The Tummy Team Journey

The Tummy Team Journey
  • 4.8 (20)
  • Fitness
  • Biweekly

Join Physical Therapist, Kelly Dean, in her quest to help you restore and rebuild your pelvic floor and core lreated challenges.

  1. 2d ago

    Preparing for Birth and Beyond: Why Midwives and Pelvic Floor PTs Work Better Together with Christina Trautman, DPT

    When you're preparing to have a baby, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about your birth plan, choosing your provider, and making sure your baby is healthy. But how much time do you spend preparing your body for the physical demands of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery? And who's helping you prepare? In this episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly Dean, MPT, welcomes back her friend and fellow pelvic floor physical therapist, Christina Trautman, DPT, owner of The Pelvic Floor Place in Vancouver, Washington. Kelly and Christina share a passion for helping women feel informed, empowered, and physically prepared for pregnancy, birth, and recovery. Both have also worked as instructors in midwifery education, helping future midwives understand the important role that functional core and pelvic floor training can play in prenatal and postpartum care. Together, they explore the different roles of midwives, OB-GYNs, doulas, and pelvic floor physical therapists—and why having a great birth provider doesn't necessarily mean you're receiving all the physical preparation and rehabilitation support you need. One of the biggest misconceptions they address is that pelvic floor physical therapy is only necessary when something goes wrong. What if we started preparing the body for birth before problems developed, rather than waiting until postpartum to address them? In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why your birth team matters: Understanding the different roles of midwives, OB-GYNs, doulas, and pelvic floor physical therapists, and how their expertise can complement one another. The missing piece in prenatal care: Why routine pregnancy appointments may not address core coordination, pelvic floor function, posture, and movement patterns that can influence your birth experience. How to prepare your body for labor and delivery: The importance of learning how to coordinate core engagement with pelvic floor relaxation, especially during pushing. Why bathroom habits matter for birth: How understanding core and pelvic floor coordination during bowel movements can help you practice skills that are also useful during labor. The benefits of proactive pelvic floor rehabilitation: Why you don't need to be experiencing pain, incontinence, or other symptoms to benefit from learning how your body functions. Why the six-week postpartum checkup isn't the whole picture: The difference between being medically cleared after delivery and being functionally ready to return to exercise, intimacy, and everyday physical demands. How to advocate for yourself: Why it's okay to ask more questions, seek additional support, and trust your instincts when something doesn't feel right. The value of collaboration: How Kelly and Christina are helping midwives incorporate simple, practical core and pelvic floor strategies into routine prenatal and postpartum appointments. Kelly and Christina also discuss why preparing for birth is a little like training for a marathon. You wouldn't expect your body to run 26 miles without preparation, yet many women approach childbirth without ever learning how to coordinate the muscles they'll rely on during delivery. And while no amount of preparation can guarantee a particular birth experience, developing greater strength, body awareness, and functional coordination can provide valuable support during pregnancy and recovery. Throughout the conversation, Kelly and Christina emphasize that birth preparation isn't about achieving a perfect delivery. It's about giving women the knowledge, tools, and confidence to participate more actively in their care. Whether you're expecting your first baby, hoping for a different experience with your next delivery, recovering postpartum, or supporting women through pregnancy and birth, this episode offers practical insights into building a more complete approach to maternal care.

  2. Oct 27

    Motivation, Accountability, and the Power of Starting Small: How to Stay Consistent with Core Rehab

    What happens when you know you need to make a change, but you just can't seem to get started? Or maybe you started strong, but life got busy, you missed a few days (or weeks!), and now you're struggling to find your way back. You're not alone. And you don't have to start over every time life gets in the way. In this episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly Dean, MPT, is flying solo to talk about something that comes up again and again with her clients: motivation and accountability. As a physical therapist who has spent nearly 30 years helping people improve their strength and function, Kelly understands that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things. She's experienced those same challenges herself, especially during her own journey of healing a significant diastasis recti. Kelly shares why getting started can feel so overwhelming, how The Tummy Team's approach is intentionally designed to make rehabilitation manageable, and why lasting progress isn't about perfection. It's about taking small, consistent steps that fit into your everyday life. Rather than adding another overwhelming list of exercises to your already busy schedule, Kelly explains how functional core rehabilitation can become part of the things you're already doing, from brushing your teeth and washing dishes to sitting at your desk and picking up your kids. In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why motivation can be so difficult: Understanding the physical and emotional obstacles that can make starting or continuing rehabilitation feel overwhelming. The importance of knowing your "why": How reconnecting with your original goals can help you stay motivated when challenges arise. Why education comes before exercise: How understanding your body and the purpose behind each step empowers you to take ownership of your recovery. How to set yourself up for success: Why choosing the right starting course, completing your self-assessment, and recognizing your progress matter. The power of bite-sized learning: How short educational videos, weekly action steps, and practical tools make rehabilitation more approachable. How to build rehab into your everyday routine: Using habit stacking and simple strategies to create sustainable changes without overhauling your schedule. What to do when life interrupts your progress: Why missing a week doesn't mean you've failed and how to get back on track without starting over. Why accountability matters: How scheduling a weekly appointment with yourself, involving your family, and connecting with The Tummy Team community can help you stay consistent. The importance of celebrating small victories: Why an "I did" list might be more encouraging than another overwhelming to-do list. One of Kelly's most important reminders throughout this episode is that it doesn't have to be perfect to be effective. You don't need unlimited time, endless motivation, or a flawless routine to make progress. You need a starting point, realistic expectations, and the willingness to correct and continue. Kelly also shares how The Tummy Team Membership, eSessions, and weekly live Office Hours provide education, practical guidance, and opportunities for accountability along the way. Whether you're just beginning your core rehabilitation journey, feeling stuck halfway through a course, or trying to rebuild consistency after a busy season, this episode is filled with encouragement and practical strategies to help you take that next step. Because the goal isn't simply to finish a rehabilitation program. It's to build the strength, confidence, and connection you need for the life you're meant to live. Ready to take your next step? Explore The Tummy Team's online rehabilitation courses and support options at https://thetummyteam.com/. Feel Connected Again.

  3. Oct 20

    From the Archives: Seven Babies, Years of Diastasis Recti, and a New Approach to Postpartum Healing — Megan's Story

    What if the postpartum symptoms you've been told are normal don't have to be your new normal? After years of pregnancies, persistent diastasis recti, urinary leakage, back pain, and pelvic floor dysfunction, Megan had begun to accept that her body would never feel the same again. Despite being a lifelong athlete and an experienced doula, she struggled to find answers. One doctor even suggested that surgery might be her only option once she was finished having children. But Megan wasn't ready to give up. In this From the Archives episode, Kelly revisits a powerful conversation with Megan, a mother of seven, doula, and personal trainer, who discovered The Tummy Team after years of trying to exercise her way back to strength. Megan shares how learning to reconnect with her functional core and pelvic floor changed her understanding of postpartum recovery. Through The Tummy Team's Floor of Your Core, Core Foundations, and Prenatal Core Training programs, she began addressing challenges she had previously considered unavoidable. One of the most remarkable parts of Megan's story is her seventh pregnancy. After six pregnancies marked by significant abdominal separation and pronounced belly protrusion, Megan describes how differently she carried her seventh baby after incorporating functional core rehabilitation into her daily life. She also shares how her labor experience changed and how the tools she learned helped her navigate recovery following a frightening, life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage. Throughout their conversation, Kelly and Megan explore why postpartum recovery deserves more attention, why traditional fitness isn't always the first step toward rebuilding strength, and how small, intentional changes in posture, breathing, and core coordination can make a meaningful difference. In this episode, you'll discover: Why urinary leakage, back pain, and abdominal separation shouldn't automatically be dismissed as inevitable consequences of motherhood. How diastasis recti and pelvic floor dysfunction can be connected. Why rehabilitation may be the missing link between pregnancy, childbirth, and returning to fitness. How Megan's experience with online core rehabilitation changed her approach to pregnancy and postpartum recovery. The importance of learning to coordinate and relax the pelvic floor, especially during childbirth. How Megan navigated recovery after a serious postpartum complication. Why building strength should be about supporting your body for everyday life, not pushing it to exhaustion. Today, Megan uses her experience as a mother, doula, and personal trainer to encourage other women to approach their bodies with greater understanding, compassion, and confidence. Her message is simple: "It doesn't have to be that way." Whether you're six weeks or sixteen years postpartum, this conversation is a reminder that it's worth exploring your options, advocating for your health, and finding the support you need to Feel Connected Again.

  4. Oct 13

    Reconnecting With the Pelvic Floor: Incontinence with Cindy Costley from The Underlying Answers Podcast

    What if the leaking you've learned to live with isn't something you simply have to accept? For many women, incontinence becomes an accepted part of life. We wear pads, avoid certain activities, and tell ourselves it's just what happens after childbirth, during menopause, or as we get older. But common doesn't always mean normal. In this special episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, we're sharing a conversation originally recorded for The Underlying Answers Podcast, where host Cindy Costley interviews Kelly Dean about the often-overlooked connection between functional core strength, pelvic floor health, and the body's ability to heal. What begins as an educational conversation takes an unexpected and deeply personal turn when Cindy opens up about her own struggles with incontinence. After years of chronic illness, prolonged bed rest, and a difficult journey of healing from trauma, Cindy had come to accept leaking as something she simply had to manage. But as Kelly explains how the core and pelvic floor are designed to work together, Cindy realizes she has spent years healing other parts of her body without ever learning how to reconnect with her pelvic floor. In this episode, you'll discover: Why incontinence is common but shouldn't automatically be accepted as inevitable. The difference between stress and urge incontinence. Why Kegels aren't always the answer to pelvic floor dysfunction. How posture, breathing, and core coordination support pelvic floor function. Why prolonged inactivity, chronic coughing, and sneezing can contribute to leaking. How physical disconnection and difficult life experiences can affect our relationship with our bodies. Why it's never too late to begin rebuilding functional core and pelvic floor strength. An Unexpected Real Life Rehab Moment As Cindy shares her experience, Kelly guides her through a few simple techniques involving posture, intentional breathing, and gently engaging her deep core muscles. For the first time in years, Cindy begins to feel a connection to an area of her body that had felt disconnected. And something unexpected happens. She begins to cry. Cindy experiences a powerful emotional release as she recognizes how much her past experiences have influenced the way she relates to her pelvic floor. What started as a podcast interview becomes a meaningful moment of reconnection, hope, and a new perspective on healing. Throughout the conversation, Kelly reminds us that functional core rehabilitation isn't just about fixing a symptom or completing a series of exercises. It's about learning how to support your body through everyday life, from lifting your children to maintaining strength, balance, and independence as you age. And even if progress happens gradually, better is better. Whether you're struggling with incontinence, pelvic floor weakness, or simply feeling disconnected from your body, Cindy's story is a beautiful reminder that healing can begin with understanding, compassion, and the willingness to try something new. It's never too late to Feel Connected Again.

  5. Oct 6

    Real Life Rehab: From CrossFit to Core Connection — Rethinking What It Means to Be Strong

    Nate had always thought of himself as a pretty fit guy. He spent years in the CrossFit and functional fitness world, measuring progress by how much he could squat, press, and lift. But looking back, he realized something important: He trained the top. He trained the bottom. But he had largely ignored the middle. After marriage, fatherhood, divorce, changes in activity, and years of less-than-ideal posture and movement habits, Nate decided he was ready to reconnect with fitness. As he lost weight and began seeing more definition in his abdomen, he also noticed something he hadn't expected—coning through the center of his abs. At first, he wondered if something was seriously wrong. Then he discovered diastasis recti. His search for answers eventually brought him to Kelly's videos about diastasis recti in men and then to The Tummy Team. What began as a desire to “fix” his abs has become a much bigger shift in how Nate understands strength, fitness, and his body. In this episode, Kelly and Nate talk about why core rehab is about so much more than a series of exercises. They explore how posture, breathing, parenting, fitness habits, major life changes, and even the way we respond to stress can influence how we use our bodies. Nate also shares what surprised him most: some of the simplest strategies—slowing down, breathing, connecting to his transverse abdominis, improving his posture, and consistently practicing what he's learning—have made a noticeable difference in how his entire body feels during exercise. And because Nate is still in the middle of his rehab, Kelly helps him think through what comes next. They discuss: Why diastasis recti isn't just a postpartum issue—and men can experience it tooHow being fit or muscular doesn't necessarily mean your core is functioning wellThe difference between bracing your core and creating functional core connectionWhy breathing and transverse abdominal activation can feel deceptively simple—but be foundationalHow to incorporate core connection into squats, push-ups, lunges, lifting, chores, and everyday movementWhy “slow is strong” when you're retraining coordinationHow to know when you're ready to progress back toward more challenging exerciseWhy the goal isn't a permanent list of exercises you “can't” doHow awareness can help you recognize compensation patterns and make adjustments soonerWhy your goals for fitness may change as you get older—and why being strong for your actual life may matter more than hitting an impressive number in the gymHow online rehab can give you tools to better understand and take ownership of your own body One of the biggest mindset shifts for Nate has been realizing that he doesn't have to return to the exact version of himself he was before. He's building something different. As Kelly explains, sometimes we set a goal based on where we think we want to end up—and then discover that healing gives us something deeper: confidence, connection, awareness, and a kind of strength we weren't measuring before. Nate is still on that journey. He's still working through Core Foundations, still experimenting, still learning, and still rebuilding. But this time, he's not just asking: “How much can I lift?” He's learning to ask: “How can I build a body that supports the life I want to live?” And that may be a much better definition of strength.

  6. Sep 29

    Real Life Rehab: Stop Chasing the Pain — Building Strength Before Your Body Has to Shout

    What happens when you know how to connect to your core, you've been practicing functional movement for years, and you're still dealing with recurring back pain? In this Real Life Rehab episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly reconnects with longtime client Hannah Yackley, whose Tummy Team journey has spanned nearly 14 years, four children, pregnancy losses, different seasons of motherhood, teaching Pilates, homeschooling, and a whole lot of life. Hannah first discovered she had a significant diastasis after having her first two children just a year apart. Despite entering motherhood in some of the best shape of her life as a Pilates instructor, she found herself with a deep abdominal separation, a body that felt completely different, and back pain that showed up even while doing something as ordinary as holding her babies. She eventually found The Tummy Team and began learning something that would change the way she approached her core: Core rehab has to go beyond exercises. It has to become part of how you live. Over the years, Hannah has learned how to connect to her transverse abdominis, adjust her alignment, incorporate movement throughout her day, and recognize many of her body's signals. But now she's in a different season. Her youngest is almost two. She's homeschooling four children, teaching Pilates, carrying a very big toddler, and noticing that mid-back tension is increasingly affecting everyday moments—including sitting through church, driving, working at the kitchen table, and even enjoying a date with her husband. Instead of continuing to spend the end of every day trying to release an aching back, Hannah came back to Kelly with a new goal: What would it look like to become proactive instead of reactive? What follows is a real eSession-style conversation as Kelly and Hannah work together to identify what's actually happening. In this episode: Why your rehab needs can change as your life and body changeHow pregnancy, loss, postpartum seasons, and aging can influence your relationship with your coreWhy being fit—or even teaching Pilates—doesn't eliminate the need for functional core supportHow compensation patterns can show up as recurring mid-back tensionWhy Hannah does better when she begins her day by intentionally connecting to her bodyHow just 3–5 minutes of intentional movement can change the way the rest of the day feelsWhy “all or nothing” thinking can sabotage consistencyHow visual feedback helped Hannah recognize when she was truly engaging her coreThe difference between hinging and hunching while working at a tableHow something as simple as the wrong chair can keep irritating an existing compensation patternWhy changing positions and taking postural breaks can matterHow Kelly uses rest, release, replace, reset when Hannah's muscles are already overworkingWhy meaningful movement doesn't have to mean adding another workout to your scheduleHow to listen when your body is whispering instead of waiting until it has to shoutOne of the most important parts of Hannah's story is that she isn't starting over. The work she's done over the past 14 years still matters. But her body, responsibilities, capacity, and season of life have changed—and now she's learning how to apply what she knows in a new way. Sometimes progress isn't about finding another complicated exercise. It might be buying a better chair. Taking a postural break before your back starts aching. Slowing down an exercise so your core can actually engage. Spending three minutes connecting to your body in the morning. Or recognizing that the strategies that supported you five years ago may need to evolve with you today. Your body isn't a project you finish. It's a relationship you continue to learn. And sometimes the biggest shift is learning to give your body what it needs before you're in pain and desperately trying to fix it.

  7. Sep 22

    “Pelvic floor PT didn’t work for me” doesn’t necessarily mean pelvic floor rehab won’t work for you

    Have you ever tried pelvic floor physical therapy—or an online core or pelvic floor program—and walked away thinking, “That just didn’t work for me”? That doesn’t necessarily mean pelvic floor rehab won’t work for you. It may mean you haven’t found the right kind of support for you yet. In this episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly sits down with her friend and colleague Megan Miller, a physical therapist with nearly three decades of experience and 27 years specializing in pelvic health, to talk about the growing number of options available for core and pelvic floor rehabilitation. Pelvic floor PT has changed tremendously over the years. Today, you might receive care through a large outpatient clinic, a hospital system, a private pelvic health practice, an online program, one-on-one virtual sessions—or a combination of several approaches. And those experiences can look very different. Kelly and Megan discuss how insurance requirements can influence the frequency, length, and structure of traditional physical therapy visits, while private-pay practices may have greater flexibility to individualize treatment and space appointments according to a client's needs. They also explore the benefits and limitations of online programs and why not all online core and pelvic floor programs are created the same way. Most importantly, they explain why effective rehab is about more than simply following a list of exercises. Your symptoms happen in your real life—while you're lifting your kids, sitting at your desk, getting out of bed, exercising, using the bathroom, working, having sex, or navigating pregnancy and postpartum. Understanding those patterns and learning how to support your body within your life can be an important part of making meaningful progress. Why one experience with pelvic floor PT doesn't represent every type of pelvic floor careThe differences between insurance-based clinics, private practices, and online rehabilitationHow insurance requirements can affect the structure and frequency of physical therapyWhy individualized care can be especially valuable for core and pelvic floor symptomsHow online education can help you understand what's happening in your own bodyWhy a generic exercise program may not address the whole pictureHow in-person and online care can complement each otherWhy Kelly's online programs focus on education and integration—not simply following along with exercisesHow eSessions can provide personalized guidance when you need help applying what you've learnedWhy your therapist or provider should understand your goals, lifestyle, and individual needsHow to recognize when it may be time to explore another approach if you're no longer making progressIf you've tried pelvic floor rehab before and felt discouraged, this conversation is an invitation to stay curious rather than give up. As Megan explains, the path forward won't look exactly the same for everyone. Your needs, resources, history, schedule, comfort level, and season of life all matter. There isn't only one way to do pelvic floor rehab—and there may still be a path forward that works for you. In this episode, you'll hear:

  8. Sep 15

    From the Archives: The Secret to a Strong Core Isn’t More Exercise — Dr. Hilary Frescoln’s Story

    What if the missing piece in your core rehab isn’t another exercise—but learning how to use your core during the other 23 hours of your day? In this From the Archives episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly sits down with longtime client and family medicine physician Dr. Hilary Frescoln to talk about her journey from collegiate athlete and chronic back pain to motherhood, diastasis recti, and ultimately discovering what functional core strength really means. Hilary had always been active. She played collegiate volleyball, lifted weights, ran, and did plenty of traditional ab exercises. But despite being in great physical shape, she struggled with recurring back pain and SI joint instability. Looking back, she realized she had become very good at using her strongest muscles to compensate—without ever really learning how to connect to and use her core for stability. After having children and developing diastasis recti, Hilary tried multiple core programs before finding The Tummy Team. What made the difference wasn’t simply a new collection of exercises. It was learning how to connect to the right muscles and then integrate that connection into everyday life—while cooking, unloading the dishwasher, caring for children, working, lifting, sitting, and moving. Years later, that approach has become part of how Hilary lives, parents, exercises, and even cares for her own patients. Kelly and Hilary also talk about why sustainable change often starts much smaller than we think. A one-minute “fitness minute,” stretching while brushing your teeth, doing squats while helping a child practice piano, or taking a few moments to reset between patients may not look like a traditional workout—but those small choices can build consistency. As Hilary puts it, consistency wins. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why being physically fit doesn’t always mean you have a functional coreHow compensation can contribute to recurring pain even when you’re doing “core exercises”The two pieces Kelly calls the “secret sauce”: connection + integrationWhy one workout can’t compensate for the way you use your body throughout the rest of your dayHow Hilary incorporated The Tummy Team through seven children, including a twin pregnancyWhy tiny habits can be more sustainable than committing to another big workoutHow to “habit stack” movement onto things you already do every dayWhy awareness of posture, alignment, breathing, and everyday movement can be so valuableHow Hilary uses what she has learned through The Tummy Team with her own patientsWhy the best exercise may simply be the exercise you’ll actually doThis conversation is a great reminder that building a stronger body doesn’t have to mean adding another overwhelming task to your schedule. Sometimes the most powerful changes happen when you learn to use the body you already have, in the life you’re already living—one small, consistent choice at a time.

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About

Join Physical Therapist, Kelly Dean, in her quest to help you restore and rebuild your pelvic floor and core lreated challenges.

Information

  • Creator
    The Tummy Team Journey
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Tummy Team Journey
  • Show Website
    The Tummy Team Journey