•
Having a strong “ssssss” will help deepen the connection and activation.
You want to maintain the thought of a cinched in abdomen while keeping your abdomen
flat. No doming. I like to place a hand on my stomach and not allow my stomach to touch
my hand at any time during the activation. The goal is to see if I can place space between
my stomach and hand with each activation to further the strength of the activation.
Active core breaths are required when you are doing exercises that require constant activation
like a plank. Maintaining constant activation during exercises will control intra-abdominal
pressure by not allowing the pressure to push out against the linea alba and cause doming. Active
core breaths will also be used immensely to help heal diastasis recti as it will strengthen the TVA
and help bring the separation together.
Abdominal Wrap
An abdominal wrap is an active core breath that utilizes deep core activations in specific regions
of your abdomen (upper, middle, and lower) until your entire TVA is activated and engaged.
Watch the video on my website and read the tips and tricks below for a better understanding!
The steps for the abdominal wrap are as follows:
1. Lay on your back and start diaphragmatic breathing and place your hands on your hip
bones.
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2. Take a deep exhale making a strong “ssssss” sound. As you begin lifting your pelvic floor
you will start wrapping your lower TVA.
• You are pulling and bringing your two hip bones close together.
• Keep your pelvis neutral. You do not want a posterior tilt when performing the
activation.
3. Maintain the activation in your pelvic floor, lower TVA, and do a chest breath (breathe in
your chest). Move your hands on either side of your belly button and perform a strong
exhale with that “ssssss” sound.
• This is an active core breath. You will cinch together your midsection while
keeping the activation in your pelvic floor and lower TVA.
• You are slowly activating your entire TVA in sections while maintaining deep
core activations in different segments of your abdomen.
4. Maintain the activation in your pelvic floor, lower, and mid TVA, and do another chest
breath. Move your hands underneath your ribcage and perform a strong exhale with that
“ssssss” sound.
• Think about cinching your ribcage together or think of it as the last string on your
corset.
Maintaining this full, deep activation of your pelvic floor and TVA, you will now repeat even
further activations. This time you are going back down the abdomen.
5. Starting at your rib cage, do a chest breath and then perform a strong exhale with that
“ssssss” sound.
6. Maintaining the activation, slide your hands down to your midsection and try to deepen
your activation by repeating what you just did: chest breath to strong exhale.
7. Finally, slide your hands to your hip bones, perform a chest breath and on the exhale,
perform your last deep activation in your lower TVA.
8. Finish with a strong diaphragmatic inhale allowing everything to relax and lengthen.
9. Repeat this abdominal wrap series for 30 seconds going up and down your TVA muscle.
Do abdominal wraps two to three times for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Tips and Tricks for Abdominal Wrap
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•
•
Your goal is to maintain strong deep core activations during the entire abdominal wrap.
From Lower TVA to top of the TVA and back down again. Each time you move down or
up on your abdomen you are trying to deepen the activation. Do not feel silly
exaggerating the “ssssss” sound as it truly helps activate and get a deeper connection in
your TVA.
If you start micro shaking that is a great sign! The shaking means you are activating the
deepest parts of your core.
Try to keep your stomach as flat as possible (if you are pregnant you will have some sort
of bump because of your baby and that is normal). If you start to see your belly rise,
become more rounded, or you see coning, you have lost your core activation. Try and
cinch you core tighter and pull it flat before stopping. If you cannot, simply take a few
seconds of rest and try again.
o Remember pregnant or not, if there is a loss of flatness or roundness, TVA
activation is not present or lost no matter your size. Over time you will get
stronger, but we always want to make sure we have proper engagement!
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If you are pregnant, abdominal wraps will be heavily used to heal or close your abdominal
separation after birth and help keep it minimal during pregnancy. Depending on where your
separation is or where you linea alba has been damaged the most, you will perform back to back
abdominal wraps or deep core activations in the same spot/section. For example: if my
separation is most present around my belly button, I am going to focus multiple deep core
activations in my midsection before moving to my upper TVA. Abdominal wraps have a crucial
role in healing diastasis recti as you are able to target where your separation is most apparent.
How Often and When do I Properly Utilize the Core Techniques?
Preventative actions are key to a healthy lifestyle and the core activation techniques are the
foundation to building a strong, functional core for everyday life, exercise, labor, recovery, and
healing. These techniques are used to prevent and/or heal diastasis recti, help with bladder
incontinence, as well as strengthen your core muscles and pelvic floor. Utilizing these techniques
daily, whether by themselves or integrated into your exercise, will set your body up to stay
functional and strong. The core activation techniques apply to everyone. If you see any bulging,
coning, or more roundness (abs almost come to a rounded peak) your TVA is not activated
properly and you are placing pressure on the linea alba. Over time that damage will cause further
issues. So, take a few steps back and modify what you are doing so you can have true core
control. Just remember, the cinching in portion of TVA activation is pulling your abdominal
muscles together. Cinching is how you will control intra-abdominal pressure on the linea alba,
close any separation you may have, and strengthen your TVA. The belly pump (contracting and
lengthening) is an awesome tool to strengthen your pelvic floor while keeping it balanced.
When learning these techniques, whether you are strengthening your core, you are
pregnant, or if you are healing or preventing diastasis recti, you will perform these basic
techniques seven to ten times a day. Remember, these techniques should be implemented into
your daily activities: driving, walking, sitting at work, lying in bed, during your workout, post
gym workout ect. You will perform each technique anywhere from 45 seconds to two minutes. If
you want to do all four of the core activation techniques in one sitting, rest 10 to 20 seconds in
between each exercise or what is needed for you to have proper activation for each exercise. You
will apply the deep core activations technique when you sneeze, cough, or laugh. When you sit
up out of bed, get out of the car, when you pick up groceries or weights, you will do a small
quick core activation. The small movements daily are more imperative for pregnant women but
if you are not pregnant being aware of your core when lifting objects and even sitting up need
attention. These small daily functions over time can cause intra-abdominal pressure that will
either worsen your diastasis recti or prevent healing from happening.
We have to retrain our body on how to handle intra-abdominal pressure. If these
techniques are done properly, your core will be exhausted. I felt as if I got a much better workout
utilizing these techniques while pregnant than I did doing complicated core workouts prior to
pregnancy. But, before doing any true abdominal work or intense core exercises, you will want
to make sure you have correct activation; especially if you are pregnant or post-partum! Once
you are confident in your core activation, then you can start integrating these core activation
techniques into your workout regimens.
If you are healing diastasis, start with caution. Heal your diastasis before beginning any
true core exercises and stick with the techniques until it is closed to at least a finger gap. Be
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patient. If you rush your healing process, your separation will take longer to heal, and you will be
frustrated. It is worth the wait to heal and focus on your core before beginning your journey back
into the gym.
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Chapter 5
Transition
You may be overwhelmed with all of the knowledge you have just sifted through and maybe
even confused. If you are, do not worry! The more you read over this guide, watch the videos,
and implement these techniques into your daily life, the more the material will resonate with you
and become second nature. Everything you have learned in this guide will take time to master as
there is an immense amount of information and things to learn. But if you stick with it, the
benefits of knowing the ins and outs of your core will not disappoint. The second half of this
guide will provide you with a four-week outline of how to integrate what you have learned into
your life. The more consistent and proactive you are with this material, the faster you will adapt,
improve, and master the techniques. True core functionality is fundamental to establishing a
strong base to your health and fitness journey. One day at a time. You got this!
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