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Category: > Fitness > 10 Diastasis Recti Exercises for New Moms

10 Diastasis Recti Exercises for New Moms

Aug 27, 2018 Carly Fraser Save For Later Print

Last Updated: Nov 28, 2019

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diastasis recti exercises

Among the many joys that come with motherhood, there are also some not-so-desirable body changes that aren’t so joyful. While the power of a woman’s body to grow and change is pretty miraculous, looking pregnant even months after having your baby can be a real confidence killer for new moms.

Fortunately, the right kind of exercises can help your body heal. By rebuilding your core  with specific diastasic recti exercises, you’ll be on your way to a flatter tummy in no time.

What is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti is a symptom of excessive pressure inside the abdomen and pelvis.

According to the Mayo Clinic: “during pregnancy, the growing uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen. This can cause the two large parallel bands of muscles that meet in the middle of the abdomen to separate — a condition called diastasis recti or diastasis recti abdominis. Diastasis recti might cause a bulge in the middle of the abdomen where the two muscles separate (1).”

In some women, these muscles stretch more than others, causing the abdominal contents to ‘poof out’ between the muscles, almost like a hernia.

Fortunately, diastasis recti isn’t as painful or harmful as a hernia (except you might experience lower back pain from a weak core postpartum). It can be a confidence killer for new moms, however, as diastasis recti causes the post-baby pooch that make women appear pregnant months after having their baby.

Why You Should Address Diastasis Recti

Diastasis recti is incredibly common. According to research, over one- to two-thirds of women suffer from it (2). That doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

And while making the stomach look flat and toned is a wonderful benefit, it isn’t the only reason why women should care to address this condition.

According to Leah Keller, CPT, MA, and founder of The Dia Method (a training program that helps women prevent and treat diastasis recti), “When the abdominal muscles separate, the body lacks support for the back and the organs, and the integrity of the entire core is compromised.” If you have a weak core, your whole body might suffer.

Diastasis recti can lead to chronic lower back pain, and even mess with the muscles of the pelvic floor (peeing while you sneeze sound familiar?).

It is also important to note that while diastasis recti is more common in pregnant women, men and children can also suffer. Because the condition is related to internal abdominal pressure, the abdominal muscles can separate after surgery or injury. So being pregnant isn’t the only pre-cursor to the condition.

How To Heal Diastasis Recti

The good news is, is that diastasis recti can be remediated with an exercise program. The bad news is that it’s not as easy as taking a herb or drinking more water (although that will help soften the skin!).

According to Keller, “It is possible to fully resolve diastasis recti with exercise — but the proven therapeutic exercises are very specific and precise, and they are antithetical to the core exercises most people perform when they set out to improve core strength.” So exercises like crunches and sit-ups aren’t going to be that helpful when closing the gap. In fact, they can actually make things worse instead of better.

“Doing a standard crunch or sit-up is generally not recommended for postpartum women, especially when we know a diastasis recti or DRA is present. This is because the way a crunch is generally performed has the effect of severely increasing intra abdominal pressure, pushing your organs outwards against or through the gap, and downwards onto the pelvic floor – directions you really don’t want your organs forcefully heading (3).”

Instead, diastasis recti exercises that focus on strengthening the linea alba (the fibrous structure that runs down the midline of the abdomen) are key (4).

10 Diastasis Recti Exercises to Rebuild A Stronger Core

Here are some diastasis recti exercises you can do at home. Make sure you are gentle with your body throughout execution and always exhale during exertion.

Before doing any of these exercises, ask yourself if you can perform it without your lower back arching or ribs flaring out. If you perform the exercise and you notice this happening, go back to the first exercise, which is the pelvic tilt. The pelvic tilt will ensure you have proper core activation.

1. Pelvic Tilts

Lie down with your back on the floor and knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release. Repeat 6-8 times.

2. Heel Drops

Lie on your back, bringing your legs up to a 90-degree angle with knees bent. Exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine, drawing in your pelvic floor. Exhale and slowly drop your right heel to touch the floor. Inhale when the heel touches the floor, and then exhale and return your leg back to the starting position. Alternate your legs, and repeat so that each heel touches the floor 10 times.

3. Heel Slides

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Exhale and slowly straighten one leg out in front of you, keeping the heel on the ground. Make sure your lower back is not arching too much as you extend the leg, and make sure you are not doming your abdominal muscles. Inhale the leg back up, and repeat. Perform this exercise 5-7 times on each leg.

4. Bridges

Lie face up with the knees bent, hip-width apart. The feet are flexed and flat on the floor, arms by your sides. Brace your abs, and press down through the heels to lift up the hips, squeezing the glutes at the top. Slowly release down to the floor. Repeat 8-10 times.

5. Bird/Dog

Get on all fours and tighten your abdominal muscles, keeping your spine and neck in neutral position (you should be looking at the floor). Extend your left leg behind you while reaching your right arm forward. Keep your hips square, and make sure you don’t arch your lower back. Hold for 10 seconds, and then slowly return to starting position. Now do the move on the other arm and leg. Complete 5-10 repetitions on each side.

6. Side Plank

Get into a side plank position on one forearm with your elbow directly underneath your shoulder. Bend your bottom knee so that your foot is behind you for more support. From here, compress your core so that you feel your stomach draw in closer to your spine. Breathe deeply, and hold this position for a good 10 deep breaths, then switch to the other side.

7. Wall Sit

Stand with your feet hip-width apart about 1 foot in front of a wall. Bend your knees and hips to squat down so that your back is flat against the wall. Hold this position, and perform one core compression so that you feel your stomach drawing in closer to your spine. Relax the compressions, and repeat for 2-3 minutes, focusing on alternating core compressions.

8. Toe Taps

Lying on your back, lift your legs to a tabletop positon with a 90-degree bend at the knees. Tap your toes to the ground, alternating your legs one at a time, making sure your lower back never leaves the floor. Go slow and steady, making note of your breath. Perform 10-12 taps on each foot.

9. Single Leg Leg Lifts

Lying on your back on the floor, place your left foot on the ground, knee bent and right leg straight out in front of you. Place your hands on your stomach so you can make sure your core is engaged. Exhale and lift your leg up toward the ceiling, keeping your knee straight. Remember to keep the lower back flat on the floor. Repeat for 20 repetitions, and then switch sides. Perform two sets.

10. Body Weight Squats

Place your feet at a comfortable distance apart (about shoulder width apart). Inhale as you lower your body, making sure you can keep your pelvic floor soft. Lower as far as you feel comfortable, and then exhale just before you start to stand. Repeat 10-15 times, and perform two sets.

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Filed Under: Fitness, Workout Plans Tagged With: abdominal gap, core exercises, diastasis recti, diastasis recti exercises, post-baby belly, post-partum belly

Carly Fraser

About the Author

Carly Fraser has her BSc (Hons.) Degree in Neuroscience, and is the owner and founder at Live Love Fruit. She currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a determined life mission to help inspire and motivate individuals to critically think about what they put in their bodies and to find balance through nutrition and lifestyle. She has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals to re-connect with their bodies and learn self-love through proper eating habits and natural living. She loves to do yoga, dance, and immerse herself in nature.

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Comments

  1. Kendra says

    Jan 6, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    Thank you for posting these! How long would you prescribe doing them? Or perhaps, how will I know when my diastasi recti is healed? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      Jan 8, 2020 at 10:06 am

      Hey Kendra, if you’re fully healed from birth, I’d say every day or every second day. You should be able to feel in your stomach the separation. As you start building up your core again, this separation should get smaller and smaller. There is a good video on that here, explaining how to feel this separation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulp3YQ_P92Q

      Reply
  2. Rachelle says

    Jan 19, 2020 at 1:53 am

    Thanks for posting with the helpful videos! Do you recommend doing this (all 10) as a routine for a certain amount of days per week? Then I am assuming move to a normal core workout when possible? Mine is not too bad, just a bit more than 2 fingers but I’m reaaaallly out of shape 😬

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      Jan 22, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      Hey Rachelle – yes, if you are fully healed after birth, I would do all of these exercises one day on, one day off. And then yes, once you get to a level where you can do normal core exercises again, I’d move to them!

      Reply
  3. Guest says

    Feb 8, 2020 at 6:46 am

    How soon after birth should these exercises be started? What does “fully healed” mean, can you be more specific?

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      Feb 11, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Check with your doctor, they will be able to inform you when the timing is right. Everyone heals at a different rate, and only your doctor would be able to tell you that.

      Reply
  4. Johanna says

    May 21, 2020 at 3:24 am

    Hi, I had a csection 8 weeks ago can I do these ?

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      May 22, 2020 at 11:11 am

      Always check with your doctor first before starting any physical activity routine, especially if you just had surgery.

      Reply
  5. Lasya says

    May 26, 2020 at 7:18 am

    Hi ,

    My baby is 1 year and I haven’t started any exercise my belly is looking like a pregnancy belly what should I do to flatten stomach how many times are these 10 exercises enough to flatten my stomach.

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      May 30, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Lasya, these exercises are to correct a condition known as diastasis recti.

      Reply
  6. Dawn says

    Jun 20, 2020 at 10:15 am

    Can these exercises correct or help DR years after child birth?

    Reply
    • Carly Fraser says

      Jun 21, 2020 at 11:00 am

      They will help, it will just take more time.

      Reply
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