The Core Connect Podcast

Some of us are learning what it means to shelter.

Some of us are packing boxes and moving homes.

Some of us are struggling to tolerate the sound of alerts on our phones.

Some of us are trying to stay calm for our children - sometimes succeeding… and sometimes not.

And that’s okay.If you’re in the UAE right now, this short episode is for you.

In moments of uncertainty, our nervous system needs simple anchors, small practices that remind the body it can soften, even for a few minutes.

In this episode, Marianne shares 3 tools you can turn to today:

A scent for nervous system regulation
Why smell has such a powerful neurological pathway to the emotional brain, and how something as simple as inhaling bergamot can help shift your physiology toward calm.

A short meditation
A very accessible 3-minute practice you can do even if you’ve never meditated before - no special posture, no experience required.

A poem for the soul
Because sometimes words can hold us when our nervous system feels stretched.This episode is short, simple, and here to anchor you. You’re not alone.🧘‍♀️

🎵For a healing sensory experienceJoin us in person this weekend for our Sound, Cacao & Community at Core Connect, Dubai:

https://www.coreconnectstudio.com/events

🍋Here is a link to order some potent Bergamot if you don't have a doTerra account:

https://doterra.me/su1oFw

Have you found yourself going to the loo more often lately… despite smooth births in the past?

Have you been told to “just do Kegels”, but nothing changed

Today on the Core Connect Podcast, Marianne sits down with Sandra, mother of four, business owner, active woman, who’s been dealing with mild urge and stress incontinence for the last couple of years.

She did what most women are told to do.
She saw a physio.
She was told: do Kegels.

They didn’t help.

In this episode, Marianne walks Sandra through why these symptoms happen, and, more importantly, where to start if she wants real change.

Together they cover:
• Why Kegels are not always the solution
• How bladder diaries and timed delays retrain your system
• Abdominal cues that support the pelvic floor (and ones that sabotage it)
• How to tell if your Pilates classes are helping (or not)
• Why addressing this before menopause makes a huge difference

If you’ve ever been told leakage is normal after babies, this episode is your permission to ask better questions.

The resources below are mentioned in the episode.

We hope they'll help you:

🎙 To Practice Better Pelvic Floor Exercises:

S1E19 Beyond Kegels: 3 Simple Pelvic Floor Episodes

🎧 Tackling C-section Overhang, Avoiding Surgery, and Reclaiming Mobility with Scar Therapist Emma Holly

Listen Now

🎧 Healing your Pelvic Floor with Claire Sparrow 

Listen Now

📹 Mobility for your Pelvic Floor

https://youtu.be/qq9JJRwObog

📹 Low Pressure Functional Training of the Pelvic Floor

https://youtu.be/LD5GhmXylCA

📹 Abs to Heal your Pelvic Floor

https://youtu.be/lp0V3cRecy4

Please help support other women.Help us raise awareness. Share this episode!

📩 Contact Marianne at [email protected] or send a message on Instagram.

Meet Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi, a Boston-based neuropsychiatrist, engineer, 4x health tech founder, and cancer survivor whose story and insights are nothing short of inspiring.

In this episode, Marianne and Reza cover everything from the surprising #1 risk factor for Alzheimer’s (it’s not your genes), to simple morning routines for brain health, to why your 40s are the decade to invest in yourself. 

Reza also opens up about surviving cancer, reshaping his life’s purpose, and how he uses his own journey to guide others.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• 02:37: Alzheimer’s: Why hearing loss in midlife is a higher risk factor than the APOE4 gene
• 05:31: How to stimulate your brain to avoid or delay the onset of dementia
• 08:35: Why your 40s are the critical time to invest in yourself
• 09:15: A simple morning routine for brain health
• 10:15: BDNF and what happens to your brain when you exercise
• 13:30: Dealing with addiction & the power of motivational interviewing
• 17:00: Reza’s story: surviving cancer and finding his calling

Reza shares incredible daily posts on neuroscience, health, and technology. 

You can follow his work here: ⁠Reza’s LinkedIn⁠

If you liked this episode, consider sharing it on social media or with your friends.

Especially those caring for elders or supporting loved ones through addiction

In this episode, Marianne sits down with fellow studio founder Mila Aleshina, owner of a boutique Pilates studio in Fournex, Switzerland, mobility expert, and creator of Incorpo Studio, a digital movement platform to explore the deeper questions shaping the wellness industry.

Together, they unpack what Mila calls the “McDonald’s era of Pilates” where factory-style classes, aesthetic-driven marketing, and flat-rate models dominate the landscape, and ask what it really takes to build a space rooted in integrity rather than volume.

They discuss:

• What mobility is and what it is not
• Pricing, flat rates, and how retention strategies shape studio culture
• Why 100% retention isn’t necessarily the goal - and what sustainable growth looks like
• Physique trends, patriarchy, and the aesthetic pressures still influencing Pilates
• What it actually takes to become a great instructor
• The reality of studio owner burnout - and how to protect your love for the work

This conversation is honest, nuanced, and necessary for anyone building their place in today’s Pilates industry.

🔗 Stay in touch

Connect with Mila:

• website: www.milaaleshina.com
• instagram: @mila_aleshina_

Connect with Marianne:

🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, you'll enjoy other episodes from the Studio Owner Series:

Jill Harris on 30 years in Pilates, building FitSprings, and Resilience in Entrepreneurship

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000676912363

Inclusivity, Loss, and Building a Fulfilling Pilates Career with Leslie Parker

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000685254525

My Pilates Journey (Part 2): The Road to Studio Ownership

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000709567473

In this episode, Marianne is joined by Dr Margie Davenport to explore themes ranging from preconception to postpartum timelines, including how women can best return to running after childbirth.

One of the world’s leading researchers in women's health, Margie has played a pivotal role in advancing evidence-based guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum. 

While her work is often referenced in athletic populations, this conversation highlights why all mothers, not just athletes, benefit from better preconception education, realistic timelines, and more supportive models of care.

Together, they explore:

• Why the idea of being “fully healed” before returning to running or impact is outdated

• How perinatal fitness research is shifting beyond tissue healing to include psychological and social readiness
• The limitations of the traditional 6-week postpartum check-up
• How research can both inform practice and, when misused, lead to rigid or dogmatic rules
• Why some traditional beliefs around postpartum recovery are harmful, while others may reflect helpful wisdom developed over generations

📑 Studies & resources discussed in the episode 

Returning to Running Postnatally: Guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals managing this population (2019)

https://www.absolute.physio/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/returning-to-running-postnatal-guidelines.pdf

Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy

https://csep.ca/2021/05/27/get-active-questionnaire-for-pregnancy/#:~:text=%20HOW%20THE%20GET%20ACTIVE%20QUESTIONNAIRE%20FOR%20PREGNANCY,as%20one%20part%20of%20the%20pre-screening...%20More%20

Delphi Study on Return to Running Readiness after Childbirth (2024)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38148108/

🎧 More episodes:Is it Evidence-Based or is it Culture? The Science of Babywearing and Breastfeeding with Dr Emily Little

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000746297978

Bracing, Breathing & Motherhood: What Most Postnatal Guidelines Miss with Brittany Williams

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000741298970

🔗To Connect with Margie Davenport
https://www.instagram.com/drmargiedavenport/https://www.exerciseandpregnancy.ca

🔗 To Connect with Marianne Tafani

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannetafani/

instagram https://www.instagram.com/marianne.coreconnect/

Confused by conflicting advice on abdominal exercises and postpartum core recovery? 

In this solo episode, Marianne Tafani explores four key research studies on diastasis recti and abdominal training, including the role of crunches in postpartum rehabilitation.

Drawing on both the evidence and her clinical experience supporting 2,300+ postpartum women, Marianne breaks down how research translates into real-world practice, and where context, load management, and individual assessment matter most.

📚All studies discussed in the episode are linked below:

Mota et. al. (2015, wrongly referred to as 2016 in the episode!): The Immediate Effects on Inter-rectus Distance of Abdominal Crunch and Drawing-in Exercises During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2015.5459

Lee & Hodges (2016): Behavior of the Linea Alba During a Curl-up Task in Diastasis Rectus Abdominis: An Observational Study

https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2016.6536

Leopold et. Al. (2021): Efficacy of a Core Strengthening Program for DRA in Postpartum Women: A Prospective Observational Study

https://journals.lww.com/jwphpt/fulltext/2021/10000/efficacy_of_a_core_strengthening_program_for.3.aspx

Theodorsen et. Al. (2023): Effect of exercise on the inter-rectus distance in pregnant women with diastasis recti abdominis: an experimental longitudinal study

https://www.physiotherapyjournal.com/article/S0031-9406(23)00051-2/fulltext

📩 For information about the next Core Connect Perinatal Pilates Instructor Course, feel free to email: [email protected]

🔗 To connect with Marianne:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannetafani/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marianne.coreconnect/

How much of what parents are told is “normal,” “best,” or “necessary” is shaped less by evidence - and more by culture, productivity, and pressure?

What does the research actually say about co-sleeping and sleep training?

Breastfeeding?

Babywearing and carrying?

In this episode, Marianne is joined by Emily Little, PhD, infancy researcher, myth-debunker, and founder of Nurturely, a platform dedicated to ending perinatal disparities in the US and beyond.

Emily has spent years researching infancy and caregiving practices across more than 30 countries, including Guatemala, Vanuatu, Bolivia, and India, examining how babies are fed, carried, soothed, and supported, and what happens when cultural wisdom collides with modern systems.

Together, we explore what the evidence actually says about:

• Breastfeeding
• Babywearing and carrying
• Co-sleeping and infant sleep
• Responsive caregiving and infant needs

…and how many dominant narratives around “best practice” are shaped less by biology or research, and more by capitalism, productivity pressures, and the expectation that care should fit neatly around work.

This conversation goes far beyond individual parenting choices. We discuss why policy changes alone are not enough to address perinatal inequities, and why grassroots, community-led work is often more effective. 

At the root of many systemic issues, including racial disparities in maternal and infant outcomes, lies how motherhood is viewed, (de)valued, and (often) poorly supported.

This episode invites a wider, more humane lens on infancy, care, and what it truly means to support mothers and babies.

To connect with Emily Little, follow her on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilylittlephd/

Download the Baby Myth Buster Brief:

https://emily-little-phd.kit.com/6087629ced

For any perinatal movement questions, connect with Marianne:

https://www.instagram.com/marianne.coreconnect/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannetafani/

Are vasectomies truly reversible?
What really changes after the procedure?
How can women bring up this, and other men’s health topics, without conflict or pressure?

In this myth-busting episode, Dr. Tracy Gapin, men’s health specialist, urologist, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author, joins Marianne to bridge a crucial conversation between men’s and women’s health.

Dr. Gapin unpacks the real science and misconceptions around vasectomies, explores the cutting edge of peptides for sexual function, and dives into how modern performance medicine, and mindset work, is reshaping care.

Discover the truth about the 10-minute procedure that Dr. Gapin has performed on thousands of men, including himself, and how you can support the men in your life to care for their health as intentionally as they do their performance.

🎁 Free Resources from Dr Gapin

Get your Performance Guide and a Complimentary Discovery Call here 
👉  https://peaklaunch.com/free-resources/

You’ve seen the word everywhere: Flexibility & Mobility, Hyrox & Mobility, Mobility Flow.

But what does it actually mean?

In this short solo episode, Marianne breaks it down for you: where the term comes from, how it fits into modern fitness, and why it’s so much more than stretching.

You’ll learn:

• The real difference between mobility and flexibility
• How your nervous system plays a role in how you move
• Why mobility is the foundation for strength, posture, and pain-free living
• Why it should be a critical part of your physical routine if you want to get over chronic injuries

Whether you’re a Pilates enthusiast, runner, or just want to move with more ease, this episode will help you understand what your body’s been trying to tell you all along.

Mobility is what keeps your body capable. It’s what makes strength usable.

If you'd like to take a deeper and more technical dive into the topic, you can listen to this episode with Kevin Hendry: 

🎧 Still in Pain? Discover Brain-Based Mobility with Osteopath Kevin Hendry

⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000714756562⁠

Stay tuned with us as we get prepare your first RAD mobility workshop at the studio.

⁠www.coreconnectstudio.com

In this episode, Marianne welcomes Ava Rodriguez, industry titan, fine educator, powerhouse of mobility and inspiring mother of two teenage daughters.

Together, Ava and Marianne explore what it really takes to:

• Rise above industry trends and be recognised for your expertise
• Balance raising a family with teaching and mentoring other instructors
• Build a method that truly changes lives

But beyond her credentials, this episode is about discovering Ava’s personality: her drive, her grounded approach, and the authenticity that makes her unforgettable.

Here’s the exciting part: Ava is coming to Dubai soon for a workshop with Bodyhack. So if you’re looking to sharpen your skills, grow your brand, and be inspired by one of the best, this conversation is your perfect starting point.

Connect with Ava: ⁠https://www.movebeyondwithava.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoolv47Y_NckYFunsgTY-H_V7Wn2BME2cvHOKD5SynXtvXgZ3cBM⁠

Ava's Instagram page: ⁠

https://www.instagram.com/movebeyond.withava/⁠

🎧 And if you're a mobility fan, have a listen to this episode: Still in Pain? Discover Brain-Based Mobility with Osteopath Kevin Hendry. ⁠

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/still-in-pain-discover-brain-based-mobility-with/id1766482868?i=1000714756562