Tupler Technique Plus Kegels- Lose Your Mummy Tummy Tribe

[LionTigerBear]

Anyone else with me?

I am (trying) to do the exercises in Julie Tupler's Lose Your Mummy Tummy book.

I can describe the first exercises for those who interested.

I am finding them very hard to do though, I don't have much muscle tone in these areas at all. : I could use some moral support, encouragement, comraderie, etc etc.

BTW I have two little boys and I'm 6 months postpartum. I am losing weight in lots of other areas but I need to strengthen my core muscles. I had first ordered that Winsor Pilates program, but realized it is bad for people who have a diastisis. My diastisis is one-to-two finger widths.

Okay, I'll shut up for now, until I see if anyone else is interested in joining in. :

[JustKiya]

I'd love to hear about the first exercise - I don't even have any babes, and I've still got the mummy tummy!

[LionTigerBear]

Hi! Okay, I'll be back today with some of the info. I'll type it up (in my own words).

I do recommend getting and reading the book though. It goes very in-depth.

[LionTigerBear]

Disclaimer: I am recounting as best I can some of what is in the book, but I am not a personal trainer and I am in no way knowledgeable of what I write! Lol! Read the book! It's good.

How to tell if you have a mummy tummy (diastasis):

You may have bad posture (tend to slouch). And you probably have back/abdominal pain when trying to do things like lift your baby. Your tummy will pooch out too. But to see if you actually have a diastasis instead of a regular flabby tummy, do this check. Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent. Place your hand flat on your belly, fingers pointing towards your toes. Fingers should be flat on your belly. Check in three places-- belly button, three inches above bellybutton, and also below. To check you press your fingers down as you lift your head. Shoulders stay down. If you feel a gully that you can press at least one finger into then that is a diastasis. The wider the gully, the worse the diastasis. A diastasis can be caused by pregnancy/childbirth, but also by doing too many recti-strengthening exercises without also strengthening the transverse muscles that hold your abdominals together. (The pictures in the book make it easy to understand.)

What NOT to do if you have a Mummy Tummy (diastasis):

Basically, don't do pilates unless you have specialized gym equipment and know what you're doing. Most of the pilates exercises will not only not help your mummy tummy, they will make it worse, or even create a diastasis where tere was none before. Dont do: the 100, crunches, sit-ups, crossover situps, or any other back-lying exercises. When your diastasis starts to heal, you can do certain back-lying exercises only while wearing a splint, but it's not necessary.

Other things that can make a diastasis worse: slouching, bending at the waist to pick up things like your baby or toys, wearing baby in front carrier or sling (better to do this while wearing a splint, or wear baby on back or very high so you're not slouching as you do it), don't suck your lower tummy in while letting your upper abdomen hang out.

What TO do:

Do belly breathing. When you breathe, feel your lower belly expand, and when you exhale, let your lower tummy come all the way back. Do not forcefully puch your upper abdomen out while doing belly breathing.

Practice perfect posture as much as possible. Squat or bend at the knees to lift things or babies.

Carry your baby on your hip or back and try to maintain good paosture when you do (this is one of the hardest things for me.)

When breastfeeding, don't slouch to get breast to baby. Prop baby higher with pillows, or lie down next to baby to nurse.

Do belly dancing exercises. Stand with your knees bent, legs apart at hip distance, and your hands resting on your thighs so you're bent over a little but your back is nice and straight. Now pull your pubic bone towards your belly button to stretch your lower back. Hold for a count of five, the release to a flat back position. Do 10 tilts at a time, at least once a day.

Do abdominal work:

Seated Tupler Technique: If you are holding your baby properly, you can do this one while breastfeeding. Remember, pillow(s) under baby, bring him/her up to you, rather than bringing your breast down to them-- no bending! You need to be sitting for this exercise. Crosslegged with back against a wall, or in a chair where your thighs and buttocks are totally supported. The seat should be firm but comfortable. Sit with your butt touching the back of the chair. There are two parts to the Tupler Technique: Elevators, and Contractions. If you are breastfeeding, she suggests switching exercises halfway through when you switch breasts.

Part one, Elevators: sit as described. Place your hands on your tummy, one above the belly button, one below. Take a belly breath and expand tummy to floor one. (Floor 1 is all the way out, floor 5 feels like your tummy is touching your spine, floor six you try to push your tummy outside your back or something. ) Then bring your bellybutton back toward your spine-- floor 5. Imagine your ribs coming together. Hold for 30 counts but count outloud so you know you're still breathing. Then pull your tummy back even further to 6 for a little squeeze, and count as you do 5 of these squeezes, and release. Do a full, deep belly breath. Whew. Do ten sets of these every day.

Part two, Contractions: sit as above. Place hands in the same position, above and below bellybutton. This is so you can feel that both top and bottom are moving backward.

still working on it . . .

[LionTigerBear]

[JustKiya]

Veeeery interesting!! Thank you for sharing this - I'm going to test this tonight once I get home....

[friendtoall]

I got this video in August and haven't even taken the plastic off it yet!!! I'm going to do that soon and get started. I recently joined a gym and am amazed at how many inappropriate (for mummy tummys) moves the instructors do. I look more pg than some pg women I know.

[LionTigerBear]

I have been feeling REALLY frustrated with this because I carry my ds A LOT in the front position in a sling pouch which is too big for us. So he siots too low and I have to scrunch to nurse him in it. : No hope of buying a new one until MAYBE next month, maybe. I can feel how bad it is for my diastasis but I just don't know what else I would do. The only other carriers I have are the Ergo and the podaegi, and I can hardly nurse him in those in the front position, and then I couldn't sit down because he's so large and with his legs dangling etc. In the back carrier position I can't nurse him. SO I am stuck and irked about it. I do continuum concept parenting so I can't hold him less-- it's more important for me to hold him than to heal my mummy tummy. A splint would cost money too.

I guess that was mostly just a rant. I'm just really frustrated about it. I am trying to remember to breath from my belly but it's really hard to remember to do and I often wonder if I am holding my tummy in properly/breathing properly and it really stresses me out sometimes. :

Wish someone here was more knowledgable so they could give me pointers. The Winsor Pilates program would have been so much easier to do. Oh well.

[LionTigerBear]

Just wanted to pop in to update anyone of the few people who might read this! It appears to be working! I have been focusing on good posture, correct breathing, and just trying to draw in those transverse ab muscles as I go about my usual day. Not really doing any reps or particular exercises. I have not been able to give up using the bad-posture sling. But it seems like it's still working, my waist is already looking slimmer! Yay!

[Maggi315]

I have this book, I lend it out in my lending library. Amazingly, I don't seem to have no diastalsis. but my belly totally juts out, I am asked almost weekly if I am pregnant: .

I want to try the exercises, do you think they would work for someone who has no diastalsis? Maybe I'm not understanding how to do them correctly, it seems you just suck in your belly towards your spine, going farther and farther in, and then holding, then out? Am I missing something?

[hadassah]

Hi there,
I also want to REALLY give this a shot. I have had the DVD for months and have done it a dozen times but never as many times a day that she recommends......... And for me it was so hard!!!!!! I think that means it was pretty good for me? But I find even standing and doing something with my hands make my stomach hurt and feel very weak after a short time so I think this will be very helpful. And really it is easy to fit in your day because you can do it in the car, sitting here posting on Mothering, and so forth. In the DVD she says to do 200 before noon 200 before dinner and 100 before going to bed. It's for me to remember and then when I do , I am too tired, ect.

But good thread, it's good to hear that you are really wanting to do like myself.

[nicolebeth]

I want to get started on this, too. DS is two today--I have to start sometime, or really get pregnant (since everyone thinks I am anyway!)

[Maggi315]

How's everyone doing with this? Maybe I need the DVD to see what she means, I don't think I am doing them right. When I am contracting tightly, I can't breathe, anyone else?

I just went out to buy new summer shorts/capris and it was depressing. Nothing fit because of my big belly and if they did fit and look nice, I had a nice big "muffin" top!

I would love to hear others success, advice, tips!

[Bella Catalina]

This sounds really interesting. My diastasis is 1 finger width at my belly button. I am 8-10lbs below my pre-pg weight, but I look a lot worse imo. Apart from the even larger (and lower!) breasts, I have no real waist, I still have the love handles I developed while pg (and don't think they will leave, maybe after I am done nursing, but we're ttc again so...) and I feel so lumpy and gross.

I am going to look at the book now - or maybe the dvd would be better...

[MMGerard]

I'd like to try these exercises. My local library has three copies of the book, all checked out, but I am on the list for one when they come back. I have heard the DVD is easier to follow, however. For those that have the DVD, was it worth the purchase price? (Anybody have one to sell? ) What about the splint to wrap around your waist? Worth it or not?

[crunchyconmomma]

Is it possible to have only a minor "gully" in there? Like not wide enough to put a whole finger in, but it sinks a little bit? And is it still a problem with Pliates and stuff? It's hard to tell, because I have a considerable amount of belly fat, but I think I feel a dip.
Since I have been working on my abs a bunch, I think it's probably good to have read this and to find out before I would make things look worse, if I do have diastasis.

[CarenSwan]

I've never heard of diastasis, but I definitely have it! I've felt that "gully" before and thought that it was wierd, but I didn't know it was abnormal. I'm just over 2 years post-partum after a c-section, and while I'm back down to within range of my pre-preg. weight, I'm no where near the same shape! I'd love to know what the contractions portion of the excercises entail. Thanks so much for all this great info, LionTigerBear!

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by CarenSwan

I'd love to know what the contractions portion of the excercises entail. Thanks so much for all this great info, LionTigerBear!

Me too!

[MMGerard]

I've been trying to do the elevators and contractions but would like to do more, so I broke down and ordered the DVD and splint. My tummy has gone down a lot and seems firmer, but I still have three-fingers diastasis. How's everyone else doing?

[KatSG]

Hi, there. My second dd is now 13 mos and I've half-heartedly done these exercises here and there but now I'm motivated! Especially after hearing that they're working for LionTigerBear. I don't have a lot of extra fat at this point but I'm working on my strength and toning. I really just want to feel strong. My lower back is really suffering from my lack of core strength.

I may go ahead and order that DVD. Or get together with my neighbor. I know she has it.