In this inspiring and deeply practical episode, Kelly Dean sits down with Dr. Hilary Freskin, a family medicine physician and homeschooling mom of seven, to explore how real-life functional core strength transforms not just bodies, but entire families.
Dr. Freskin shares her personal journey—from college athlete to busy mom managing back pain and diastasis recti—highlighting the pivotal moment she discovered The Tummy Team’s approach. With a history of fast, sometimes unassisted deliveries (including twins born just 90 minutes from water breaking!), Hilary reflects on how even years of fitness training couldn’t substitute for true functional core use.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
True core strength comes from functional use in daily life, not isolated workouts.
Tiny, stacked habits and celebrating small wins build sustainable change.
Awareness (mirrors, posture checks, body feedback) is 50% of the solution.
Movement, gratitude, and community nourish both physical and emotional health.
Parents modeling healthy habits can shape an entire family’s lifestyle.
Additional Resource:
In this heartfelt and deeply personal episode, Kelly Dean reconnects with her longtime friend and colleague, Beth Learn of Fit2B Studio, for a powerful conversation on the transitions of life, aging, fitness, and self-discovery.
Both Kelly and Beth find themselves in a season of change—letting go of hands-on parenting, navigating the care of aging parents, and questioning the next steps in their careers and personal growth. Their conversation centers on the very real and relatable question: “What now?”
This episode is for anyone feeling like they’ve reached the “end” of a chapter—postpartum recovery, career burnout, caregiving exhaustion—and are wondering what comes next.
Key Takeaways:
Additional Resources:
Learn more about Beth Learn and her online fitness studio at Fit2B.us
Explore core and pelvic floor resources at TheTummyTeam.com
In this deeply informative and encouraging episode, Kelly Dean is joined once again by physical therapist Christina Trautman to explore the critical importance of core and pelvic floor care during pregnancy—not just after. Together, they shed light on why prenatal support is often overlooked, and how proactive care can radically change the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Don’t wait until postpartum to seek help—pregnancy is the best time to begin.
You don’t need symptoms to benefit from care—prevention is powerful.
A supported core improves birth outcomes, postpartum healing, and emotional regulation.
Education and alignment should be part of standard prenatal care.
Even one visit or one online course can be transformational.
This episode is for first-time moms, fifth-time moms, and every birth worker committed to changing the narrative from reactive recovery to intentional preparation.
In this mind-expanding episode, Kelly Dean welcomes Dr. Neil Bulchandani—a chiropractor specializing in airway, fascia, and feeding—to explore the deep and often overlooked connection between tongue ties, diastasis recti, and whole-body function.
Dr. Bulchandani shares how his clinical path was transformed after his daughter was born with a tongue tie. This personal experience launched him into an intensive journey of exploring how restrictions in the floor of the mouth can profoundly affect posture, breathing, digestion, nervous system regulation, and core strength across all ages.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Tongue ties aren’t just about breastfeeding or speech—they can disrupt nervous system function and core alignment in adults too.
Diastasis recti is not a cosmetic issue; it impacts organ support, breathing, and regulation.
The mouth, core, and pelvis are deeply connected through fascial and neurological pathways.
You don’t have to know exactly what’s wrong to start healing. Trusting the body’s feedback leads to transformation.
Body tension often stores unresolved emotion—releasing one can release the other.
Related Links: neelbulchandani.com
In this eye-opening episode, Kelly Dean welcomes fellow core rehabilitation specialist Megan Miller to discuss a frequently overlooked topic: diastasis recti in men. Though often seen as a “women’s issue,” core dysfunction is surprisingly common among men—and it’s time we talk about it.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Diastasis recti affects men more often than people realize.
Symptoms often include back pain, belly bulging, hernias, and poor posture.
Cultural stigma keeps many men from seeking help.
Core rehab is not gendered—it’s about functional, daily strength.
Healing is possible at any age with the right support and tools.
🎓 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://thetummyteam.com
In this vulnerable and honest episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly Dean is joined again by pelvic floor physical therapist Christina Trautman for a candid discussion about pelvic floor challenges that arise during times of illness, stress, and overload — even for professionals.
💡 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬
✔ Pelvic floor symptoms during illness are common — not a sign of failure.
✔ Inflammation and fatigue can disrupt muscle function, even in trained bodies.
✔ Leaking, heaviness, or prolapse flares are a message, not a catastrophe.
✔ Your capacity changes — listen to your body without self-judgment.
✔ Give yourself grace and focus on small, functional support strategies.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s felt like their progress has unraveled during illness or high-stress seasons — and a reminder that healing is never a straight line. You are not alone, and setbacks are part of the process.
🎓 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://thetummyteam.com
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐌𝐏𝐓
Kelly is a licensed physical therapist who has helped thousands of parents understand and support functional core healing. She specializes in providing practical, safe, and effective strategies to help families build strong foundations — starting in infancy.
In this episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly Dean welcomes Suzanne, a 72-year-old retired teacher and swimmer, who shares her powerful and emotional story of healing after emergency abdominal surgery.
Just months after turning 70, Suzanne—previously healthy and active—was rushed into surgery for a life-threatening twisted colon. Though the surgery saved her life, it left her physically depleted, emotionally shaken, and with a long road to recovery. “I went from swimming laps to barely walking to the bottom of the driveway,” she recalls.
Post-surgery care focused only on basic mobility, ignoring the trauma to her core. As her healing stalled and she noticed tenting and weakness in her abdomen, Suzanne began searching for answers. After many dead ends, she connected with Kelly through a referral from Fit2B. “It was a relief to find someone who understood both the body and the emotional weight of my journey.”
A lifelong swimmer, Suzanne longed to return to the water but was told by other professionals that it wasn’t safe. Kelly—also a competitive swimmer—helped her re-enter the pool safely and use swimming as part of her core rehab. “That gave me hope I didn’t even know I’d lost.”
Through one-on-one virtual sessions, Suzanne gained a deep understanding of her core anatomy, learned how to assess and engage her muscles, and discovered how trauma, posture, and breath all impact recovery. She now integrates core awareness into daily life, continues to swim, and is a proud member of The Tummy Team’s online program.
Key Takeaways:
Core Rehab Is Essential After Abdominal Surgery – It’s more than walking again; it’s rebuilding what was cut and traumatized.
You’re Never Too Old or Too Weak to Heal – With guidance and consistency, healing is possible at any stage.
Swimming Can Be Therapy – The right movement, when supported properly, becomes medicine.
Self-Education Is Empowering – Knowing your anatomy helps you advocate for better care.
Invest in Healing – True recovery often lives outside the constraints of insurance coverage.
Whether you’ve experienced surgery, a traumatic health event, or are just trying to return to your active self, Suzanne’s story is a reminder that healing is possible — and you don’t have to do it alone.
Related links:
Do you want to schedule some 1:1 appointments to get the help you need for your core? How to book an eSession with me.
Want daily tools on how to heal your core and be strong for life? Join our Family Plan.
Looking for a step-by-step clinically proven core rehab plan? Join our Family Plus plan and get started in the Core Collection perfect for you.
In this episode of The Tummy Team Journey Podcast, Kelly Dean is joined by occupational therapist Mary Mello to explore how functional core and pelvic floor integration is transforming care for seniors — and reshaping how therapists serve their patients.
💡 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬
✔ Better Is Better: Even small improvements matter — especially in late-stage rehab.
✔ You’re Never Too Old or Too Weak: Core recovery can start at any age or ability level.
✔ Therapists Need Healing Too: When clinicians apply this work to themselves, everyone benefits.
✔ Practical, Not Perfect: Posture, breath, and engagement don’t have to be flawless — they just need to be intentional.
If you want to learn more about CEU courses that I create for specific organization take a look at our sister company Real Life Rehab https://rlrehab.com/help/
To learn more about how your breathing and posture alone can impact your core and pelvic floor, join our Tummy Team Family Plan (https://thetummyteam.com/pricing/) to get easy to implement tools and strategies.
Welcome back to Season 4, Episode 8 of The Tummy Team Journey. This is Part 2 of our series The Journey for Seniors with physical therapist Megan Miller. We have so much to share that we had to split it into two episodes (for now). In this discussion we talk about why pelvic floor symptoms seem so inevitable once we reach a certain age. We combat those beliefs with some simple yet effective strategies to change what is happening. It is NEVER too late to significantly improve your core and pelvic floor function. We share client stories and our real life clinical experience about issues like incontinence, constipation, pelvic organ prolapse and more. There is so much to learn and it is so empowering to not just settle for ok when it can be so much better. Join us as we discuss it all.
💡 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬✔ You’re not alone—core and pelvic floor struggles are common, especially in seniors, but not “normal.”
✔ It’s never too late—simple changes improve symptoms, even in advanced age or disability.
✔ The right tools (think Squatty Potty!) and guidance transform daily life.
✔ Start small—breathing, positioning, and awareness kickstart healing before therapy.
Kelly and Megan urge listeners: don’t settle for less. Whether it’s joining an online course, visiting a PT, or just raising your feet on the toilet, every step counts. They wrap up with a cheer: your body’s worth it—start today!
🎓 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://thetummyteam.com
On today's podcast, pelvic floor physical therapist and my colleague Megan Miller joins us for Part 1 of our Journey for Seniors series. Megan has specialized in pelvic floor physical therapist for over 20 years and joins me when I teach Functional Core and Pelvic Floor for Seniors CEU courses around the country.
In this episode we dive into all the misconceptions about pelvic floor dysfunction as we age. Far too often do we see common mistaken for normal in this area and we are here to share the truth and give you hope. Whether you are a senior, you know or senior or you one day will be a senior, this episode is for you!
The more you know the more proactive you can be in caring for your core and pelvic floor no matter what age you are. We give you a ton of eye opening information as well as some immediate action steps. You don't want to miss this one.
💡 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬✔ Common Is Not Normal: Aging doesn’t have to mean living with discomfort.
✔ Functional Core Strength Matters: Simple, intentional movements can restore stability.
✔ Posture and Breathing Are Key: Alignment and diaphragmatic breathing are essential tools.
✔ It’s Never Too Late: With the right support, seniors can build strength and confidence.🎓 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://thetummyteam.com
In this episode, Kelly talks with online client Diane Bloom. Diane is in her late 70s and started with The Tummy Team after being diagnosed with Uterine Cancer. She has a long history as a labor and delivery nurse and midwife and is a huge advocate for women's health. Diane has a unique take on functional core and pelvic floor rehab. She was able to use our program to prepare for surgery and heal after her procedure. She has some fun insight on how important this work is for women of all ages. Please join us for this inspiring and educational story.
In this episode, Kelly is joined by Pelvic Floor PT Megan Miller to discuss common core and pelvic floor conditions we see in kids. While both Kelly and Megan work with kids they see different ages and different conditions. We touch on diastasis recti in babies and toddlers, bed wetting, urinary and bowel issues in elementary school kids and more. What most people do not realize is chronic constipation is the underlying factor in many core and pelvic floor issues that we see in kids. So this conversation really revolved around how we can identify constipation, how it impacts the core and pelvic floor and what we can do to help kids and parents navigate these life impacting issues. Join us for this great discussion and get some tools that you can use even if you don't have kids.
Discover Pelvic Health & Wellness (Megan's Practice)
Book an appointment with Megan
Poop Chart for Kids by Dr. Steve Hodges
https://www.bedwettingandaccidents.com
Tummy Team online client Zipporah, mother of three babies in four years shares how The Tummy Team helped her to not only close her diastasis but to treat herself with grace and love. Zipporah shares how she had a "fierce" relationship with fitness and high expectations on how her body was supposed to bounce back after pregnancy. She avoided getting care for over three years, thinking she could just workout harder and fix her core. Take a listen to hear how she learned that shifting a few key things in her posture and show she moved throughout the day could actually help her core be strong.
Today joining us is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist and owner of The Pelvic Floor Place, Christina Trautman, DPT. Christina is a long time colleague and collaborator with me and we discuss how you can overcome all the obstacles that get in the way of getting help with your core and pelvic floor issues.
Both Christina and I have worked with thousands of pelvic floor clients over the years and we see time and time again how hard it can be to just take that first step. So we are here to help you. We will tackle every excuse, reason, rationale and obstacle in your way and give you hope and encouragement to move forward. No shame, no condemnation, only grace, hope and support. You are not alone. You can do this.
Let us help you take that next step:https://thetummyteam.com/what-should-i-do/
Joining us in this episode is Online Tummy Team Client, Rosemary Barlett. Rosemary shares her journey through core rehab during a year of chemotherapy. Just days after signing up for a full year of The Tummy Team, Rosemary was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of canceling her membership, Rosemary decided to go through each course in the Women's Core Collection step by step during her year of cancer treatments.
Join us today to see how The Tummy Team courses helped her prepare and heal from surgery, chemotherapy and the grieving process of Cancer. You will be inspired by her story.
Welcome back to The Tummy Team Journey Podcast for our first episode of Season 4! We took a break for a bit, but now we are back and thrilled to have a brand new video platform as well as audio podcast to share with our listeners.
Todays episode is with me, Kelly Dean, MPT and Tummy Team Online Extraordinaire, Miranda Anderson. Miranda and I take a trip down memory lane to share the back story behind The Tummy Team -- how we started, what turns we have taken and how we became what we are today. The more you know about why we do this work, the more you will understand how committed we are to helping every person we can.
Living with a strong core can change your life and we are passionate about helping people live their very best lives. Please join us for this fun conversation and learn more about how The Tummy Team is more than just a PT clinic to us.
Join Kelly as she interviews online client Heather from upstate NY as she shares her personal journey through Core Foundations and Floor of Your Core on a mission to reconnect with body. Heather realized she had been holding on to birth trauma for years and as a teacher during the pandemic realized she internalized stress and disconnected from her body to power through life. Core Foundations helped her to reconnect and recharge so she could be there for her family and herself moving forward. Join us as she shares her experience.
Additional Resources:
Core Foundations is available in our Tummy Team Family PLUS membership for $45/month.
Kelly's Journey to returning to competitive swimming. After being diagnosed with a severe (6 finger wide) diastasis, Kelly was told by a diastasis rehab specialist that she should never swim again. Listen to Kelly share her story and how that information was incorrect and how she used swimming as a way to completely close her diastasis. Sometimes the things we love to do can actually become part of our healing story.
Additional Resources:
10 Life Lessons from US Masters National Swimming Championships
Online Tummy Team Client, Cherith lives in rural Papua New Guinea and after years of suffering with pelvic pain and instability after a traumatic third birth, she was finally able to get care through our online Core Foundations course. Cherith shares with Kelly how she has implemented what she has learned into her daily routine as a homeschool mom of four in a rural community. Take a listen and see how functional core and pelvic floor rehab has helped Cherith become the best version of mom again.
Additional Resources:
Core Foundations and Floor of Your Core are both available in our Tummy Team Family PLUS membership for $45/month.
Don’t miss this episode with Tummy Team client Chrissy from Pennsylvania. Chrissy is a mom of 12-year-old twin boys and shares her long journey to understanding what was really going on in her body and finding answers to feel like herself again. We can all relate to feeling dismissed by a doctor and feeling despair about not having any direction to feeling better. Take a listen to see how Chrissy navigated that journey and how only four eSessions with The Tummy Team has changed everything now and moving forward.
Additional Resources:
Core Smart Fitness and Functional Integration are both available in our Tummy Team Family PLUS membership for $45/month