Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
A groundbreaking yet simple set of exercises that will flatten the dreaded "mummy tummy"-regardless of a woman's age or when she had a baby.

Pregnancy naturally separates a mother's outermost abdominal muscles to make room for her growing uterus. Called a diastasis, this separation doesn't fully close up in 98 percent of new moms. The larger the diastasis, the weaker the muscles and the greater chance for mom to develop back problems down the road. Of perhaps greater concern for moms, new and veteran alike, the larger the diastasis, the bigger the belly that just won't seem to go away after baby's delivery!

Lose Your Mummy Tummy introduces the Tupler Technique, a set of deceptively simple abdominal and breathing exercises that decrease the diastasis and result in a firmer, flatter, and stronger belly. Like Kegels-those all-important and privately-practiced pregnancy exercises-the Tupler Technique can be practiced almost anywhere and at anytime. Including illustrations for a 15 or a 30-minute at-home exercise routine, Lose Your Mummy Tummy ensures:

A tighter, flatter stomach

A smaller waistline

A reduction or elimination of back pain

The ability to safely lift your baby and heavy objects

More energy

Better posture

The perfect preparation for your next pregnancy

Rating : - A mixed bag
A little about me: I am a yoga and Pilates instructor. I am also a mother of four and my last pregnancy was with twins. I have a diastasis recti and have spent a few years trying to "fix" it.

The good things about this book: First, she lays out what you shouldn't do. Shouldn't is important because you don't want to worsen- ie, widen- your abdominal separation. A lot of traditional abdominal moves (and some Pilates) will worsen that if you don't know what your condition is and what you need to be careful of. She also gives tips for holding a baby and getting through day to day life. In addition, the workout she lays out isn't just for the abdominals but also includes movements for upper and lower body.

What I didn't like: I felt, as did a previous reviewer, that her centerpiece exercise focused on the transverse abdominals. Yes, I completely agree that those are essential. However, my transversus is very strong but I still sometimes have the appearance of a "mummy tummy" because my rectus is much less developed. Because of the diastis, it's difficult to train. There are a bunch of other women in my position, I know. I was disappointed that this book didn't lay out ways to safely train that layer of muscles.

My next gripe was the way she seems to single out Pilates at times. Yes, the explosion of Pilates has meant that a lot of people are both learning and training Pilates without enough thought to safety, and some movements when done improperly can make the abdominal separation worse. However, the exercise Tuppler recommends throughout her book is also used in many if not most Pilates classes: essentially, its lateral breathing with an emphasis on transversus engagement. In fact, most well-trained Pilates instructors, whether Classical or not, will tell you that you need to master that movement to properly do Pilates. Maybe Tuppler doesn't realize that, but that's a big oversight.

Finally, I really didn't like the emphasis on the Splint Tuppler advises using throughout the exercises, which, by the way, Tuppler sells for about $35. Yes, she does also advise a scarf, but even so I can't help but feel like she's trying to sell me up.

I think this can be an effective technique for many people if you have an abdominal separation. However, it's not perfect and it isn't the only game in town.