Lose Your Mummy Tummy DVD
and the Tupler Technique Guidebook
By Julie Tupler, R.N. Diastasis Rehab
Reviewed by Angela Evans - December 29, 2009
The Lose Your Mummy Tummy DVD
Have you made a New Year's resolution to lose your mummy tummy? Are you tired of that little tummy pouch that developed during your last pregnancy? Are you suffering from back problems due to poor muscle tone in your stomach? If so, a solution is at hand. Julie Tupler is a registered nurse (RN), a fitness trainer, and a childbirth educator who has developed an innovative exercise regiment that specifically targets a condition called diastasis recti. This condition developes when the rectus abdominis muscle (the muscle that covers the front surface of your belly) separates, usually down the midline of your stomach. This is a common problem that can result during pregnancy due to the stretching of the abdominal muscles to make room for your growing baby. It can also be the result of injury or surgery. No matter what the cause, Tupler's method should prove of great help in correcting the problem.
Tupler's exercise regime is expertly described in her Lose Your Mummy Tummy DVD. She also has a book, with the same title, that also explains the Tupler Technique. Personally, I would recommend the DVD over the book because you can watch women who have a diastasis recti actually doing the exercises and you can see how this exercise program has aided the healing of their diastasis. In this DVD, Tupler explains what a diastasis is and how to tell if you have one. She also clearly explains the 4-step Tupler Technique and shows you how to do the various exercises that she recommends. She explains how to splint your diastasis (to aid in healing) and how to correctly use your core muscles while doing everyday activities. The two-hour DVD also includes a total body workout program that will not only help you to maintain the tone of your stomach muscles, but which will improve your overall fitness and well-being.
I've had several children and have long suffered from a 'mummy tummy'. I've tried lots of exercise routines to lose it, but with little successes. Tupler states that her program will work on your 'mummy tummy' no matter how long ago you developed it - and she's right. I've only been following the program for four-weeks (the basic program revolves around a six-week exercise routine followed by a maintenance program). While I still have a ways to go to totally lose my mummy tummy, I can already see and feel a difference, both in terms of my stomach's flatness and in my muscle tone. You can be assured that this is one exercise program that I'm going to stick to! You don't have to take my word for the effectiveness of the program. A study was conducted in 2001 at Columbia University that showed that the program really works.
I highly recommend this program to anyone suffering from a diastasis recti. It is also a must-have for all moms-to-be who don't yet have one, because Tupler offers a wealth of advice, and exercises that you can do before and during your pregnancy that will help you avoid developing a diastasis. In addition to the DVD a 'cheat sheet' called the BAKS Basics sheet is also available. This is a two-page, short course on the Tupler Technique and the exercises in the program, along with a short overview of what you will be doing over the six-week basic course, and beyond.
The Tupler Technique Guidebook
The Tupler Technique Guidebook is a perfect companion to the The Lose Your Mummy Tummy DVD. While it is not a 'must-have' item, it is one that will help keep you on track while working though the Tupler program and it will help you to chart your progress. The Guidebook consists of a series of laminated cards held together by a ring, to which a small pen is also attached. The cards provide a quick overview of the four steps in the Tupler Technique program, and there is also one card for each of the six weeks in the initial program. These 'weekly' cards provide a list of what exercises you should be doing that week, along with a series of check-off boxes that you can use to mark when you've done a particular exercise or activity. The cards are hand sized, and will easily fit into pocket, purse, or diaper bag, allowing you to keep the Guidebook close at hand.
In Conclusion
I wish I had discovered the Tupler Technique years ago, but as Tupler explains in the DVD, it is never too late to lose your mummy tummy! I found her explanation of what a diastasis is, easy to understand and very informative. Most important, her exercise program is easy to follow, and from my experience, extremely effective. If you have, or think you have a diastasis, you should be sure to visit Tupler's Diastasis Rehab website. There you can purchase a variety of books, DVDs and other products that will help you rid yourself of your mummy tummy as well as books on other pregnancy related issues. In addition, Tupler also offers a lot of information on what a diastasis is, and how you can correct it - complete with illustrations that show you what a diastasis looks like, from the inside. (It is not as grusome a picture as it sounds ;-) Also be sure to visit Tupler's Diastasis Fact Page, where you can not only learn more about diastasis, but also view a 30 minute film on the subject.
Related Books:
Your Pregnancy Week by Week, Sixth Edition, by Glade B. Curtis, M.D., M.P.H and Judith Schuler, M.S.
Fully revised and updated and organized in a week-by-week format, this new edition of the best-selling, comprehensive pregnancy guidebook is a must-have for all moms-to-be.
The Little ABs Workout Book, By Erika Dillman.
Five complete workout routines that will help you develop a stronger back, a flatter stomach, and better posture.
