Feel strong, supported, and confident in your body again.

Functional core & pelvic floor training for women navigating postpartum, midlife, and everything in between.

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A smarter way to train your core, pelvic floor, and full body

This isn't about endless crunches or kegels.

In my classes we focus on:

Understanding how your body actually works.

Restoring breath, core, and pelvic floor coordination.

Building real life strength that carries into everyday life.

Strong bodies, supportive community.

This isn't just exercise. It's women showing up for themselves- and each other.

In class you'll find:

Encouragement without pressure.

Space to ask questions and learn about your body.

Women navigating similar phases of life.

An environment where strength is built from the inside out.

"I'd had trouble with my SI joint for about 13 years. This SI problem affected me almost everyday, I was in pain, lifting was difficult, I had a hard time getting down on the floor to play with my kids, sports were out of the question. Alison has taught me that through targeted and controlled movements I can find pain relief, and more importantly function in my SI joint. I learned so much about my own body, I am more mindful of my movement, more confident in myself, and stronger than I have ever been since having my two girls."

- Serena

Does this sound familiar?

You want to move your body and feel strong, but...

• You worry about leaking when you run, laugh, or jump
• Your core feels disconnected or weak after pregnancy
• Back, hip, or pelvic discomfort keeps showing up
• Maybe you’ve tried workouts, kegels, or physio - but something still feels off

• You want to take care of your body, but are tired of the 'burn & shred' mentality

There's a way to move and connect to your body that will have you going forward with confidence.

WORK WITH ME

Core Confidence

8-week small group series for building functional core & pelvic floor strength.

Postpartum Return to Exercise

A supportive class for moms rebuilding strength after birth.

Strength & Sculpt

Functional exercise with a nice dose of sweat and fun.

Private Sessions

Personalized guidance for your body and goals.

Learn more

Hi, I'm Alison!

I’m a mom of four, movement nerd, and core & pelvic health exercise specialist. I also teach yoga, pilates, and functional movement.

But more importantly - I’m someone who has struggled with these issues too.

After dealing with diastasis recti and pelvic floor weakness myself, I became deeply passionate about helping women understand their bodies and reclaim their strength.

Now I'm excited to help women in Thunder Bay move beyond fear, confusion, and frustration- and into confidence.

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
@alison.tjong.movement

When I started having kids, nobody had heard of pelvic floor PT. There weren’t any functional movement programs for pelvic health. There wasn’t a discussion beyond kegels or just live with it.

As I have moved through my own journey, I have watched women’s health in this area evolve so much-it’s really incredible.

There’s open conversation, so many on here sharing their expertise, women supporting other women with suggestions and resources. It’s really quite amazing and empowering.

We’ve always deserved this.

I will be escaping in style, thank you very much.

Okay, yes, it’s embarrassing.

Also- it happens!

However, if it’s happening excessively or it’s stopping you from doing things you love (like your favourite flow) here’s what to consider:

Queefing (aka vaginal flatulence) happens when air gets “vacuumed” up into your v@g!na. How often it occurs can be due to positioning as well as how well your body is managing intra abdominal pressure.

For example, if you’re lifting a leg in your downward dog, your ribs are flared, and you lift on an inhale, it’s creating an easier environment for air to get pulled in. This is largely the positional issue.

Try keeping your front ribs softened in and do the movement on an exhale, when deep core has a better chance to respond.

When it comes to managing pressure, there can be a coordination issue or a lack of your inner core unit working well. Your inner core (diaparagm, deep abs, and pelvic floor) are designed to work together to manage pressure coming into your body. If this system is weak or not synching well, you may get more than an occasional amount of unwanted noise.

If you’re wondering how to find functional movement along with managing pressure better so that your pelvic floor is quieter and stronger, join me for Core Confidence, my 8 week group series starting March 25th. Just a few spots left- details in my bio!

The optimist in me would love to say that this is our last snowfall.

But the realist in me knows this unfortunately isn’t true..

You’ll want to save this one for your evening shovelling, as well as for making it through the rest of winter!

These exercises look simple but are deceivingly effective. They help to light up the deepest layer of your core system, whose job it is to help stabilize your body. When that happens, that means you’re not compensating by borrowing too much from areas like your low back.

As a bonus, you’re also prepping the more superficial layers of your core system, getting them ready to move and lift.

Hopefully a couple minutes of prep will help make your shovelling more enjoyable/at least less painful 😆

Also- anyone running out of room to put this stuff??

Signs of a tight pelvic floor:

- Clenched butt (see above!)
- Painful s€x
- Urinary frequency/urgency
- Tailbone pain
- Constipation
- Low back pain
- Weak org@zms
- Leaking
- Pelvic pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse

So yeah, in case it’s still going around that being “tight”’is a good thing- it’s not. Tight muscles are weak muscles. We don’t need to add kegels (tightening) to a system that’s already tight.

And yes, some of these symptoms can overlap with a pelvic floor that needs more tone.

For everyone though, we want to create an environment where your pelvic floor muscles can function properly.

All of these exercises are designed to support good pelvic floor function by getting your pelvis moving well and getting the surrounding muscles that support your pelvic floor long and strong.

Also when you learn how to coordinate your breath and core with these movements, your pelvic floor muscles actually learn to lengthen and contract along with these movements- so they work functionally well too.

If you want the step by step of a strong, functional pelvic floor, join me for Core Confidence, starting March 25th. Grab one of the last few spots at the link in my bio!

It’s not exactly click bait exciting but specificity is often what yields better results.

Small tweaks in your body alignment influence big changes in what muscles you’re activating and whether you’re well supported in your movements.

Knowing how to find neutral in your body often means you get the best chance at not compensating elsewhere, meaning you get to work the muscles you’re actually trying to work.

This can be especially important when we’re trying to relieve issues like diastasis recti, leaking, and prolapse- issues that are often based in too much pressure from compensations.

Even if your exercise has you moving out of neutral, understanding that base and knowing how to move out of it well will serve you tenfold.

If you’re looking for specific guidance in a really accessible and fun way, check out my 8 week Core Confidence program starting March 25th. I’ve got 3 spots left- use the link in my bio to find out more!

Doing isolated kegels just often isn’t enough for the dynamic roles your pelvic floor has to play.

Pelvic floor muscles need to anticipate movements and be able to respond to running, jumping, slipping, sneezing, lifting, carrying, and more.

Theses muscles also have to coordinate with the other systems in your body like your breath, core, hips, and even feet and shoulders- these all have an impact on if your pelvic floor can do its job.

Without this fluid system, your pelvic floor either:
- isn’t ready to respond
- cannot respond due to too much pressure
- has lost proper coordination and connection to do it’s job well

Yes, this sounds more complicated than kegels.

The good news, though, is that by learning how to support your pelvic floor well, you’re actually teaching your whole body to move well- which means you get to move and feel better in so many ways.

Join me for Core Confidence, my 8 week program that guides you through this full body connection in a progressive and tangible way. I’ve got one spot left in person and two spots left on Zoom. We start March 25th- check out the link in my bio to save your spot!

Stretching is nice but it’s not going to work as a standalone.

Mobility is this beautiful crossover between the feeling of release of stretching with the strengthening needed to make functional change.

If you really want to feel more ease, space, and freedom, mobility work is where it’s at.

Try 6-8 reps of each of these a few times a week and see if things start to open up!

1. Knees to toes
2. Side lying hip CARS
3. Pull in + controlled lower
4. Side kick

For all of these, you’ll want to keep your hips stacked and your torso stable so that the work stays in those hips. Find the range of motion that works for you and build over time- it doesn’t need to look like mine!

Save this for later and give them a try!

Your body doesn’t need more crunches or kegels.
It needs leadership.

Core Confidence is about understanding how your body works- so leaking, pain, heaviness, and weakness aren’t things you just “manage,” but things that can actually improve.

If you want to feel at home in your body…

...and trust it when you laugh, sneeze, lift, run, and live your life, this is for you.

No quick fixes. No band-aids.

In Core Confidence, you’ll learn:

How compensation patterns are driving your symptoms- and how to change them

Why strong, functional movement doesn’t need to be complicated, just intentional

How integrated, full-body strength creates real confidence and lasting results

This isn’t about doing more.

It’s about moving better- with clarity, support, and power.

I’ve got just a couple in person spots left, as well as a zoom option. Check out all the details at the link in my bio, or comment Confidence below and I’ll send the link right to you!

I hope to see you March 25th :)

Effective improvement for your diastasis recti involves more than just core work.

Creating an environment where your abdominals can actually recruit well is foundational.

Rib flare can be especially prominent postpartum, as in pregnancy your body worked to create space for growing baby and your alignment shifted to accommodate your growing belly.

As I’m sure you’re well aware, your body doesn’t just “bounce back” to the way it was. Intentional, targeted exercises can help guide your body (including your core!) back to being functionally strong.

This full body approach is what we do in Postpartum Return to Exercise, my 6 week series created intentionally for the postpartum phase. The next round runs Wednesdays from 10:30am-11:30am starting March 25th. Grab your spot at the link in my bio 🩷

Postpartum core can be tricky!

Not only have your abs been stretched to support baby, but the postural changes and adaptations your body had to make in pregnancy can also affect how well you can access core. Throw in potentially managing diastasis recti and there’s a lot going on here!

Just jumping back into crunches isn’t going to cut it!

The exercises here are a piece of the foundational puzzle of regaining supportive postpartum core strength.

Many women find that their ribs fell stuck wide, are flared, or they can’t get a good breath. This can all translate as a challenge for your abdominals, as they work in concert with your ribs.

Finding freedom in your ribcage again restores its relationship with your abdominal muscles.

Secondly, it’s incredibly common for your obliques to take over and fire before anything else has a chance. You want to find your deep abdominals again. They’re your support system, what provides stability for your body, and have you feeling strong in your core again.

The focus is on exhaling from low belly first- that’s where we get the deep ab engagement, then allowing the obliques to soften in as the breath moves up.

If you’re wanting all the pieces to finding a strong postpartum core, join me for Postpartum Return to Exercise, a 6 week series on Wednesdays at 10:30am, beginning March 25th. Find all the details in my bio or comment Core below and I’ll send them right to you!

There’s a lot of alotness happening right now. And yes, your body can most definitely take that on.

At the same time, your body is also a powerful tool to ease stress and tension, clam your nervous system, and give you a little energy boost.

While these exercises can’t solve all the things, they can certainly help you move though the day feeling more open and alert 🩷

The “women must lift heavy” movement is everywhere.

And while resistance training is important- yet can also be done with moderate to light weights if working close to failure (I digress)- we’re forgetting some very important things about midlife.

- Often your joints need more attention in this phase, as they can get stiffer and you may even struggle with things like tendinitis and frozen shoulder

- Your joint health also dictates how good you feel in your body, if you can safely access the ranges of motion you need for lifting heavier weights, and helps you with everyday things like getting out of bed and getting off the toilet with ease

- Your relationship to your pelvic floor changes as hormone fluctuate. That may mean new symptoms or mild symptoms becoming more severe. You want to make sure your training sessions aren’t putting too much pressure on your pelvic floor. Learning strategy is a must.

- Your core system helps keep your back and pelvic floor happy, as well as being generally essential for healthy movement. Your core should be working well through your entire workout, and knowing whether it is should be a priority.

It’s so easy to simply say “lift weights” but without the proper tools, we’re not setting women up for success. We’re also simply ignoring other valuable tools for midlife and beyond.

If you want the foundations of functional, healthy movement that supports everything listed above, join me for Core Confidence. It’s an 8 week series with the tools to keep you strong through every phase. We start March 25th- check out the link in my bio for all the info and to register.

It’s always good to get your pelvis moving, but it can be especially necessary in the winter (and especially, especially necessary if you’re in the midst of a polar vortex!)

This is because when you’re cold, you can tend to tense and grip more as your body reacts to the cold.

More tensing and gripping= more stress on your pelvic floor= potentially more symptoms.

I totally get the urge to want to just curl up on the couch on these especially cold days, and the good news is you can get some amazing benefits for your pelvic floor while you’re there.

Finding movement through your pelvis is essential for good pelvic health, and these moves will help you with exactly that. Try about 8 reps of each

1. Supine leg circles
2. Pelvic tilts with bridge roll
3. Bridge pelvic circles
4. Hug and dangle

This is why it’s not uncommon for women who have what’s socially considered to look like a strong core to actually still suffer with back pain, leaking, prolapse, and more.

While crunches are fine, they’re doing way less for your overall core health, pelvic health, and body function than you might think.

What needs to get trained more, and trained properly, is your deep abdominals. These guys should reflexively draw in to support you not only in core exercises, but in also in your whole workout and in everyday movements like lifting, carrying, sneezing, reaching, running, etc.

If you’re not sure where to start, or if you’re ready to get this deep core system working optimally, join me for Core Confidence beginning March 25th. It an 8 week step by step series that lays the foundation for a seriously strong core. Check out the details at the link in my bio and reserve your spot 🩷

It’s more than just kegels. It’s about getting the system learning how to function for long-term support. It’s about supporting the specific needs of a body that just grew a human.

And if you want to be guided in the step-by-step, join me for Postpartum Return to Exercise on Wednesday mornings starting March 25th.

We’ll lay the foundation, build back functional strength, and give you a relationship with your body that has it feeling more supported and capable.

Save your spot at the link in my bio 🩷

Copenhagen planks are excellent for pelvic stability and inner thigh strength- both necessary for good pelvic floor strength.

However, jumping straight into them might actually be bad news for a lot of us. It’s a pretty demanding exercise that can be too much stress if you’re not ready for it.

The other exercises in this video are intelligent progressions that can help build to a Copenhagen planks, while still giving you the great benefits.

This is also a great time for a mini reminder that just because social media says an exercise is a must-do or will solve all your problems, it most definitely will not if it’s not what your body needs or your body isn’t ready for it.

Strong statements gain reach and engagement, which is why these heavy handed statements seem to be everywhere- just remember to be discerning when consuming content!

I’m sorry, but smooshing and squeezing your belly into a smaller shape just isn’t going to happen- and it comes with some legitimate functional consequences.

Oh, and the same goes for the entire shapewear industry. I totally understand wanting to smooth things out for a special occasion- however, I’d really suggest making it a rare occurrence than a regular thing.

What are your thoughts?

Did you know that talking happens on an exhale?

When you’re using your normal speaking voice, there’s not much pressure involved, so you can talk without worrying about peeing your pants.

But then you’re calling the kids in for dinner or summoning them from their rooms to clean up or you’re having a moment of frustration, and suddenly you’re worried that you might actually leak (or you do).

Because there’s more force of pressure when you yell, if your breath mechanics aren’t working optimally, that’s when you bear down and potentially leak. You’re basically forcing pressure down into your pelvic floor.

How to change that pressure and stop the leaks? Good breath mechanics.

That means creating the necessary space to breathe well, learning how to do a 360° breath in your ribcage, and having your core system (ribs, belly, pelvis) work together really well.

Breath is a foundation of good core & pelvic health, and is one of the tools I teach in my Core Confidence program, beginning again in March. You can check out all the details at the link in my bio!

Holiday meals are delicious yet often a little lacking in fibre 😆

And if you’ve traveled on top of that, sometimes your system could use a little extra help.

This is a simple, accessible exercise that can aid in moving things along- give it a try!

She feels so goooood when you give her breathing room!!

SO many of us have been told that belly breathing is the way to go.

And the silliest reasoning I’ve heard is it’s because that’s how babies breathe so it’s the most natural way.

Babies breathe in their bellies because they don’t have the strength and structure yet to breathe otherwise. Just like how they can’t sit or stand or walk. But we don’t seem to take our cues from them for that….

Your ribcage is meant for breath. It is designed to manage the pressure of air going into your body, with a ribcage that can expand, a slew of muscles to support, and works in concert with your diaphragm.

Your belly has none of this structure in place, so when you bypass the ribcage, you end up with less efficient breath and pressure on your pelvic floor with every inhale. That means your pelvic floor is tight (and this is NOT a good thing!), restricted, and cannot function optimally.

Your pelvic floor muscles are also designed to “breathe” along with your diaphragm, so when your diaphragm moves better, your pelvic floor functions better.

Breathing well is foundational to a healthy pelvic floor!

It’s a lot, when you don’t trust your body.

I was afraid for so long:
- Of making things worse
- Of doing exercises wrong
- Of pushing too hard

Here’s the really incredible thing about bodies, though.

They’re so adaptable.

Sometimes, they adapt in ways that give us issues like prolapse, pain, weakness because they’re just trying to keep us going, and doing the best they can with the feedback they’ve been given.

They can also learn to adapt again, though. They can adapt to new patterns that see those issues diminish, that see you become stronger, more functional.

You’re never broken, even if sometimes it can feel like you are.

You just need to teach your body some new things, give it time to integrate, so it can adapt once again.

It goes way beyond leaking and prolapse, friends.

Your pelvic floor plays an important role in overall health/your pelvic floor muscles can be affected by what else is going on in your body.

That means that pelvic floor issues can manifest in a lot of different ways.

At the end of the day, what these all have in common is:

- there’s likely a lack of strength or coordination happening somewhere in the system
- your body is being held in a tense or rigid position, meaning you can feel stuck
- there’s likely muscles doing work outside of their job description, so they simply cannot function as well as they should
- your pelvic floor is being put under excess stress or pressure

As you can imagine by looking at these points, this is not something kegels alone can fix. You need to get the system working, get better blood flow happening, and give your body the tools to find where it’s compensating so it can relieve stress and pressure.

And hey, if you’re a planner, I just got the next round of my Core Confidence program up on my website. It begins again on March 25th. And yes- it will give you the tools to start to relieve all of the above, along with the more “classic”
Issues like leaking and prolapse.

Here’s the thing about kegels:
They’re a little basic.

While squeezing and releasing might be part of your pelvic floor program (though not recommended for everyone), they don’t address an important truth about your pelvic floor muscles:

These muscles and them working functionally are heavily reliant on the structures around them.

Your pelvic floor muscles are constantly trying to adapt and react, yet they’re vulnerable to pressure and tension coming from other areas of your body- impacting how well they can function.

That means if your hips are chronically tight, you’re lacking range of motion, your pelvis doesn’t like to move, or important helper muscles like your inner thighs are weak- you’re going to experience those symptoms like leaking or heaviness or painful s€x

Each of these exercises provides much needed movement, relief, and support your pelvic floor needs to work well.

I encourage you to give them a try and even just see how your body feels afterwards- do you feel more spacious? Your pelvic floor does too. And will love you for it.

Knowing this difference in your body is necessary for pelvic floor issues like leaking and prolapse, as well as for core issues like diastasis recti.

It’s also just generally necessary to know if you want to make your core exercises effective!

When your belly bulges, it’s likely you’re compensating elsewhere- back and hip flexors tend to be common ones. So the core work isn’t really getting at those core muscles at all.

When you can learn to engage your deep core and to use those muscles to stabilize, that’s when your core exercises actually work the way you want them to, your pelvic floor doesn’t have constant pressure, and you get to see results & symptom relief.

It’s a great idea to actually film yourself doing your core exercises, as what you think you’re doing and what’s actually happening can sometimes be two different things.

Let me know what you discover!

I’m hosting a by-donation yoga class to support hurricane relief in Jamaica — a community I’ve been connected with through mission work over the past couple years, and one that means so much to me.

This class will be grounding, supportive, and open to everyone.

Move your body, breathe, feel connected — and help make a real impact for families rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa.

Join me on December 16th, arrive just as you are, and let’s do something good together. 💛

Link is in my bio or comment Jamaica below and I’ll send the link right to you.

All proceeds will go directly toward the most urgent needs.

Rib flare can be a great example of how your body really works as a whole.

Improving rib flare can mean working on:

- Better breath mechanics
- Improved rib mobility
- Creating freedom and space in your back
- Strengthening in good alignment
- Finding better movement in your pelvis

It’s essentially getting your body moving well- which had a myriad of benefits beyond that rib flare!

Getting a seriously stronger upper body while doing it in a way that isn’t endless reps and sets?? That’s the dream for me right there!

Actually though, find a way to move that you can have fun, and maybe even look forward to. That will do so much more for your long term health than barely showing up for the thing you’re supposed to do.

Despite what the socials say, hitting the weight rack in the gym isn’t the only way (but still an excellent way of that floats your boat!)

Current goals: getting as effortlessly strong as @womeninsilk 😍

Yes, progressive overload matters as much for your DRA as it does for a deadlift 😆

Of course, we need to challenge the muscles appropriately, but there’s another reason when it comes to diastasis that this is equally important:

A lot of time when you’re dealing with a frustrating body issue, it can put you into a careful, fearful place. You can lean away from anything that feels like too much or that will set you back. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Trying out more challenges as it feels appropriate is as necessary for your body as it is for your nervous system.

And hey, you may find that some of these exercises are a little too much right now. That’s okay! It gives you an insight of where you’re at and what you can work towards. It also helps you build a relationship with yourself that you’ve got your own back and that it’s safe to dip your toes into continuing to move forward.

Your back can often be the first to take over if you’re not accessing your deep core muscles.

While good breath mechanics is key, you also want to train your body to position itself to simply be better able to access those abdominal muscles.

If your back is arching off the floor, if your ribs lift, or if your pelvis like to rock and roll, you’re basically pulling on your abs in a way that makes it really hard to engage.

Try these 3 simple variations and see if one (or more!) helps you feel a little more connected.

Remember to exhale to engage, thinking about drawing the engagement from the low belly upwards.

Rounded shoulders, upper body tension, and poor breathing mechanics can all contribute to a less functional core & pelvic floor.

The good news is, a little bit of work to open things up will not only have you feeling like you’re standing a little taller, but will also give you better access to your whole core system, resulting in more strength & function!

The exercises:

- Shoulder dislocates
- Side bend & rotate
- Prone arm reach
- Mini cobra lifted hands
- Thumbs up arm lift

Give these a try and see if you feel more open at the end!

Last weekend we were talking about banana bread.

No, not just that it’s delicious!

But how when you walk into a house with freshly baked banana bread, it fills your senses. You notice the delicious aroma.

Five minutes later, though, you don’t notice the smell anymore.

This is a necessary skill for your brain to have. Imagine the sensory overload if your brain had to process everything all the time, new and old.

The same happens with your body.

Maybe you sit a lot for work.

So your hip flexors shorten and tighten, you gain a posterior tilt as you curl into your chair, your shoulders get used to being rounded.

This is your body adapting (so intelligently) to what it sees you using the most. It’s trying to conserve energy so it may forget some other ways of movement that you don’t use frequently. It loses the scent, so to speak.

So you get restricted, you feel stiff in some ways, less mobile, you simply can’t access some ranges of motion.

That’s when the pain, the pelvic floor symptoms, or discomfort can come it.

The goal isn’t to “fix” the tilt or the shoulders or anything else. The goal is to reintroduce more ranges of motion for your body. For you to have as many ways to move as possible. To relieve restriction and pressure. To stop compensating and to start building back functional strength and mobility.

Your body isn’t broken. It doesn’t need to be fixed. It just needs options.

Hey Thunder Bay mamas,

Postpartum exercise isn’t about “getting back” to anything- it’s about moving forward with intention.

Your body has done something extraordinary, and it deserves an approach that respects that.

Postpartum Return to Exercise is all about rebuilding strength intelligently- with a focus on restoring function through core & pelvic floor connection, breath, and progressive loading.

You’ll learn how to move well, lift safely, and feel confident in your body again- all while connecting with a community of moms who are doing the same.

Taking care of yourself now is as foundational as meeting baby’s needs- and you deserve it.

The next round starts January 14th. Head to the link in my bio to claim your spot 🩷

Ever feel like you’re crumpling to the floor and caving in during a push up?

You’re so not alone.

It can be hard to feel like your upper body feels solid and supported in these challenging positions.

A little bit of tweaking, though, can not only give you a better base, but also strengthen your shoulders in a way that keeps them healthier and less likely to be rounded in in everyday life.

The steps:

- Actively push the floor away
- Keep your fingertips pointing forward, but imagine you’re turning your hands out to open a jar (even though hands don’t move)
- Feel those elbows and shoulders rotate open
- Keep this position as you hold a plank, or while doing your push ups!

This is a necessary step if you are struggling with diastasis recti or pelvic floor issues like leaking, prolapse, or pain.

Friends, spot treatment (like only doing core exercises or kegels) just really isn’t the way, especially when it comes to your core system.

Nerdy fact for you: your “core” is actually a system- the whole canister from your ribcage to your pelvic floor. That means you gotta get everyone working together as a team for effective results.

Breath is a foundational player in overall core and pelvic health- and can be the game changer for finding the results you’re looking for.

Every time you breathe in, that’s pressure your body has to manage, and it can manage with well (happy, functional core & pelvic floor) or it can manage it poorly, (unwanted symptoms).

I would encourage you to explore finding breath in your ribs, starting to make it a practice, and getting your brain on board with what might feel like a new way of breathing!

If you’ve had a busy day, if the bulging or heaviness is feeling like a lot, if you notice yourself gripping and tensing, or your symptoms are making you stressed, this simple exercise is for you.

It doesn’t seem like much, but sometimes getting your body and brain out of gripping, holding, fight-or-fight mode is exactly what’s needed.

The elevation of your legs and hips will help with easing the pressure and heaviness feeling in your pelvic floor.

Getting your hips higher than your head is also a quick way to help your nervous system chill, which can have a dramatic effect on your pelvic floor.

It’s also a great opportunity to hone in on a 360° breath, which will help with pelvic floor function, as well as helping you to simply feel better!

Keep this tip at the ready for whenever you need a slow down and reset.

Sometimes it’s not quite as simple as “engage your core”

If you’re holding onto tension or patterns that don’t allow for optimal core engagement, sometimes you need a couple of tricks up your sleeve to make finding really great core strength more accessible.

Skin rolling is so fast and easy, and as you can see, quite effective! It’s great to do before you begin a workout or for when you’re working on more targeted core exercises.

Give it a try and let me know if you feel the difference!

A happy pelvic floor looooves some juicy hip mobility. Locked down hips also mean locked down pelvic floor. And actually, often, the same goes for your back.

These super simple exercises quickly and effectively target key ranges of motion for healthier and happier hips- with, as mentioned, amazing side benefits.

Try for 8-10 reps of each and see how buttery you feel afterwards!

You can use all the core strategy you want, but if you’re a chronic sucker-inner, you’re going to need to learn to release that tension to make meaningful progress.

It’s not that you want to be pushing your belly out- that’s not what we’re looking for.

We’re looking for a relaxed, resting tone that has no extra effort to hold in.

Other contributors to the forced sucking in often comes from wearing restrictive clothing or “compression” leggings- anything that’s forcing your belly to be held in.

I’ve even had moms tell me that they got advice to hold their bellies in when they go for walks in order to get more strength and tone. In reality, you’re not allowing your core to react, respond, and adapt as necessary, and putting unwanted pressure on your pelvic floor on top of it!

If you know you like to suck in, I’d recommend practising gently trying to let your belly soften. Try different positions like standing, sitting, lying down.

And finally, if it feels emotional when you do allow your belly to release tension, this can be so normal. There so much societal conditioning around our bellies for us ladies, and so part of letting go can mean shedding some of that external pressure 🩷

I feel like I experienced a real life Instagram vs reality. Curated everything, the highlight reel from head to toe- vs- living authentically, messily, and imperfectly.

It’s amazing how our brains can trick us into believing that everyone has it all together, always looks good doing it, and has the perfect home to match, simply by scrolling.

While yes, there will always be the people that have these perfectly curated lives, this is your reminder (and mine) that reality is often much more rooted in something simpler, softer, and messier.

Each of these variations offers an opportunity to create strength, mobility, and release.

What that can mean for you is a happier back, SI joint, and pelvic floor.

I’d encourage you to try a few intentional reps on one side and then take a walk around and see if it feels more released and relaxed than the other, then go ahead and even things off!

This one is really a multitasker- I love it so much!

What’s your favourite exercise?

Having trouble firing up your booty in a glute bridge?

Sometimes all you need is a few simple tweaks ;)

Tight waistbands, sucking in, compression leggings, shapewear…

…it’s all doing more harm than good.

I know a lot of us can carry shame, discomfort, worry, and uncertainty about our midsections.

I get it- I’m not immune.

Yet, the answer isn’t to push and squeeze- that can often take you away from your goals and potentially create new issues.

Learning how to have a functional core, to have your core muscles respond and react, to feel safe in allowing your belly to simply be, is all part of not only a stronger, healthier body, but a better relationship with yourself.

Learn how to actually let go, and in turn build a stronger, more functional core in my 8 week Core Confidence program.

Check out all the details in my bio- we start October 20th.

Whether you want a stronger core, to ease back tension, to improve diastasis recti or pelvic floor issues- how you move in your day can be a big piece to the puzzle.

You may spend time every day doing exercises, but the amount of time you’re moving in your day outside of those exercises is likely far greater.

We have a tendency to hang out in our joints, lean, take the path of least resistance.

I get it. I’m tired too 😂

A little awareness goes a long way though. Small actions like shifting your weight into your heels means your body has to work to support you, and therefore you get stronger and more functional without putting in any extra time.

If you want to learn the brain-body connections to move functionally more naturally, and therefore improve symptoms and build strength, join me for Core Confidence. We start October 20th. Check out the details in my bio!

No amount of core work is going to be as effective as you want it to be until you fix this.

Your ribs, belly and pelvis work together as a system. They’re considered your core canister.

You get one of those players out of alignment and really locked down- everyone else is going to struggle.

That also means undue pressure and stress on your core & pelvic floor, making your symptoms worse.

In order to start gaining some mobility back, you’re actually going to want to work those ribs in both directions- taking them wide (although it seems counterintuitive) and teaching your body how to soften them back into place.

These two simple exercises are great at that!

If you’re looking for the whole picture of core & pelvic health, you’ll want to join me for Core Confidence, my 8 week group series beginning October 20th. Check out all the details at my link in bio, or shoot me questions!

A very common tendency with pelvic organ prolapse is to hold tension in your pelvis and grip those glutes.

To your brain, this can make a lot of sense.

Something feels like it’s falling out, so you go into protect mode to try to hold it in.

In reality, that gripping and holding is making your symptoms worse.

POP is often a pressure issue, meaning too much tension is causing those organs to be pressed out of place.

What needs to happen is for your pelvis to have good range of motion, to release the tension in your glutes, and to give your pelvic organs the opportunity to get out of the pressure cooker.

This is one piece to the puzzle we explore in Core Confidence, my 8 week group series beginning October 20th. We will dive into all the ways you can support your pelvic health, so that your POP symptoms can improve.

Check out the link in my bio or shoot me your questions!

Are you ready to do something different?

To learn more about yourself, to be in relationship with your body, to feel more connected?

To stop trying to fix, and to start to tune in instead?

This is the work we do in Core Confidence. It has helped many, many women not only see their symptoms improve, but also change how they view their bodies and to move forward with more understanding.

We start October 20th- link is in my bio for all the details.

I’m going to get real with you:

Many people come to me when they’ve exhausted other popular options like PT, workouts, kegels, YouTube videos, pelvic floor chairs, Amazon gimmicks, chiro, you name it.

And that’s not to say that some of these methods don’t work- the can work for many (I’d recommend avoiding the gimmicks though)

It’s just that some bodies just need a little push in the right direction to coordinate better, to fire muscles that aren’t doing their jobs as well as they could, to relive tight and weak muscles, and to just generally get your body moving as a system.

That’s why a full body approach that ensures you’re taking the pressure and stress on your pelvic floor can be so effective. It’s not spot treatment. It’s treating your body as the whole it’s meant to function as.

This is the approach that I take in Core Confidence, my 8 week group series that has seen many women get really incredible results.

If you feel like you’ve tried it all and are stuck spinning in the mud, check out the link in my bio, see if this feels like something different, and join in. We start October 20th.

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