The Tummy Team is not just for women- Testimony from 71 year old man....

"This is to thank you, Gillian, and the entire Tummy Team for the fantastic result I obtained using your program. 

 I hope my result might inspire some others.  If a 71 year old male with a fairly severe diastasis that had persisted for several years can make a full recovery then I would think just about anyone could.  

My problem began at least eight years ago and kept getting worse.  My stomach protruded so badly I looked pregnant, not an attractive “look" on a man.   I consulted two  board certified plastic surgeons who told me this could not be helped with exercise and that the only “cure” was surgery. I tended to believe them because the many abdominal exercises I had tried did nothing.  (It turned out, as I learned from Gillian, that these exercises were exactly the wrong kind to do.)  The surgery, however, leaves a large scar, takes months for full recovery, is quite expensive, has an uncertain outcome and also carries with it the risk of serious  infection, among other things.  I did some research online and found the Tummy Team right here in my own area.  I was a bit skeptical this would work in my case.  It appeared to be effective in younger people, especially post-partum women,  but I had doubts it would work in an “antique” like me, particularly after having been present for so long.  Nonetheless, it seemed worth a try, given that the only alternative was major surgery. 

Not too long after starting the program with Gillian I departed on a  long  world trip that made it more difficult to do the exercises and wear the splint, but, thanks to the expert advice Gillian gave me, I was still able to make good progress while traveling.  I continued after returning and in less than  four months from the point I first started the program I had complete closure of my diastasis.  I can now look at myself in the mirror without wincing. I lost four inches around the middle without any loss in weight and have a flat belly again.  

I find it amazing and highly gratifying that something I had suffered from for years could be cleared up in just a matter of a few months.  The exercises were easy to learn and follow, and the splinting, which I had feared would aggravate my chronic acid reflux,  actually seemed to make it better.  My chronic back pains have also significantly improved.  I still wear the splint at night simply because it makes me feel more secure and continues to help with the nocturnal reflux.  

I can’t thank you enough Gillian.  
To all at the Tummy Team:  Keep doing this great and much needed work."

  David from  Vancouver, WA

David had an 6 finger deep diastasis and a 38" belly when we started with him.  He was seen for 4 session and completely resolved his diastasis and measured 34" at his belly on his final Tummy Team appointment.  He was 71 and had been dealing with this for over 8 years.

It is never too late.  Let us help you!

If you cannot meet with us in person, we offer a very effective and comprehensive Core Foundations Online Program.  You can do this, we can help you.

Testimony- healing umbilical hernia in the midst of 4th pregnancy.

Below are the first 2 journal entries from an online Prenatal Core Training Tummy Team client... follow her story to watch how The Tummy Team program can make a difference even when pregnant.


First Journal Entry...

At 17 weeks pregnant with my 4th baby, I was already experiencing pain in my belly button from the umbilical hernia that had developed at the end of my 3rd pregnancy about 18 months before.  I had just been dealing with it.  But once my belly started growing, I realized the possibility that it would only get worse with this next pregnancy.  I knew I had to do something! I started researching like crazy.  I knew I definitely didn't want surgery which is what all the "conventional" treatments recommend.  There had to be another way.  

Then I happened upon thetummyteam.com after reading about posture and alignment at katysays.com and fit2b.us.  Finally, a hopeful solution!  When I checked, I found out that I have a diastasis of about 4.5 fingers at my navel.  I started incorporating whatever I could glean from reading through their websites.  I stopped doing the exercises that I found out were making my problems worse.  I started trying to activate my core as best as I could.  I even borrowed a belly splint from my mom that she had used after a major abdominal surgery ( it looked similar to the 4 panel splints at The Tummy Team).  I wore the splint for a few hours 2 days a week and realized that I do not know how to activate my transverse muslce very well at all and that I do need more help.  I'm looking forward to starting the Prenatal Core Program and seeing if somehow my diastase can be lessened even before my pregnancy is over.  Even if it just doesn't get any worse, it will be worth it.

Second Journal Entry...

I'm just beginning week 3 in the Prenatal Core Rehab program and I am excited about moving into the standing exercises.  It will be much easier for me to incorporate them into my day since I am on my feet all day taking care of 3 kids under 5!  I have mostly been doing the transverse holds standing already anyway.  At this point I am 25 weeks pregnant.  The pain I was experiencing in my belly button (from an umbilical hernia) has reduced tremendously.  I find myself pushing on my belly button out of habit, but finding much less to push back in which is awesome!  Also, I have noticed less leaking when I cough, etc.  Honestly, if I think about it, I'm not sure my belly button is hurting anymore at all... If so, it is rare, which is incredible since two months ago when my belly was first really starting to grow, I was having considerable pain which is what sent me on this journey of research to find a solution.  I knew if I was hurting already at that point, and had much more growing to do, my hernia could likely get much worse!  Thank God I found The Tummy Team!  It is helping already and has relieved me of any anxiety about getting worse throughout this 4th pregnancy.  I may even be better off in the end than I was at the beginning, we'll see!

Stay posted for her next journal entry....

My Story- Katie (just after delivery of 4th baby)

Hi Tummy Team! 
 I am so happy to announce that our baby, Lydia Lenora, born at home 10/30/14. 9lbs 9oz, a HUGE head at 14 3/4 cn, and full of sweetness  I wanted to share my birth story to tell everyone how The Tummy Team and Fit2b helped me through my pregnancy and labor!

This pregnancy started out 100% better than the last one I had. Lydia is my 4th baby. I didn't know about DR until after the birth of my 3rd baby 2 years ago. At that time, when I tried to measure my DR, I couldn't even find the edges of it, and it took months of fit2b before I could feel it at about a 5 finger width. My pregnancy with my 3rd baby was so awful, full of pain from my hips, lower back and sciatica, that I had 'sworn off' having any more babies. The Lord helped me with the pregnancy amnesia though, and I was joyful when we found out we were expecting #4. I did the Core Foundations program through The Tummy Team about a year ago (before this pregnancy) and closed up my DR to a 1, 2, 1 while still nursing my then 1 year old. Found out I was pregnant a few months later (still nursing, but weaned shortly after-she was ready) and was amazed by how much stronger I felt through out my whole pregnancy. I was also eating much healthier food, but I feel like knowing and understanding my body and alignment made this pregnancy the best, even though I was still taking care of three other little ones 5 and under. I did the prenatal program around 20 weeks along and was reminded of how to take care of my alignment and body while growing the baby. I know my DR began to open a bit, and at times my back would bother me, but it was NOTHING like my pregnancy with my 3rd. I had very minimal sciatica, and it was only when I wasn't paying attention to my alignment. Having a mostly sciatica-free pregnancy is Amazing if you are used to having it every day in other pregnancies. I ordered another, bigger splint from the Tummy Team (the 4 panel) and used it on days that I felt more tired and couldn't hold myself up as much, but I didn't use it daily, and didn't feel like I needed to. Another amazing note, is that I DID NOT LEAK PEE through the Entire pregnancy! My pelvic floor was SO much stronger, and even through sneezes, light jumps (if playing), and even a severe cold with a LOT of coughing at 35 weeks, I didn't feel the need to change my underwear because of leaking! I *might* have had a few slight leaks during weeks 39 and 40 (baby was 8 days late) but seriously, who can say that they have gone that long without leaking in a pregnancy? And it was so minimal, maybe only 3 or 4 times? In short, I felt so great this pregnancy compared to my others!

Okay, birth story: Contractions started coming around 2 am but they were very sporadic and not regulating at all during the first 7 hours. I was highly annoyed (to the amusement of my midwife, and myself now that I am looking back) by how 'slow' this labor was going as opposed to my 7 hour labor with my 3rd baby. After that, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and began purposeful belly breathing and relaxing of my pelvic floor. I walked constantly between 3 rooms and paused with each contraction to make sure I was breathing correctly. Within an hour, I felt my first urge to push. My midwife believes that it is very possible to *help labor along* by mental and physical things just like I was doing. My labor might Not have been too much longer anyway, but I think I helped a lot in making it happen sooner. I pushed baby out in just under 9 hours. Pushing felt stronger and more efficient than it had with other labors. I pushed her out in 4 pushes, the bulging sac took two pushes to get through, and then head and body. I didn't tear at all, even though my daughter's head is quite large 


Recovery: at 3 days pp, I feel like I am already almost put back together. I began wearing a splint again about an hour after labor and have worn it almost constantly since. It Felt and FEELS so good to have it on, a HUGE difference to letting belly feel all jiggly for days on end after birth. Ive begun working on belly breathing and alignment again and I can already feel my body working on healing and getting stronger. I'm still working on the nursing position, but since my milk is coming in and working on latch it hasn't been Top priority yet. It will be in the next day or so as baby gets the hang of it better. I do use my back support every time I'm sitting though, and it feels so good to have it there. Anyway, I know this is super long, but hope you can find some inspiration and hope through my story!

Katie~  happy mama of 4.

Pain is a blessing.

Our body was designed to be balanced and in line with the perpendicular line against the pull of gravity.  There is intended to be a perfect balance point between the right and the left, and the front and the back of your body.  When you are off balance for an extended period of time, your body starts to act like a muscular tug of war.  Pain/strain/tension comes from one muscle screaming because they are losing the battle.  If you think back to your tug of war days, you may recall there are 2 ways to win.  You can pull harder (recruit more people or in this case more muscles) or the other side can give in (release). At The Tummy Team, we help people understand what parts of their body are in this tug of war and how to help release and balance it all out.

If we ignore the pain, simply power through, then our body is often left out of balance with one side significantly over dominating.  Ignoring pain, leads to chronic pain.

But where do we start?

First you need to be aware of what is going on.  Awareness begins with reconnecting to your body. "Powering through" leads to disconnection and often desensitization of your body.  It is very difficult to activate something you cannot feel.  It is nearly impossible to change something that you are unaware of.  

Start listening to your body.

Your body communicates to you on a regular basis.  Your brain is the ultimate communication system.  It is constantly "talking" to every aspect of your body.  We often explain this with muscles as every muscle has a voice.  The muscles you are used to using have a voice you can hear.  Muscles that have been neglected or under utilized have a quiet whisper of a voice.  (Think right now about your bicep.  You can easily bend your elbow and "hear" your biceps.  Then think of your pinky toe.  Can you easily isolate it and lift it separately from your other toes?  Likely not- it's voice is much quieter.) Some muscle are quiet because we don't use them much.  Some muscles are screaming because they are being overused.  Screaming or whining muscles are muscles that are fighting that tug of war and likely losing.  If we don't know what to do about the screaming and whining we can start to ignore it and disconnect from that sound.  We can become numb to it.  

Pain is actually a blessing.

I am aware that this is an odd statement.  But think of it this way.  When you drive on curvy steep mountain roads you see the guard rail as a blessing.  The guard rail keeps you on the road and keeps you from falling off a cliff.  The guard rail shows you your boundary, where it is safe to be and helps you avoid injury and even death.  Pain is your body's guard rail.  Actually, the guard rail should be tension and aching but we ignore that and then pain is the next step.  

Pain is your body's way of telling you something is WRONG and begging you to fix it.


What is making your body scream and whine?  Does your back hurt when you carry your kids?  Does it hurt when you do the dishes?  Do you get headaches when you work at the computer?  Does your body start failing you by the end of the day?  Do you wake up in pain?  What is triggering your pain?  

We must start with awareness, even if that awareness reveals our weakness and limitations (no one likes that).  But if you don't honestly know where you are starting at you will inevitable continue to hurt yourself over and over and your body will be so busy trying to survive that it will have no time or energy to be able to help you heal.  ( see shut off the water)

Then we need to start connecting again.  This can be so hard as we have trained ourselves to multitask, disconnect, power through and ignore pain (or even worse believe the no pain no gain lie).  Connecting to your body again is a process but it is essential to be able to fully heal.

Every muscle has an ideal alignment for it to function optimally.  Our body can function in a lot of postures and positions but when you have weak muscles and significant muscle imbalance (pain- tug of war) then you need to start in the ideal alignments to allow the body to balance and rebuild.  

Posture and alignment work never seems like exciting stuff but it can be seriously life changing.  At The Tummy Team, we focus a lot on finding neutral.  This is the balance point, the place to start building from and the quiet calm in a storm of tug of warring muscles.  Neutral never feels natural at first. But when your body truly can reclaim neutral, it will be happy.

Here is just one example of living outside of neutral that creates so much pain in our culture....

The weight of your head....
We teach the principles of "eyes on the horizon", "cable from the crown of your head" and "wings (elbows) in".  These simple posture cues will gradually start moving your upper body into its neutral position.

What do you have going on in your life that keeps your eyes down, your head forward and your elbows out?  How can you adjust your environment to help you fix this?  Is it how you are sitting to nurse your baby?  Is it how you look at your iPad or laptop?  Is it how you look down when you walk?  Is it how you have your car seat positioned?  

The Tummy Team will help you systematically rebuild your core and realign your body to help you become pain free, connected and strong.  But it begins with changing how you are interacting your body.  It is about practical, little steps that add up to life changes.

Are you listening to your body?  What can you do to listen better?

Let us help you.  Find out more about The Tummy Team and check out our online Core Foundations Program to start restoring your core today.

Is it possible to truly rehab your core with an online program???

For a long time, we were not sure.  Rehab is personal and specific and people do best when we can see them and treat them specifically.  But there are very few therapist who do what we do and so many women (and men) who need core rehab.  So I spent about 9 months filming what we do in the clinic and then designing a step by step program to walk people very deliberately through rebuilding their core.  We did not know if it would be helpful or more confusing but we felt we had to try to give people and option who had no other options.  

So last summer (July and August of 2013) The Tummy Team launched 2 online programs.  Core Foundations 8 week Online Program and Prenatal Core Training 6 week Online Program.  The results, testimonies and feedback from these 2 programs has blown us away!  

The power of the internet to reach people all over the world has been unbelievable.  Here is just one of hundreds of stories we have heard in just over a year since we launched!  

A message from a mom in Romania back in May 2014....

Hello, my name is Hajni,I’m from Romania and I want to tell you my story. I’m 33 years old, married for 14 years now and I have an eight months old baby girl. I had another child when I was 20 years old, but he had a malformation and died six days after birth. It was a C-section. Physically I recovered fairly well, except a little belly sticking out, which didn’t go away , no matter how many crunches I did on a daily basis. 
After we thought we would never have a baby and almost gave up hope, I finally got pregnant and had a beautiful healthy girl, also by a C-section. I didn’t gain so much weight during pregnancy, I mean after birth I had an extra 15 pounds, but since the baby was big, so had been my tummy, I mean enormous… Moreover, I had problems with my lactation, so I started eating to help it, (big mistake) and in three months I gained 32 extra pounds. My feet hurt, my knees were giving up because of the extra weight they carried, my back hurt, I couldn’t move around properly, not to speak of the depression I fell into because of the way I looked. I started eating less, but that didn’t help me much , I lost 4 pounds and that was it. And now , my belly was sticking out even more than before. I started doing sit-ups daily, as many as possible, to fix the problem, I wore a belly binder for months, it was killing me because I wore it too tight and it was hurting my C- section… but my belly wouldn’t shrink. I look 6-7 months pregnant, my back is still killing me, especially that now Georgia is 18 pounds and I have no help around the house during the day. Seeing that it’s not working, I went to the doctor, because I had this sharp pain around my belly button quite often … and I feared the worst. Turned out I was right, I have an umbilical hernia, which , the doctor said requires surgery. But since I am breastfeeding, I decided to postpone the surgery after I stop breastfeeding…. which will take a couple of years…)
Finally I figured out on my own that my enormous post-partum tummy is due to diastasis recti, hernia, 2 C-sections, and extra baby weight. Of course I also have a terrible posture. And I used to weigh 100 pounds before I got pregnant, so none of my clothes fit.
I cannot take it anymore. People keep asking me if I am pregnant again. I even dislike going to church because I feel so fat and because of my belly…
I found you while I was browsing for solutions to heal diastasis recti, after I read that all the crunches I did actually had worsened my condition and I don’t want another surgery. Reading through your site was like a breath of fresh air for me. It gave me hope again. I read everything, the explanations, the testimonials, I watched the videos… and I want to follow your program. I am so happy that you offer an online solution available for everyone. 

 I am a teacher and here in Romania, teachers are poorly paid, this program will be a huge investment for me but if the program really works, than there is not enough money on earth to reward you for helping mothers to become confident, good-looking, healthy women again!  I am going to sign up this week and pray that it works for me as it has for others.
I realize your time is precious and I already wrote longer than I should have, so I stop here and wait for your answer. Again, I am thrilled that I’ve found you and amazed by what you do. May God bless you and wish you all the well in the world!(this is a Romanian saying). A lovely day to you.

This client just sent this follow up message to us this week!

Hello Kelly, I don't know if you remember me, but I have shared with you my story back in May and you encouraged me to invest in the Core Foundations eight week online program. I should have written you sooner but life got in my way, it has been quite a busy summer for us. Anyway, I want to let you know that I brought the program and it was a revelation for me. I didn't just got through it, I loved it. I had a couple of moments of discouragement, but my husband was - and is - supportive and I finished it. My tummy got smaller, my back pain mostly disappeared, I'm stronger ad feel much better. I still look a little bit pregnant, but as I am still nursing, day and night, I hope that my belly will gat firmer in time. I continue with the workouts as often as possible and I hope for the best. Thank you again for this miracle of yours. You changed my life. Even my doctor noticed and wants to buy the program for herself. God bless you and have a wonderful life.

Don't think that you cannot get your life back.  Motherhood can be very hard on your body.  We specialize on helping you restore your core, relieve pain and reclaim your true self.  Check out our ONLINE OPTIONS.

You are worth the investment!

Why is there so little information about Diastasis Recti?

We get this question ALL THE TIME! Why did my doctor not know to check me for a diastasis? Why was I told by so many medical professionals that my tummy was "just what happens when you have a baby"? Why did my trainer have me doing so many exercises that were actually making my core weaker and back pain worse?  Why is there so little information out there on the truth about what is happening and real ways to fix your core?

I don't know why...but we are doing everything we can to change that.  Education is key.  Education not just for people suffering from diastasis but also for medical and fitness professionals.  We know what we know until we learn more and then we know more.  I never believe that professionals are trying to misguide or hurt their patients or clients.  We just have new information and we need to spread it.

I am super excited to partner with Beth Learn from Fit2b.us online fitness studio.  Beth was a client of the Tummy Team and after restoring her core with us, she transformed her entire way of thinking about fitness.  Beth is now the leading voice on "Tummy Safe" Fitness around the world!  We send all of our online clients to her fitness program and recommend it to most of our clinic clients as well when they are ready to transition from rehab to fitness.

Bethany is not just leading the way in changing how we exercise at home, she is also passionate about spreading the word and creating a community of experts to help further educate EVERYONE on Diastasis Recti.   I am so blessed to be a part of this panel of "experts" on diastasis recti.  For only $24.95 you can get education by leading specialists in the field of core rehab and diastasis recti.  It is an amazing opportunity.  Simply click below to get more information!

Help change the face of fitness and healthcare by understanding more about how healing your core can impact your entire life.  Education is the key.  Join us in helping spread this education.

Part 2 of Testimony from mom healing after uterine rupture...

Click here to read Part 1 of this Testimony...

I have now completed the Core Foundations Online Program and as promised, here is an update.

Overall, I have been AMAZED by this program. My attitude when I started was cynical but hopeful: I had read many positive stories but I didn’t think that The Tummy Team could help ME. It would be fair to say that the last eight weeks has been challenging and at times overwhelming but this is far outweighed by the sheer amount I have learned about the core and how it works, the support I have received from The Tummy Team and so many other women I have “met” along the way, and the emotional reconnection I have felt with the middle of my body. 

Around week 3 of the programme I realised that the constant tension I had felt in my lower and upper back was completely gone. Many people have commented that I look really well but can’t pinpoint why and I think that maybe my posture has changed as a result of working on some chronic posture issues. Also (and this may seem like a weird thing to say to anyone who hasn’t experienced birth trauma or an issue with their core) I feel connected to the rest of my body. I have accepted what my body has been through and am working with it rather than against it.

This leads me to perhaps the most exciting result of all…..

my diastasis is healing! Properly and awesomely healing.. I started the programme at 5/6 at the top and am now a 2/3, a 6/7 in the middle and am now a 2/3, and a 3 at the bottom which has now COMPELTELY HEALED.! Such a huge amount of change in such a short amount of time. And as a little extra bonus have also lost 2 inches around the middle. Yipppeeee!

I have also come to realise that completing the program is just the beginning of my journey. I am still wearing a splint, I have a Skype session to book and am now signing up to Fit2B. I have a long way to go to complete healing but I now KNOW that I can fully heal. I look forward to updating you more on my progress soon.

To read more of my story and for information on birth, breastfeeding and family life seewww.tinkmoo.co.uk.