156. Building Our Foundation with Pelvic Floor Rehab w/ Daria Stewart

If you have had a baby, an injury, or are even just aging, there’s so much you can do to restrengthen your core and pelvic floor that nobody has told you. Rehabing these parts of your body is essential to age better and I am so excited to have spoken with one of the best experts on this on today’s episode.   The most important part of healing after pregnancy and childbirth is to be proactive. There’s a lot of work that can be done before issues arise. These include: Starting to rebuild strength right after the birth  Gently building a foundation of strength conditioning in just a few minutes every day Focusing on core strength Not over-exercising Emphasizing the process, not the goal   About Daria Stewart Daria Stewart received her doctorate in physical therapy and bachelor's of psychology from Widener University. Daria has a diverse background in the field of physical therapy.  She has worked in an intensive rehabilitation hospital helping patients recover from strokes, brain injuries, amputations, and spinal cord injuries, in outpatient working with high-level athletes, and in-home care with the geriatric population.  Daria also has dedicated time as an adjunct faculty for Widener and Arcadia University. Her interests include hiking, traveling, and snowboarding. Daria specializes in the holistic approach of nutrition, mindset, and physical training for the active individual.   Recovering Pelvic Floor Health Before and After Delivery In our chat, Daria stresses that there’s a lot that mothers can do proactively to prevent pelvic floor and core issues before they happen. However, even if it has been years since your pregnancy, it’s still not too late to start healing.  Ideally, though, Daria’s post-partum protocol should happen right after the birth. She urges new mothers to not waste any time. But it does not have to be a huge time commitment. Even a few minutes a day will yield positive results. Most of this focuses on the core which is the foundation of so much else concerning strength.   The Importance of Working Smarter, Not Harder Sometimes we work out too hard. Daria explains why exercising to the point of exhaustion is not something to strive for. Soreness does not equal muscle gain. In fact, overtraining can exacerbate existing problems and create new ones. Instead, we need to be mindful and intentional about how we train. This centers on accepting your body in whatever phase it is in. It means working on your mindset as well as on your body. The key is understanding and appreciating that you will not be in the same place you were before the pregnancy. Start where you are and go from there. How can you enjoy the process of rehab rather than staying purely focused on the goal? Leave a comment on the episode page!   In This Episode  What we can do better to help women recover their pelvic floor post-pregnancy before or after issues begin [5:00] How healing can be achieved efficiently without a huge time commitment [10:30] Avoiding the tendency to overtrain [15:10] Being process-oriented, not goal-oriented [24:30]   Quotes “After you have your baby, it’s really hard to do anything for yourself, let alone to get out to a physical therapy appointment and address the complications from having a baby.” [5:45] “We can start right away after having a baby to really get our pelvis and get our core back to that position we spent nine months changing.” [6:28] “It’s never too late. Our bodies are incredibly smart and will adapt to exercise and we can really focus on it.” [9:05] “When we want to get strong and workout and stay healthy, we have to focus on our core.” [12:54] “The scale is a very little part of the overall journey because you really will get to your goals faster if you give it less power.” [24:13]   Resources Find Daria Stewart Online Follow Daria on Instagram | Facebook   31 Days of FIT.  Learn more HERE. Muscle Maintenance During Fat Loss. Waitlist HERE. Fit Woman Collective™. Learn more HERE. Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Subscribe to The Muscles and Mindset Podcast on Apple Podcasts *** Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice ***   Related Episodes  Episode 152: Beauty in Strength with Becca Failla