Day 1 - Slim Day (Cardio)

Walking outside for 30-40 minutes. Engage your glutes and turn on your transverse abdominis (corset muscle). Be sure to untuck your tailbone. When you find your neutral pelvis, you are helping your digestive system, elimination system, and nervous system in more ways than you could ever imagine!

A great way to add more challenge to your walking is to add...walking lunges. Every 10 minutes of walking, you can add 20 walking lunges to the mix.

Over time, your hamstrings will shorten and tighten the more you keep your pelvis tucked underneath you. A great way to reverse this tendency is to add the BAB hamstring & foam roller stretch. Video demonstration below.

BAB Hamstring Release Video here.

Cool Down: Foam Roll to massage your full body. Also foam roll to help your postpartum body’s digestion and elimination.

Foam Roll Full Body Video here.

Foam Roll for Digestion & Elimination Video here.

SLIM DAY FOOD GUIDELINES

Your goal is to eat fewer than 100 grams of net carbs on this day. Total carbs minus fiber = net carbs.
Shorten your eating window to 8 hours
Avoid fruits and starchy carbs (root veggies, grains)
Eat protein at each meal
Track your food in MyFitnessPal - you want to make sure you are eating enough protein. Remember, there is more protein in broccoli than there is in steak.
Eat lots of leafy and cruciferous vegetables
Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full
Get excited about Slim Days because you will feel amazing

Day 2 - Slim Day (Cardio)

A great way to add more challenge to your walking is to add...walking lunges. Every 10 minutes of walking, you can add 20 walking lunges to the mix.

BAB Hamstring Release Video here.

Cool Down: Foam Roll to massage your full body. Also foam roll to help your postpartum body’s digestion and elimination.

Foam Roll Full Body Video here.

Foam Roll for Digestion & Elimination Video here.

SLIM DAY FOOD GUIDELINES

Your goal is to eat fewer than 100 grams of net carbs on this day. Total carbs minus fiber = net carbs.
Shorten your eating window to 8 hours
Avoid fruits and starchy carbs (root veggies, grains)
Eat protein at each meal
Track your food in MyFitnessPal - you want to make sure you are eating enough protein. Remember, there is more protein in broccoli than there is in steak.
Eat lots of leafy and cruciferous vegetables
Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full
Get excited about Slim Days because you will feel amazing

Day 3 - Strong Day (Deep Inner Core Workout for Stability)

IMPORTANT: If you notice your stomach doming, or bulging out, then you must STOP. If you notice you are holding your breath, you could be harming your pelvic floor. Proper technique is imperative for strengthening your inner core and not causing more damage. If at any time you notice your tummy bulging out or you are pushing your pelvic floor outwards (away from your body) then STOP. These are clear signs you need to practice the proper BAB breath technique before you progress. The best cue you can give yourself is: BLOW (exhale) BEFORE YOU GO!

Warm Up: BAB Warm Up & BAB Addon for Thighs Video Here. (These videos are the same as the ones located in “Restore Week 5 Workout” tab in the portal).

Restore Week 5 Workout Video here. There is only 1 core workout video for this week for all three Strong Days. (The exercises are explained in detail below for more information - so you can more easily follow along in the video located in the “Restore Week 5 Workout” Tab in the portal).

Use a small playground ball or rolled-up towel to get deeper into your core work. When you engage your inner thighs (which are connected to your pelvic floor) you make the BAB exercises even more effective.

These exercises are meant to help you stabilize the muscles surrounding your deep inner core. Although you may not feel a typical “burn” sensation, you will fatigue the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor muscles in a different way.

Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze Lift - Lay down on the floor with both knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your body onto the mat being sure to leave space in your lumbar spine. Place the ball between your inner thighs. Inhale to release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to engage your inner thighs by squeezing on the ball, tighten your transverse, and draw up on your pelvic floor as you lift your hips up off the mat. Time your BAB breath with each lowering and lifting of the hips. Meaning - inhale to soften your core and relax your pelvic floor while releasing your squeeze on the ball to lower your hips. Exhale to squeeze on the ball and engage your core and pelvic floor - really scooping out the front of your abdominals (making room for the diastasis to close) while lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Each time you lift your hips and tighten your corset muscle, picture the distance between each hip bone narrowing towards one another.
Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze - Place your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Relax your upper body into the mat. Place the ball between your inner thighs and time the squeeze of the ball with your BAB breath. Inhale to soften your core and pelvic floor as you release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to squeeze on the ball, engaging your core and pelvic floor as you cinch in your corset muscle, wrapping it tighter around your body. Really scoop out the front of your belly as much as you can as you exhale all your breath. Repeat.
Exhale Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you continue to make tiny squeezes on the ball. Simultaneously lift your hips in the air making tiny pulses with each exhale. The trick is to keep your core engaged the entire time (it should feel rock hard) but still breathing your BAB breath.
Hold Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you hold a consistent squeeze on the ball. Again, time tiny hip pulses with your BAB breath - your core should be engaged the entire time.
Ball Squeeze with Upper Body Crunch - Squeeze the ball toward your midline on the exhale. Continue to exhale and add a curl of your pelvis and lift your upper body off the floor to shorten the space between the bottom of your rib cage and the bony parts of your pelvis. Be sure you are scooping out the front of your body leaving space in your abdominal wall to guide the closing of your diastasis recti. Draw your belly button to spine to be sure there is no doming, bulging, or pushing out on the exhale. If you are pushing out, this can potentially cause damage to the compromised area or, you will start building out instead of flattening your waistline.
Pelvic Tilt With Ball - Drive your weight through your heels as you lift your hips off the floor and exhale to scoop out your belly and engage your transverse abdominis and lift up your pelvic floor. Inhale to set your pelvis back down on the floor. Picture shortening the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and bony parts of your hip bones. Repeat.
Pelvic Tilt with Upper Body Crunch - Place your hands on either side of your rectus abdominis and gently, but firmly guide your muscles back towards the midline of your body. On the exhale, lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat as you simultaneously lift your pelvis off the floor. Inhale to relax everything back down onto the mat. Exhale again, scooping out your belly as much as you can, and curl your upper body towards your lower body as you guide your rectus abdominus closed with your hands. Imagine on each crunch of your upper body, that you are training your 6-pack muscle to fire correctly (as a part of the entire core canister that fires correctly on an exhale/inhale). Mentally picturing your rectus abdominus closing, with hands actually guiding the work, will have profound effects on closing your diastasis.
Table Top Ball Squeeze - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs in a table top position.
Leg Extension with Ball - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs fully extended to the ceiling.
Cat/Cows - Come onto all fours. Inhale to release your tailbone, soften your spine and lengthen the front of your neck. Exhale to round your back, tuck your chin and look for your navel as you tuck your tailbone. Repeat.
Cat/Cow with Neutral Spine - Keep ball squeeze with inner thighs glued together. Tuck your toes and round your back as you exhale to engage your entire core and lift your knees off the mat a few inches. Stay strong in your shoulders. Exhale and squeeze on the ball as you keep your knees suspended in the air.
Forearm Plank with Ball - Bring your forearms down to the ground and extend your legs straight behind you coming onto toes. Keep a consistent squeeze on the ball and inhale to bend your knees and exhale to stretch your legs straight. Keep your core engaged but continue to BAB breath through the exercise.
Cat/Cows - to stretch and release tension in your spine.
Thoracic Spine Stretch - Lay down on your back placing the ball behind your thoracic spine to open your chest and release tension in the front line of your body.

Cool Down: Foam roll to balance full body. Foam roll to wake up the pelvic floor and release tension in your jaw.

Foam Roll Full Body Video here.

Foam Roll for Digestion & Elimination Video Here.

STRONG DAY FOOD GUIDELINES

Be sure you are eating enough calories according to MyFitnessPal app and balancing your carbs, fat and protein
Shorten your eating window to 8 hours
Your ideal plate: 50 % fibrous veggies, 30% protein, 20% fat

Day 4 - Strong Day (Deep Inner Core Workout for Stability)

Warm Up: BAB Warm Up & Warm Up Thigh Addon Video here. (These videos are the same Warm Up & Warm Up Thigh Addon Videos located in “Restore Week 5 Workout” Tab in the portal).

Restore Week 5 Workout Video here. There is only 1 core workout video this week for all three Strong Days. (The exercises are explained in detail below for more information, or you can follow along with the video located in the “Restore Week 5 Workout” Tab in the portal).

Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze Lift - Lay down on the floor with both knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your body onto the mat being sure to leave space in your lumbar spine. Place the ball between your inner thighs. Inhale to release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to engage your inner thighs by squeezing on the ball, tighten your transverse, and draw up on your pelvic floor as you lift your hips up off the mat. Time your BAB breath with each lowering and lifting of the hips. Meaning - inhale to soften your core and relax your pelvic floor while releasing your squeeze on the ball to lower your hips. Exhale to squeeze on the ball and engage your core and pelvic floor - really scooping out the front of your abdominals (making room for the diastasis to close) while lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Each time you lift your hips and tighten your corset muscle, picture the distance between each hip bone narrowing towards one another.
Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze - Place your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Relax your upper body into the mat. Place the ball between your inner thighs and time the squeeze of the ball with your BAB breath. Inhale to soften your core and pelvic floor as you release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to squeeze on the ball, engaging your core and pelvic floor as you cinch in your corset muscle, wrapping it tighter around your body. Really scoop out the front of your belly as much as you can as you exhale all your breath. Repeat.
Exhale Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you continue to make tiny squeezes on the ball. Simultaneously lift your hips in the air making tiny pulses with each exhale. The trick is to keep your core engaged the entire time (it should feel rock hard) but still breathing your BAB breath.
Hold Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you hold a consistent squeeze on the ball. Again, time tiny hip pulses with your BAB breath - your core should be engaged the entire time.
Ball Squeeze with Upper Body Crunch - Squeeze the ball toward your midline on the exhale. Continue to exhale and add a curl of your pelvis and lift your upper body off the floor to shorten the space between the bottom of your rib cage and the bony parts of your pelvis. Be sure you are scooping out the front of your body leaving space in your abdominal wall to guide the closing of your diastasis recti. Draw your belly button to spine to be sure there is no doming, bulging, or pushing out on the exhale. If you are pushing out, this can potentially cause damage to the compromised area or, you will start building out instead of flattening your waistline.
Pelvic Tilt With Ball - Drive your weight through your heels as you lift your hips off the floor and exhale to scoop out your belly and engage your transverse abdominis and lift up your pelvic floor. Inhale to set your pelvis back down on the floor. Picture shortening the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and bony parts of your hip bones. Repeat.
Pelvic Tilt with Upper Body Crunch - Place your hands on either side of your rectus abdominis and gently, but firmly guide your muscles back towards the midline of your body. On the exhale, lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat as you simultaneously lift your pelvis off the floor. Inhale to relax everything back down onto the mat. Exhale again, scooping out your belly as much as you can, and curl your upper body towards your lower body as you guide your rectus abdominus closed with your hands. Imagine on each crunch of your upper body, that you are training your 6-pack muscle to fire correctly (as a part of the entire core canister that fires correctly on an exhale/inhale). Mentally picturing your rectus abdominus closing, with hands actually guiding the work, will have profound effects on closing your diastasis.
Table Top Ball Squeeze - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs in a table top position.
Leg Extension with Ball - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs fully extended to the ceiling.
Cat/Cows - Come onto all fours. Inhale to release your tailbone, soften your spine and lengthen the front of your neck. Exhale to round your back, tuck your chin and look for your navel as you tuck your tailbone. Repeat.
Cat/Cow with Neutral Spine - Keep ball squeeze with inner thighs glued together. Tuck your toes and round your back as you exhale to engage your entire core and lift your knees off the mat a few inches. Stay strong in your shoulders. Exhale and squeeze on the ball as you keep your knees suspended in the air.
Forearm Plank with Ball - Bring your forearms down to the ground and extend your legs straight behind you coming onto toes. Keep a consistent squeeze on the ball and inhale to bend your knees and exhale to stretch your legs straight. Keep your core engaged but continue to BAB breath through the exercise.
Cat/Cows - to stretch and release tension in your spine.
Thoracic Spine Stretch - Lay down on your back placing the ball behind your thoracic spine to open your chest and release tension in the front line of your body.

Cool Down: Foam roll to balance full body. Foam roll to help your postpartum body’s digestion and elimination.

Foam Roll Full Body Video Here.

Foam Roll for Digestion & Elimination Video Here.

STRONG DAY FOOD GUIDELINES

Be sure you are eating enough calories according to MyFitnessPal app and balancing your carbs, fat and protein
Shorten your eating window to 8 hours
Your ideal plate: 50 % fibrous veggies, 30% protein, 20% fat

Day 5 - Strong Day (Deep Inner Core Workout for Stability)

Warm Up: BAB Warm Up & Warm Up Thigh Addon Video Here. (These are the same Warm Up & Warm Up Thigh Addon Video as the ones located in “Restore Week 5 Workout” tab in the portal).

Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze Lift - Lay down on the floor with both knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your body onto the mat being sure to leave space in your lumbar spine. Place the ball between your inner thighs. Inhale to release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to engage your inner thighs by squeezing on the ball, tighten your transverse, and draw up on your pelvic floor as you lift your hips up off the mat. Time your BAB breath with each lowering and lifting of the hips. Meaning - inhale to soften your core and relax your pelvic floor while releasing your squeeze on the ball to lower your hips. Exhale to squeeze on the ball and engage your core and pelvic floor - really scooping out the front of your abdominals (making room for the diastasis to close) while lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Each time you lift your hips and tighten your corset muscle, picture the distance between each hip bone narrowing towards one another.
Inner Thigh Ball Squeeze - Place your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Relax your upper body into the mat. Place the ball between your inner thighs and time the squeeze of the ball with your BAB breath. Inhale to soften your core and pelvic floor as you release the squeeze on the ball. Exhale to squeeze on the ball, engaging your core and pelvic floor as you cinch in your corset muscle, wrapping it tighter around your body. Really scoop out the front of your belly as much as you can as you exhale all your breath. Repeat.
Exhale Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you continue to make tiny squeezes on the ball. Simultaneously lift your hips in the air making tiny pulses with each exhale. The trick is to keep your core engaged the entire time (it should feel rock hard) but still breathing your BAB breath.
Hold Ball Squeeze with Pulse - Keep hips in the air as you hold a consistent squeeze on the ball. Again, time tiny hip pulses with your BAB breath - your core should be engaged the entire time.
Ball Squeeze with Upper Body Crunch - Squeeze the ball toward your midline on the exhale. Continue to exhale and add a curl of your pelvis and lift your upper body off the floor to shorten the space between the bottom of your rib cage and the bony parts of your pelvis. Be sure you are scooping out the front of your body leaving space in your abdominal wall to guide the closing of your diastasis recti. Draw your belly button to spine to be sure there is no doming, bulging, or pushing out on the exhale. If you are pushing out, this can potentially cause damage to the compromised area or, you will start building out instead of flattening your waistline.
Pelvic Tilt With Ball - Drive your weight through your heels as you lift your hips off the floor and exhale to scoop out your belly and engage your transverse abdominis and lift up your pelvic floor. Inhale to set your pelvis back down on the floor. Picture shortening the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and bony parts of your hip bones. Repeat.
Pelvic Tilt with Upper Body Crunch - Place your hands on either side of your rectus abdominis and gently, but firmly guide your muscles back towards the midline of your body. On the exhale, lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat as you simultaneously lift your pelvis off the floor. Inhale to relax everything back down onto the mat. Exhale again, scooping out your belly as much as you can, and curl your upper body towards your lower body as you guide your rectus abdominus closed with your hands. Imagine on each crunch of your upper body, that you are training your 6-pack muscle to fire correctly (as a part of the entire core canister that fires correctly on an exhale/inhale). Mentally picturing your rectus abdominus closing, with hands actually guiding the work, will have profound effects on closing your diastasis.
Table Top Ball Squeeze - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs in a table top position.
Leg Extension with Ball - Repeat the entire series above except this time, keep your legs fully extended to the ceiling.
Cat/Cows - Come onto all fours. Inhale to release your tailbone, soften your spine and lengthen the front of your neck. Exhale to round your back, tuck your chin and look for your navel as you tuck your tailbone. Repeat.
Cat/Cow with Neutral Spine - Keep ball squeeze with inner thighs glued together. Tuck your toes and round your back as you exhale to engage your entire core and lift your knees off the mat a few inches. Stay strong in your shoulders. Exhale and squeeze on the ball as you keep your knees suspended in the air.
Forearm Plank with Ball - Bring your forearms down to the ground and extend your legs straight behind you coming onto toes. Keep a consistent squeeze on the ball and inhale to bend your knees and exhale to stretch your legs straight. Keep your core engaged but continue to BAB breath through the exercise.
Cat/Cows - to stretch and release tension in your spine.
Thoracic Spine Stretch - Lay down on your back placing the ball behind your thoracic spine to open your chest and release tension in the front line of your body.

Cool Down: Foam roll for full body. Foam roll to help your postpartum body’s digestion and elimination.

Foam Roll for Full Body Video here.

Foam Roll for Digestion & Elimination Video here.

STRONG DAY FOOD GUIDELINES

Be sure you are eating enough calories according to MyFitnessPal app and balancing your carbs, fat and protein
Shorten your eating window to 8 hours
Your ideal plate: 50 % fibrous veggies, 30% protein, 20% fat

Day 6 - Sporty Day

Fasting is so beneficial to the health of your body. You are essentially giving your digestive system a break by shortening your eating window. Remember: when you eat, your digestive system works really hard to break down food for fuel. See if you can stretch your eating window even longer today by sipping on (1 serving) of kombucha.

Later, See if you can find ways to fit in some fermented foods (foods that are probiotic) like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, & miso soup.

Learn the difference between prebiotics and probiotics...

Probiotics are the live bacteria found in certain foods (listed above) or supplements.

Prebiotics are the substances that come from carbs (mostly fiber) that humans can’t digest. The beneficial bacteria in your gut eat this fiber. Foods that are high in prebiotic fiber are: beans, peas, oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic.

You need both prebiotics and probiotics to have a healthy, fully functioning, digestive system!

Video for Digestion & Elimination Massage Video Here.

Day 7 - Self Care Sunday

Today, take time to eat slowly and be relaxed at each meal. Sit down. Chew slowly. Enjoy each and every bite. Have conversations. Basically, eat as leisurely and casually as the French do. Skip the after-meal cigarette though!

See if you can be conscious of where your pelvis is today. What signal is your brain sending your body about being a healthy, happy mom?!