I can’t believe it has been ten Mondays since I had massive abdominal surgery. It feels like it was yesterday! So where am I today? I am still wearing my binder most days while home with the kids. I don’t necessarily feel like I “need” the support, it just gives me confidence. I am still getting a fullness in my upper abdomen throughout the day, not a bulge or bloating. The surgeon explained this would likely occur for 6-9 months as the lymphatics and blood vessels carrying blood away from the heart come back online. My incision is healing nicely and is fully closed now. The whole area is still completely numb with a bit of fullness.
My day-to-day is busy and I can now move with confidence. I even lifted the girls onto the sink to brush their teeth the other day! They looked at me with surprise and commented that I was not supposed to do that... My little protectors. I am still not trying to be a hero and easing back into most things, grocery shopping and vacuuming is still a challenge. Maneuvering the cart and vacuum is pretty difficult still. I don’t have muscle coordination just yet. So, I ask for help when I need it!
Nutrition has been focused on making sure I am chewing my food, eating slowly and calmly, and using smoothies as meals when those options are not a possibility. I am still following time-restricted eating, which has been an amazing tool for recovery, sleep, and digestion. I am not focusing on body composition right now as my number one goal is recovery, connective tissue synthesis, hormonal control, and blood sugar regulation. I can check all of those boxes!
Onto my movement practice!!
I look forward to moving every morning and continuing to expand my capabilities! It is amazing how much more “able” I am today than I was when I first filmed this series at the beginning of the week! This week, my goal is to begin to introduce load in a lengthened position to my soft tissue of the abdominal wall. I start swimming next week... YAY!! I can’t wait!! This is the LONGEST I have gone without swimming consistently in NINE years!!
Enjoy this pattern, no matter your starting point! You can increase the difficulty by coming up to your toes or decrease it by putting your hands on a box. Remember, solid rib breath and no breath holding. Everything benefits from your shoulders through the pelvic floor and core!
This has been a favorite pattern of mine through my pregnancy with the girls, my post-party period, and still today. Using, an eye driver (following my hands with my eyes) keeps the soft tissue of the neck and upper thoracic spine facially integrated with the hand reach. Enjoy this as a post-walk series or a mobility set
ViPR Pro tilts are a total game changer. This is a tool that is a MUST HAVE for all moms to be and moms. The variable loads that you are able to impart with the ViPR Pro is essential to creating sustainable resilience through your core and pelvic floor! Adding multiple directions to the reach as well as lunges with an arm reach fully integrates the core and pelvic floor. I am also using the breathing exerciser as a way to load the intercostals (little muscles between the ribs) and core.
If you are looking for another tool that carries a lot of bang for its buck, it is the Core-Tex! The instability from the ground up offers a unique stimulus to the pelvic floor and core, stimulating the proprioceptors (nervous system). This helps you develop proper coordination and sequencing of soft tissue contraction. For this pattern, I am really enjoying how it is benefiting my feet and ankles. Did you know that weak feet and ankles are directly correlated to pelvic floor weakness?
Boy did this row feel great!! I have been craving strength training! Using the suspension trainer, TRX is a fantastic way to subtly introduce a slight overload! It is also a great load to my thoracic spine! Using a hip hinge along with the row is another change to hydrate the soft tissue along the back of my legs and hips.
Here is a fun pattern that I put together to take advantage of the basic pattern of a bench dip. Adding an eye driver while lowering down into the dip is a great way to stretch across the opposite side neck and shoulder. Looking up as I come up from the dip is a great way to create a thoracic extension. Give it a try and let me know what you think!!
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