Diastasis Recti – Is there a Fix?

Diastasis what?  Most who haven't experienced it, have also never heard of it. Even some who have it, have never heard of it.

It’s a problem that comes most often with pregnancy.

As the uterus expands, the tissue that runs down the middle of your belly muscles gets thin to make room for the baby.

Sometimes it stretches then goes back into shape. Other times the stomach muscles get so stretched that they don’t go back.

Diastasis Recti has been described as having your six pack turn into a three left, three right pack.

In the worst cases the organs behind the muscles can actually bulge out, but most people don’t get it that badly. In most cases, it’s what keeps them from being able to button their jeans months after they’ve lost their baby weight.

In fact, a lot of people don’t even know that they have it.

If you have been trying to lose that belly and aren’t sure whether you have diastasis recti, it is easy enough to find out, and fix it.

How to Know if You Have Diastasis Recti

People who have had more than one pregnancy – or who have more than one baby at a time – are most likely to have diastasis recti.

You are also at risk if you are over 35 or have poor muscle tone. The first sign that you have it is that your stomach isn’t as flat as it used to be.

To be sure, you can lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Put your fingers on your belly button and lift your head an inch or two off the floor.

Press down and see if there is a gap between your left side and right side stomach muscles.

Move your hands a few inches below your belly button and check again. Then move them a few inches above.

The gap can be anywhere from up high, just under your breasts, to down low.

The official definition of Diastasis Recti includes a gap of more than 2.7 centimeters.

What to Do to Fix Diastasis Recti

You can do some exercises while you are pregnant to prevent yourself from getting it, but if it’s too late, don’t despair.

Start out by knowing how big your gap is so that you can track your own progress. You can do this using your fingers to gauge how wide and how long it is.

After you know your starting point and your doctor says you are okay to exercise, your goal will be to strengthen your core – but you have to do it in the right way!

What NOT to Do:

Crunches are the absolute wrong thing to do and can make the situation worse.

Stay away from movements that make you bend backward or stretch the abs.

You want to avoid anything that makes your stomach muscles bulge, including lifting heavy weights.

Instead, start off easily by getting used to pulling in your stomach muscles and engaging them. You should be able to do this for ten seconds while still breathing normally.

After you’ve mastered this you can move on to marching in place with your core held steady and upright, and stomach muscles engaged.

Planks are the gold standard exercise for fixing this problem, but it is important that you use the correct form.

Yours in health,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your friends and I welcome your comments below. Have you experienced Diastasis Recti?