If you’re pregnant, or have been pregnant in the past, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of diastasis recti. But what is it? And more importantly, how can you treat it? In this blog post, we will discuss everything you need to know about diastasis recti: what causes it, how to diagnose it, and most importantly, how to treat it!
So, what is diastasis recti? Simply put, it is a separation of the abdominal muscles. The muscles separate at the midline which is called the linea alba. This tissue sits in between the rectus abdominus, or in the center of your stomach. This separation can happen during pregnancy, as the baby grows and puts pressure on the muscles. However, diastasis recti can also occur in non-pregnant individuals. It is more common in women than men, and typically resolves itself after pregnancy.
There are a few ways to diagnose diastasis recti. The most common is to simply look for a bulge in the stomach when the person contracts their abs. Another way to diagnose diastasis recti is through a physical examination, where the doctor will feel for a separation in the muscles. You can also do a self check, follow the link to find my YouTube video where I walk you through the process.
Finally, an ultrasound can also be done if the condition is severe. Sometimes this abdominal separation can require a surgical fix, but most of the time it can be cured with exercise.
Diastasis recti will affect about 40% of new mothers. Most don’t even know they have it until much later when they begin to experience chronic problems like severe low back pain, bladder incontinence, pelvic floor pain, and they still have the “mom pooch” long after they’ve had baby. We all know the “mom pooch”, the left over belly that remains after childbirth. This is often the result of an unresolved abdominal separation.
Why is it so important to fix this separation? Your core is the most important unit in your body, it stabilizes and supports your entire skeletal system and protects your organs. During pregnancy, these muscles are stretched in the opposite direction for almost nine months. The constant pressure can leave the muscles damaged and they need to be repaired in order to function properly again.
The common misconception is that these muscles will automatically repair themselves because that is what our bodies do. We have children, we make their food, and our bodies naturally go back to the way things were so we can do it all again. This is not always the case, so targeted exercises and proper breathing techniques need to be implemented into a new Mother’s routine so she can heal properly and safely.
Now that we know what diastasis recti is and how to diagnose it, let’s talk about treatment. The good news is that diastasis recti can be treated with targeted exercises! These exercises help to strengthen the muscles and close the separation. There are a variety of different exercises that can be done, so it’s important to consult with a physical therapist or other medical professional to find the best exercises for you.
So, how do you treat diastasis recti? The most important thing to do is focus on exercises that are meant to heal an abdominal separation. These exercises will help to strengthen the abdominal muscles and close the separation. You can’t jump right back into planks and crunches, you need something different. There are a number of exercises that can be done, and we will discuss a few of them here.
First, let’s talk about what NOT to do. There are a lot of exercises out there that claim to be safe for healing a diastasis, but not all exercises are equal and you need to watch out. You should avoid exercises like planks, crunches, Pilates 100’s, leg drops, toe touches, and any twisting motions. These exercises place too much pressure on your already weakened abdominal wall. Most of them will cause a deeper separation and can cause a great deal of pain.
If you realize that you have a diastasis recti, then you should avoid the exercises mentioned above until it is healed. This could take anywhere from six months to one year. You were pregnant for nine months, and you can add at least six more weeks to that after you give birth. Those first few weeks after childbirth are needed for healing. Don’t rush into a workout program, take your time and follow a plan that is meant to help you heal properly.
The first exercise you need to do is re-learn how to breathe. I know that seems silly, but we breathe wrong and it is the cause of many of our problems. Our bodies were designed to breathe with our diaphragm. Your diaphragm is a muscle that sits below your rib cage and moves up and down like a parachute to allow you to breathe. We have become chest breathers, filling up our lungs with air instead of our bellies and compromising the way our core works.
When we breathe properly, our diaphragm expands to push air into our bellies and when we exhale our core wraps around our bodies and contracts. If we breathe over 20,000 breaths per day, think about how much work your core should be doing. By learning how to breathe from your core again, you can re-train your body to work in its natural state. Changing the way you breathe is an exercise in itself and should be practiced multiple times daily until it becomes a habit. Check out the video below to see the core breathing technique in action.
You can also improve your diastasis recti by fixing your posture. If your body is out of alignment, your core cannot function properly. Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, glutes should be relaxed (avoid the butt clench), hips straight, and chest high. Fixing your posture and breathing properly are the two best exercises that you can do for your diastasis. Once you master these techniques you can begin to work on fixing other imbalances that may be causing you problems.
If you are struggling with diastasis recti, please reach out to me. I am a certified personal trainer and I specialize in postpartum fitness. I would love to help you heal your diastasis recti and get your body back! I had a four finger abdominal separation after each one of my children was born. I healed wrong the first time. I didn’t take the time to do it right. I went back to the old way of doing things and I made my separation worse.
After my second child was born I had researched, trained other women, and was successfully able to heal my separation in a safe and effective way. I want to teach you that method so you too can heal your body and live pain free. You can heal, but you need time and the right method. If you want to learn more, you can check out my Home Body program to start training at home with workouts that are meant to heal your diastasis recti the right way.