By Lauren, TCM Office Manager

As a mom of two toddlers I saw the impact pregnancy and birth had on my body. I wanted to strengthen my core and put some extra special care into the areas that were put through the ringer (twice!), but I wasn’t sure where to start. I thought about putting together my own exercise program, but that seemed overwhelming. It was around this time that I discovered MuTu, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve included below some basic information about MuTu (you can find more here) and my own experience with it.

MuTu is a 12-week system that helps women who want their bodies to “look, feel and function” better after having a baby – whether that was 6 weeks ago or 6 years ago. It focuses on helping women strengthen their core and pelvic floor, and help close diastasis recti. To get access to the MuTu program you have to purchase it.

MuTu has three different components – 1) alignment and posture; 2) healthy eating; and 3) exercising. You do need some equipment to complete the exercises, but most of it you probably have around your house already (I only had to buy a set of dumbells and a set of resistance bands).

The first two weeks of MuTu gently ease you into the program. The only exercises are the “Core” exercises which take about 10-15 minutes, and I found them easy to fit into my day (so even with toddlers climbing all over me I could still do them). Week 3 starts the Intensive Workouts and those really kicked my butt, especially in the beginning. Starting with Week 3 through the end of the 12 weeks I had to carve out about 30 minutes/day to do the exercises (not including the daily walking), and I found it tough to do the exercises with my kids around. To be honest, I restarted MuTu probably four or five times because I always got stuck at Week 3. I would try doing the exercises at different times of the day, but with a full weeknight schedule and busy afternoons when my boys were napping, I couldn’t find a time of the day that worked well for me do the exercises consistently. Then, this summer, my younger son started sleeping through the night (only took 14 months!) and I found I could get up earlier in the morning and do the exercises before my boys were up. That made a big difference in my success rate with MuTu – so my #1 tip is find a time that works for you and your schedule and make the decision to stick with it.

Everything you need to complete the 12 weeks is available online, and you can download the videos to your phone, tablet, or computer so you can access them whenever you want. There are also “cheat sheets” of the exercises available that you can print off to help if you don’t like watching a screen while you exercise. The first two weeks I used a “cheat sheet” for the Core exercises, but after that I always watched the videos while exercising. To do the exercises correctly I found I needed the reminders and Wendy’s example in the video. I would also say that I’m not the most athletic or coordinated person I know, but overall the exercises were pretty accessible, even for me.

Now that MuTu is behind me the big question is…would I do it again? Yes!! In a heartbeat. I will do this after every baby born from here on out. After my second was born I had a small diastasis recti, and doing MuTu closed it. Completing MuTu also helped me feel stronger – I really appreciated that I was working the areas that needed some extra TLC, and I could feel the difference. I felt stronger and healthier. I would say that MuTu has a lot to keep track of with the exercises, daily walking, eating healthy, and working on your posture, and I didn’t do everything perfectly. The next time around I’ll focus more on my posture, but something I appreciated about MuTu is that I was able to go at my own pace. If there was a week where my kids were sick and getting up early to exercise didn’t happen, I just repeated that week and didn’t think twice about it. One final comment about MuTu, I also liked that it doesn’t hold up an unattainable body type as the goal; the goal is for every person who uses it to feel stronger, healthier, and more confident – whatever that means for them.

MuTu usually offers has a sale about three or four times a a year, and we always post them on our Facebook page. If you want more information about MuTu you can check it out here, or email info@twincitiesmidwifery.com with any questions you have.