Lose Your Mummy Tummy -- with Julie Tupler, RN
Mummy tummy, baby belly -- whatever you call it, if you want to lose those post-pregnancy pounds, help is on the way. Julie Tupler, RN, joined us on Feb. 22 to answer your questions.
By Julie Tupler
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Live Events Transcript
Mummy tummy, baby belly -- whatever you call it, if you want to lose those post-pregnancy pounds, help is on the way. Julie Tupler, RN, joined us on Feb. 22 to answer your questions.
If you have questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is meant for informational purposes only.
MODERATOR: Welcome to WebMD Live, Julie. We don't all have large babies, but so many of us end up with mummy tummy. Why?
TUPLER: The women or men that do abdominal exercises incorrectly can create a separation for the outer-most abdominal muscle -- the muscle referred to as the "six pack". This separation can cause both the mummy tummy and lower back problems. The outer-most abdominal muscle that separates is the support system for the back. When it separates, it weakens the support system for the organs in the front and weakens the support system for the back causing low back problems.
Most people do not know they have this separation. This separation is caused by a forward forceful movement at the belly button area, which is a weak spot. This forward forceful movement can be caused by the uterus pressing on this weak spot during pregnancy or by doing exercises incorrectly.
MODERATOR: This is called diastasis. Is it inevitable when pregnant?
TUPLER: No. A very small percentage of women do not get it for some reason. Also, if a woman starts doing the Tupler technique abdominal exercises early in her pregnancy she can prevent getting this diastasis.
MODERATOR: How do you know if you have this separation, diastasis?
TUPLER: During pregnancy if a woman lifts her head she might see a little bulge; she will know she has a diastasis. Both during and after pregnancy a woman can check herself for this by lying on her back with her knees bent, heels close to the buttocks; then she puts her fingers pointing down towards her pubic bone into her belly button. She presses down and slowly lifts her head. If she feels a hole in the middle as she lifts her head she knows that she has a diastasis. She can also check three inches below her belly button and three inches above her belly button. The fingers must be pointing down when she is checking herself.
MODERATOR: Can you get rid of the separation now, no matter when you had your last baby?
TUPLER: Yes, absolutely. Research from the Columbia University Department of Physical Therapy done in March 2001 found that the women who did the Tupler technique exercises during pregnancy had a smaller diastasis than the women that did not do these exercises. We have found that even during pregnancy when the uterus is expanding on that weak point of the abdominal area of the belly button, she can keep this separation the same or make it smaller.
We have also worked with women many years after they have had their baby, as well as our clients' mothers, and helped them get this separation back together. Getting the separation back together involves four things:
- Doing the Tupler-technique-seated exercises every day.
- Getting up and down correctly when getting in and out of bed.
- Engaging this inner most abdominal muscle used during the Tupler technique exercise with everything -- meaning with all the activity she does (sneezing, coughing, picking up their baby, exercising, going to the bathroom, getting in and out of bed, getting up and out of a chair, etc.).
- Using a splint, which is a long scarf-like piece of fabric that we make at Maternal Fitness to make the starting position of the muscle closer together when doing the exercises.
MEMBER QUESTION: Can you explain the Tupler technique?
TUPLER: The Tupler technique focuses on strengthening the inner-most abdominal muscle, which is called the transverse muscle. This muscle is like a corset and wraps around your whole midsection. The action of the muscle is forward and backward. This is the muscle we use in breathing. This inner most muscle, which goes forward and backward, is attached to this outer-most muscle. So, when the inner-most muscle goes back towards the spine, it brings the outer-most muscle with it, making this separation smaller. When you strengthen the transverse muscle you also strengthen the outer-most recti muscle.
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