His search for answers eventually brought him to Kelly's videos about diastasis recti in men and then to The Tummy Team. What began as a desire to “fix” his abs has become a much bigger shift in how Nate understands strength, fitness, and his body.

In this Real Life Rehab episode, Kelly and Nate talk about why core rehab is about so much more than a series of exercises. They explore how posture, breathing, parenting, fitness habits, major life changes, and the way we move through different seasons can influence how we use our bodies.

Nate also shares what surprised him most: some of the simplest strategies—slowing down, breathing, connecting to his transverse abdominis, improving his posture, and consistently practicing what he's learning—have made a noticeable difference in how his entire body feels during exercise.

And because Nate is still in the middle of his rehab, Kelly helps him think through what comes next.

In this episode, Kelly and Nate discuss:

• Why diastasis recti isn't just a postpartum issue—and men can experience it too
• How being fit or muscular doesn't necessarily mean your core is functioning well
• The difference between bracing your core and creating functional core connection
• Why breathing and transverse abdominal activation can feel deceptively simple—but be foundational
• How to incorporate core connection into squats, push-ups, lunges, lifting, chores, and everyday movement
• Why “slow is strong” when you're retraining coordination
• How to know when you're ready to progress toward more challenging exercise
• Why the goal isn't a permanent list of exercises you “can't” do
• How awareness can help you recognize compensation patterns and make adjustments sooner
• Why your fitness goals may change over time—and why being strong for your actual life may matter more than hitting an impressive number in the gym
• How online rehab can give you tools to better understand and take ownership of your own body

One of the biggest mindset shifts for Nate has been realizing that he doesn't have to return to the exact version of himself he was before.

He's building something different.

As Kelly explains, sometimes we set a goal based on where we think we want to end up—and then discover that healing gives us something deeper: confidence, connection, awareness, and a kind of strength we weren't measuring before.

Nate is still on that journey. He's still working through Core Foundations, still experimenting, still learning, and still rebuilding.

But this time, he's not just asking:

“How much can I lift?”

He's learning to ask:

“How can I build a body that supports the life I want to live?”

And that may be a much better definition of strength.