Low Belly Pooch Isn't Fat
Core Health Mini Series
Part One: Is it normal for women to have a lower belly pooch?
Part Two: Your Low Belly Pooch Isn't Fat
Part Three: The Real Reason Crunches Aren’t Shrinking Your Waist
Part Four: Why Hypopressive Training is the Best Low Belly Pooch Exercise
You've tried every core exercise, followed strict meal plans, and put in countless hours at the gym - you're stronger and in better shape, but you're frustrated by the fact that your low belly still protrudes. If you fee like you're doing everything "right" but still struggling with a low belly pooch, I have news for you! The low belly pooch isn't fat- its the position of your organs! Learn what causes a low belly pooch, and why traditional "core exercises" haven't given you the results you want. Learn why intense workouts can make your belly stick out more, and what your core muscles have to do with it.
What's Causing Your Low Belly Pooch
The reason your low belly protrudes, and you feel bloated all the time, isn’t because you are “fat”, need to restrict your diet even more, or need to exercise more.
It’s because of the position of your organs.
If it were just about what you eat and how much exercise you get, then the women you see with flat bellies who eat gluten, sugar and dairy and exercise way less than you do, wouldn’t have that flat and toned mid-section.
The low belly pooch actually comes from the position of your organs, not body fat. When your organs are low and compressed, not only does this make your lower belly protrude, it also causes digestive issues. When your organs are not in their ideal position, they don’t get the blood, lymph, and nerve flow they need to function optimally, and this results in symptoms like food sensitivities, bloating, constipation, pelvic pressure, digestive discomfort and IBS. All of which are strongly associated with "low belly pooch".
The shape of the abdomen and the circumference of the waist has everything to do with the position of your organs. Low and compressed organs leads to protrusion of the lower belly. Lifted and centered organs leads to a flat low belly and narrow waist.
If you want to get rid of the low belly pooch (and digestive issues!) - without having to avoid the foods you love, or find more time to exercise - you need to lift and center your organs. Read on to learn how and why your organs can get our of their ideal position, and what you can do to fix it.
Why Do Organs Fall out of Position?
Your core muscles are responsible for keeping your organs in their best position. If your core muscles are dysfunctional, weak, or injured, their ability to perform their important job of ensuring ideal organ position is impacted, and this will lead to low organs.
Low organs make the low belly protrude, whether you have a layer of fat or not. You can have very low body fat, and still have a low belly that protrudes. You can have a higher body fat, but still have a narrow waist and flat low belly. Remember, the low belly pooch is the position of your organs, not fat!
And the position of your organs is controlled by your core muscles. Healthy core muscles will properly support your organs because they are reflexively activated by your breathing in an upward and inward direction. Dysfunctional, weak or injured core muscles are not reflexively activated because of a variety of different factors that leads to their inhibition.
There are several reasons you may experience core muscle dysfunction. Many women experience multiple issues simultaneously:
Poor Posture: When you spend hours hunched over a desk or looking down at your phone, your core muscles gradually lose their ability to maintain proper tension and support. When your core muscles receive less reflexive activation due to your prolonged spinal position, the pressure in your abdomen increases, and your organs are compressed downward.
Poor Breathing Patterns: Your breathing pattern directly influences your core muscle function. How you breath will either turn your core muscles on or turn them off. Breathing is the reflex that either activates or inhibits your core muscles. Shallow breathing or holding your breath during daily activities prevents your core muscles from engaging properly and leads to low organ position and a low belly pooch. While deep, slow, 360 breathing will automatically pull your core muscles in an upward and inward- lifting and centering your organs.
Incomplete Recovery After Pregnancy: Pregnancy stretches your abdominal muscles to their max. They are increasingly loaded over the course of 10 months, and in order to resume their proper resting position again they need to be trained. Without proper rehabilitation, the core muscles will stay weak or injured, leading to ongoing core muscle dysfunction, low organs and the low belly pooch.
Extended Periods of Sitting: Sitting for extended periods of time will lead to decreased circulation to your pelvic floor and can lead to poor core muscle coordination. When your core muscles are not properly coordinated with your breathing, your core muscles have nothing to lift them and they end of sitting in a lower position. Sitting also creates pressure patterns in your core that push your organs forward. Even if you exercise regularly, long hours of sitting can still negatively impact your core muscle function and lead to low belly pooch.
Previous Injuries: Past injuries to the back, neck, head, tailbone and SI joint can lead to core muscle dysfunction, low organs and the low belly pooch. Abdominal muscle injury from pregnancy or surgery can also lead to core muscle dysfunction, and the low belly pooch. Pelvic floor injury after delivery can also impact the coordination between your core muscles and lead to the low belly pooch as well. Foot, ankle and knee injuries- even minor ones- can create compensatory patterns that affect how your core muscles work together, the position of your organs and therefore the shape of the belly.
As you can see, there are a variety of different reasons your organs can fall out of their best position- and its all about how the core muscles are firing. When the core muscles are firing properly, the organs sit in a lifted and centered position and the waistline is narrow. When the core muscles are not firing properly, the organs wit in a low and compressed position, and the low belly protrudes.
Solution to the low belly pooch - and it's not crunches
Burning fat isn't the solution to a low belly pooch. You can loose weight and loose fat, and still have a low belly pooch. This explains why some women who rarely exercise and enjoy all types of food maintain a flat, toned midsection, while others who follow strict diets and intense workout routines can still struggle with a low belly pooch.
The solution to the low belly pooch is lifting and centering your organs. My protocol, The Core Recovery Method®, is dedicated to teaching you all the techniques you need to know to lift and center your organs. After over a decade of helping women heal from all kinds of core and pelvic dysfunction, I have seen that when you lift and center the organs- everything else falls into place.
The Core Recovery Method® addresses both aesthetic concerns and underlying functional issues of the core muscles and organs.
You will learn:
- How to breathe in a way that actually trims your waist instead of pushing your belly out further (yes, there's a right and wrong way to breathe!)
- Simple movements that train your core muscles to work automatically throughout the day, not just during workouts
- How to stand and move so your core always stays properly engaged (without having to think about sucking in all the time)
- Specific techniques that help your organs function properly so you can finally get rid of that constant bloated feeling
By training your core muscles to lift can center your organs with every breath you take, you can get rid of the low belly pooch for good, and enjoy a flat, toned midsection (and good digestive function) - without restrictive dieting or excessive exercise!
