Is It Really Bloating..?

If you’re experiencing belly bloating and despite endless food eliminations, you just cannot get to the bottom of your mysterious bloating, there’s a really good chance there could be something non food related at play. Hear me out here…

The anatomy of a bulging tummy:

If you’ve ever seen one of those old English Victorian houses where the walls are bowed due to a compromised or damaged foundation, the exact same thing happens in the body when the foundation (pelvic floor) has been weakened. 

What that looks like is a bulging in the abdomen area (commonly known as the “mummy tummy” and is often mistaken for food related bloating when in actual fact it’s very often an issue with the pelvic floor (although it absolutely can be both). 

It’s definitely not unique to women. If you know someone with a “dad belly” there’s a good chance they’ve neglected their pelvic floor over time too.

The causes of a “mummy tummy”:

Essentially the underlying cause of a “mummy tummy” is usually a weak pelvic floor, coupled with the fact that during pregnancy, the muscles and the fascia stretch to accommodate the growing fetus. Fascia can take a good amount of time to remodel. 

So if we’re constantly doing things like deep twists, deep backbends and movements that stretch the fascia, then it doesn’t have the time and space it needs to remodel. You may have been told by a doctor or by google that “you’re a mom now. It’s part of the package”. But with the right know-how, you can absolutely vastly improve it!

How do I know if I have a weak or strong pelvic floor? Is there a test?

Typically if you experience things like leaking when you jump or sneeze, feel like your insides are bouncing up and down when you run, are always pulling your back out, or have been doing all the crunches but never feel like you’re making progress with core strength, there’s a really good chance you have a weak pelvic floor.

However, if penetration is painful (or even inserting a tampon), and/or you often have an uncontrollable urge to pee, there’s a good chance your pelvic floor is not only weak, but also tight, which requires a slightly different approach including more stretching and releasing of the pelvic floor, as well as strengthening. (Click here to download my free training all about a tight pelvic floor)

How long can it take to get rid of a “mummy tummy”?

It really depends. The length of time required to flatten a mum-tum depends on several factors including consistency and genetics. On average I'd say that 12 weeks is a good amount of time to notice a significant difference. 

Typically it takes 4-6 weeks to start noticing change in the body with any new program. But keep in mind that our muscles start to lose tone after 72 hours of inactivity. So no matter what program you’re working through, you want to make sure that you never let 3 days go by without a workout.

My top 3 tips to conquer the belly bulge:

→ Eat clean. (check labels for ingredients you can't pronounce)

→ Avoid bloating foods (eliminate one by one or do a blood test)

→ And train your pelvic floor! (click here to download my free training. And no, this isn’t “Kegels”)

Emma xo