Fall Fitness: The Dia Method

Perhaps you heard the story on NPR or saw the clip on Good Morning America?  Regardless, The Dia Method is worth checking out if you've had (or are planning to have) a baby.  There are many ways to regain strength post pregnancy & childbirth.  We love Pilates and Yoga, and are excited to add The Dia Method to our roster this fall.    

Class spots are going fast.  Join us for the next 4 week course! 
(limited number of childcare appointments available--reserve yours early)  

In the meantime, check out these tips from instructor, Leah Keller.

Are you helping or hurting your core? 8 Telltale Tips

The core is integral to the entire body – how we feel, how we move, how we function in the most basic and intimate ways. When things are not quite right, our quality of life suffers. Whether you are early postpartum, or your kids are in preschool, I’d like to reassure that you can fully restore core strength and function, no matter how long it’s been. That said, the path to health, strength and full fitness can be confusing. Many of the exercises women embrace to get back in shape and build core strength inflict collateral damage on the very tissue they’re hoping to restore.

Nick Sousanis / Courtesy of Sustainable Fitness Inc. All rights reserved.

I’m often asked what activities, exercises or workouts are safe for diastasis recti, a common pregnancy-induced condition in which the rectus abdominis (the “6-pack muscles”) split apart due to the pressure of the growing baby. The most conservative data suggests diastasis recti affects over 60% of women following a first-time, singleton pregnancy. It’s not a tear, but a sideways stretch of connective tissue that weakens the core and compromises support for the back, the pelvic floor and the organs. In addition to the cosmetic impact (diastasis recti tends to leave women with a “pooch” that can linger years and even decades after delivery), this condition carries very real health implications, including back pain, urinary stress incontinence, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Ready for some good news? You can fully resolve diastasis recti without surgery! In addition to The Dia Method core and total body workouts, which are proven to resolve diastasis recti postnatally in less than 12 weeks, I’d like to provide some pointers for you when considering other activities so you can avoid exacerbating (or causing!) abdominal separation.

First of all, know that I am a lover of movement and activity. I encourage you to do whatever activities/exercise/workouts you enjoy, but with mindfulness and appropriate modifications when necessary to keep your core safe. You really can lead a very active life with and after resolving diastasis recti – but those activities must be done in such a way to make them safe for diastasis recti and to support your overall core health and function.

So… what are the questions you need to ask yourself while playing tennis? While participating in your favorite barre/yoga/boot camp class? While doing dance aerobics or swimming? It doesn’t matter what activity it is – the questions to help you determine whether that movement is safe for diastasis recti are universal. Here they are:

1. Am I able to perform this movement/posture/exertion with my abs perfectly engaged to the spine? If not, you need to skip or modify that movement to make it safe for diastasis recti.

2. Does anything that I’m doing cause my abs to bulge forward? Does it exert downward, outward or bulging pressure on my pelvic floor? If the answer is yes to either question, can I consciously avoid that or is it beyond my control? If beyond your control, you need to skip or modify that movement.

3. Does the movement involve lifting my shoulders off the floor from a back-lying position? If so, modify that exercise to keep your shoulders down and your abs engaged toward the spine.

4. Does the movement involve lifting both legs off the floor from a back-lying position? If it does, can I keep my spine neutral and my abs totally flat throughout the complete range of motion? The answer is probably no – this is too demanding for most humans, even very strong ones, to perform while keeping the abs and the back safe. Assuming you are not an Olympic gymnast with truly exceptional core strength, you can make this class of movement safe for diastasis recti by lifting only one leg at a time and keeping your hands on your abs to monitor proper engagement.

5. Am I moving too quickly or too globally (burpees or mountain climbers, for example) to know whether or not my core is correctly engaged? If you can’t tell whether you are engaging the abs in a convex (bulging = injurious) or concave (flattening = safe for diastasis recti) direction, then you need to slow down that movement or otherwise modify/break it down to perform it with control and vigilance.

6. Can I exhale and draw my belly toward the spine on every exertion? For example, when hitting a backhand, you should exhale and squeeze your belly button to the spine. Same with any lift (free weight/body weight/kettle bell/resistance machine/groceries/your children), a golf stroke, a row, a paddle…

7. A word about backbends (especially geared toward yogis and dancers/gymnasts): a full wheel backbend, or any other extreme spinal extension and lengthening of the upper abdominal wall, will almost certainly exacerbate (or even cause!) diastasis recti. This stretch is essentially impossible to perform while keeping the belly button anchored to the spine and without flaring the lower ribcage, which opens the upper abdominal muscles. Please avoid this category of stretches to prevent injury. For an alternative that’s safe for diastasis recti, perform a gentle bridge pose or a modified cobra, which I coach you through at the end of the Firm, Flat and Fabulous workout.

8. While performing aerobic activity, such as running, brisk walking, biking, swimming, dancing, other cardio, these are your most important self-checks:

- Can I maintain neutral spine (no ribs thrusting / butt sticking out / tucking the pelvis under) throughout the range of motion?

- Can I draw my abs “up and in” toward the spine with every exhalation? (The abs will need to soften and relax on inhalation to allow adequate oxygen uptake –but never bulge forcefully forward.)

- Additionally, if your cardio of choice involves impact (such as running or jumping), closely monitor your pelvic floor: do you feel downward or bulging pressure? Do you leak a little? If so, please take a break from that activity and focus on core strengthening exercises that are safe for diastasis recti. Switch to no or low-impact cardio (like cycling, swimming or walking) for a few weeks or months, until you have the core strength and control to resume running or other high impact workouts without stressing your pelvic floor. 

Following these tips is a great place to start for preventing and resolving diastasis recti. Of course with the variety of activity in our everyday lives, questions are bound to arise. Our members-only Facebook group is an active discussion forum where many interesting questions and inspiring events are discussed, yet we find that many conversations circle back to these 8 tips related to mindful movement and your core.

Just remember: There is no shortcut to self-awareness. I don’t provide a “complete” list of safe or not-safe diastasis recti movements because that’s not actually helpful. The moment you assume something is “safe” and stop monitoring your own body while performing it, you open yourself up to possible injury, even if the move itself is not inherently unsafe for diastasis recti. One person might be able to perform a full plank on the floor with perfect core engagement; another might not have the strength or coordination to do so (yet).

The Dia Method workouts offer a comprehensive program to resolve DR and achieve optimal health and fitness. Our private FB group is a safe place (free of advertising or solicitations) for Dia members to gain support from not just me, but a wonderful community of women sharing similar experiences. Join us today to restore your core, transform your body, and learn more about what exercises are safe for diastasis recti!

By Leah Keller, Creator of The Dia Method. Learn more about Leah at leahkeller.com.

Fall Fitness: Overview - 9 classes weekly (many with childcare!)

As we all know, parenting is hard work.  Strength, clarity and endurance are all required on a daily basis to raise infants, toddlers and preschoolers.  In addition to helping to support your child's development, Recess is here to support your health too.  

We have a variety of fantastic classes on the schedule this fall.  Most start early September, but Mommy Baby Yoga and Prenatal Yoga begin 8/29!  We hope you'll join us.  

Here's the Fall Schedule at a glance (and scroll down to see more detail):

MONDAYS - Pilates 10am (childcare available)

TUESDAYS - Prenatal Yoga 8am

THURSDAYS - 4-wk Dia Method Series starts 9/14 at 12:30pm (childcare available), Evening Pilates 7:15pm

FRIDAYS - Prenatal Yoga 8am, Baby & Me Yoga 9:15am (childcare available)

SATURDAYS - Pilates 9am (childcare available), Prenatal Pilates 10am (childcare available)

SUNDAYS - Yoga 9:30am (childcare available)

Childcare is available by appointment during class for children 3 months to 4 years.  $8 members/ $12 non members. 

More info about classes and childcare on our fitness page. 

Oh Baby! Yoga for Two

We're absolutely thrilled to be adding prenatal & Mommy Baby Yoga to our fall schedule.

Prenatal and Postpartum periods are temporary, life-changing periods of our lives.  Take the time to connect with your growing babe by joining Dina's classes.  You are invited to create a spacious pregnancy as well as a special space to bond after baby joins us on the outside.  

If you're looking to create room to connect with baby #2 or 3, Recess offers childcare during fitness classes for toddlers and preschoolers too!  

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Blog post by Dina Herring

I love holding space for pregnant mamas.  It is such a sweet and special time in a woman's life.  A time that demands self-nurturing and embracing uncomfortable self-change.  It has a glorious finish line, but the journey is long and hard.  Luckily, yoga helps alot. 

During my pregnancies, I remember prenatal yoga to be very fulfilling.  I found comfort in meeting other women on the same uncomfortable journey.  I learned new shapes and movements to accommodate my changing body.  Breathing practices taught me to find my inner strength.  Mantras and calming visualizations empowered me to birth my babies with ease.

Looking back, prenatal yoga helped me develop a fierce confidence during pregnancy that served me well on the days I finally met my babies.  It was a deepening of my yoga practice in ways I never imagined.  I will forever cherish the tools I learned in prenatal yoga that continue to serve me on my journey into motherhood... and into life.

Dina's Classes This Fall

PRENATAL: Tuesdays & Fridays from 8-9

strength, focus, flexibility, gentle

Expect a combination of active, flowing poses as well as restorative poses to relax and re-energize. Simple breathing and meditation techniques will be introduced. This is the perfect time to foster mindfulness and deepen your awareness of your body. Designed to instill confidence in the innate wisdom of the female anatomy, and to increase peace and ease as you journey through this magical time. All levels welcome.

BABY AND ME:  Fridays 10-11

all levels, bonding, fun, soothing

Tailored for mothers who have recently given birth. Babies who are not yet crawling are welcome in the room with you. This is a time to come together with other mothers, bond with your baby, and sneak in a little yoga too. We invite you to feed, soothe, and change your baby as needed during class. All levels welcome.

 

About Dina.  

Fun Fact:  Dina was also one of Recess' first members when we opened back in 2008!  

Dina's passion for yoga began with her journey into motherhood over 10 years ago. It was with the tools of her pre-natal yoga and hypobirthing practices that she found so much joy in the empowering experience of homebirth (twice).

Since then, Dina has maintained a serious passion for childbirth. She's frequently offering her doula services to friends, family, and co-workers, and sharing her hypnosis techniques.

When Dina completed her 200-RYT at Giggling Lotus she realized the journey into motherhood, was much like this journey into yoga. It offers such a profound and empowering time in a woman's life. Such a beautiful softening and opening is made possible.

Deep relaxation and meditation continue to be pillars in Dina's personal practice, and this shows in her teaching style. She enjoys sharing the practice of yoga with everyone, from children to adults, in an honest and playful way, and she loves being a constant student of yoga.

In her pre- and post-natal class offerings, Dina hopes to create a space where moms can feel honored and empowered for the magical work they are doing.

Sensory Friendly Playtime - It's Here!

For some children, particularly those with autism or sensory processing disorders, a visit to a space like Recess can be difficult or overstimulating.  Kids melt down.  Music, bright lights, and a lot of action are just too much to take in all at one time.  

This summer, we are thrilled to be launching a program that's been in the works for years, Recess for All.

Since we opened nearly 10 years ago, Recess' playspace, has been inclusive. We welcome children of all abilities, from all walks of life. We have welcomed ABA therapists with special professional memberships who meet their clients at Recess. We've had children on the Autism spectrum come for open play and join our Precess program.  Kiddos with a variety of other developmental delays, sensory processing disorders and physical disabilities have been able to thrive at Recess.  

But we've always known we could do more to meet the needs of all children. So last fall, we brought together a team of professionals (a Special Ed PhD, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Pediatric PTs, parents, advocates, an infant mental health specialist & a recreational therapist) and launched our Recess For All initiative. Through this incredible brainstorm, were able to pull together expertise from a variety of disciplines and identify ways to make Recess more inclusive during open hours, and more useful for children with disabilities during times Recess is closed to the general public.

Our first sensory friendly playtime is July 26.  

With this new offering, our goal is to support families of children with autism or sensory processing disorders by providing these Sensory Friendly Playtimes events every month. Our first one will be July 26, 2017.  

We'll be limiting the number of families who can attend at any given time, turning down the lights and sounds, providing adaptive equipment for those who would like it and, if available, bringing in volunteer therapists to create a welcoming environment for families who wouldn’t be able to visit during regular hours.  

During these play times, we'd love your feedback.  Whether you are a parent or a professional, we want to know how we can create the most optimal environment for your child to play.  

Other goals under Recess for All:

• Increase Recess' library of resources for parents who are curious about their child's development, those who are just starting down the path of diagnosis and the families who are looking to connect with others in the same boat. If you have books or resources to donate, please get in touch.  If you are in need of resources, let us know!
• Build a lending library of various tools to be available for kids who need them.
• Starting in the fall, host support groups for parents.  
• Starting in the fall, provide childcare for children during designated times, while parents can take a break, work in the Workspace, or use the community room to chat with others, read a book, meditate. 

What else would you like to see?  How else can we support YOUR family? Please let us know. 
 

Is your child a candidate for Sensory Friendly Playtime?

Tell us more as we organize sign ups:

Visit our Recess For All page for additional information.