In this podcast, coach Maddy Cope talks to Joy Black who you may know as @calliejoyblack, who returns for another insightful episode. Joy is a strength coach for pregnant and postpartum climbers and is currently 10 months postpartum herself. She educates about the pelvic floor, strength training and breathing as they relate to training during pregnancy and after birth.

In this podcast, the conversation is all about Diastasis Recti. Diastasis is one of the most common terms seen online when looking into exercise during pregnancy and postpartum. As with many topics, the wealth of online information doesn’t necessarily make it clear what it is and how best to climb and train during pregnancy and postpartum to minimise the impact and allow good recovery.  So in this episode, Maddy and Joy hopefully can clarify it for you.

In this podcast Joy explains:

• What diastasis is and why it happens during pregnancy
• Common misconceptions
• Explains the difference between coning and doming and what these signify
• How to feel and monitor your diastasis
• The role of the deep core muscles and how we can manage the stress on our linea alba
• A practical way to find your deep core
• Core training for climbers during pregnancy and postpartum
• Hanging exercises during pregnancy and returning to these postpartum
• Ways in which we can modify or find appropriate exercises, taking diastasis into consideration
• Ideas for warming up before climbing to help connect to our breath and deep core

If you want to check out a more general conversation Maddy and Joy had about strength training during pregnancy and postpartum, check out this episode.

The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.