When I first learned about Momma Strong, an online exercise program for pre- and postpartum mothers, I had remnants of the flu, so I was coughing and, you know, leaking. A lot. As an older mom who went from difficult birth with multiple postpartum complications straight into perimenopause, I’d given up hope my body could ever recover. My beautiful 10-pound baby had wrecked my abdomen, causing severe diastasis recti—the separation of the linea alba structure that holds our stomach muscles together—along with scar tissue and bladder weakness.
I harbored lots of beliefs: it’s too late for me, I’m too old, the damage is done. But Courtney Wyckoff, founder and creator of Momma Strong, isn’t buying into those negative notions. She claims diastasis recti and incontinence can be healed, no matter the severity, years, or decades (my daughter is now nine). She says let’s not worry about getting fixed, let’s just dive into the wreck and integrate what we’ve got. I started to listen.
Momma Strong’s short interval programs are geared for efficiency and effectiveness. They’re categorized by need: for example, programs include Pre-Natal, Di-Recti, Core Camp, and my favorite, It’s Okay Lapse, which is for those of us with UI caused by prolapsed bladder and/or scar tissue. For women who have already done a lot of healing and want to continue to get fit, Wyckoff also offers more rigorous programs. All the programs include a series of videos around 15 minutes long with clear, sensible, doable instructions, as well as plenty of supplemental written material for emotional, physical, and nutritional support.
Exuding authenticity and good humor in the workouts, Wyckoff is a down-to-earth mother (sometimes a kid walks through the background of a video), as well as a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist who experienced her own birth trauma (which helped me, a skeptic, trust her). While geared for moms, the programs are beneficial for anyone who experiences UI and pelvic issues like hernia, prolapse, and lower back pain. The easy online access is valuable for those of us who don’t have the time (hello work-at-home moms!) to attend regular visits to physical therapists. And at only $2 a month, Momma Strong is super affordable.
The general philosophy of Momma Strong is to help participants work on extension and proper posturing. The routines are high intensity and reflective of real life, like for moms who never run in a straight line but have to bounce, crawl, climb, and squat while parenting. Each program starts with the basics of Wyckoff’s bracing technique, which is foundational to all her programs. This goes beyond the commonly recommended Kegel exercises to manage UI and includes pulling in the inner core and, importantly, focusing on the mid-back (bra-strap area) to really help address UI. So often, while, say, carrying a toddler on our hip or hunching over a desk, our posture is crooked and crunched, which perpetuates UI and weakens internal muscles which would otherwise help stop UI’s symptoms. In two short months, the bracing technique helped me rethink and realign my posture and now I practice it all the time while driving my kid to school or working in my office.
Each program gradually builds in intensity and effort, but because they’re short videos, you can do one a day, or several if you’re up for it. Additionally, Wyckoff hosts an active Facebook group, which you can join with your monthly subscription, gaining added encouragement from other participants.
For two bucks, I’m willing to stay subscribed to Momma Strong to receive good direction on the long road to healing my abdomen, a concept I didn’t even believe was possible two months ago. Courtney Wyckoff helped change my mind, the real first step to changing my body. And for that, I’m grateful.
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