Twelve weeks ago 22 moms and moms-to-be set out to challenge themselves with a program to help them close their diastasis (the separation between their stomach muscles) and help them minimize this separation during pregnancy.

Doing the recommended number of exercises each day, maintaining certain techniques all day, and avoiding some movements altogether was not easy – especially for women dealing with the discomforts and stresses of pregnancy, and moms who appropriately put caring for their children before caring for themselves.

Although not all 22 of us have precisely stuck to our 12-week program, I couldn’t be happier with the feedback I’ve received so far. Some have seen significant improvement in the width and depths of their diastases, others have reported feeling stronger and more stable, and others have noticed certain pain and discomforts disappear as a result of increased core strength.

It’s easy to get down on ourselves for not “sticking to” an exercise program, but we also need to give ourselves credit for what we achieve even if it’s less than we had hoped. One woman told me she hadn’t been able to keep up with the exercises as much as she would’ve liked but she had integrated the techniques into her life, avoided damaging movements and exercises, and that she planned to fit the exercises in when she was able. That sounded incredibly successful to me!

I have learned so much over the past 12 weeks and want to sincerely thank the other 21 women who gave so much time and energy and accompanied me on this journey.