Understanding diastasis recti and how it can impact how you exercise
Diastasis Recti or abdominal separation as it’s more commonly known, is something that will happen to all women towards the end of your pregnancy. Your body is so clever and knows exactly where it can and needs to expand to make space for you growing bubba. This expansion happens in your rectus abdominis (the abdominal muscles that sit closest to the surface of your skin) which starts to separate to make room for your baby. Those muscles are joined by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba which stretches as the abs separate. This leaves a vulnerable area down the front of your bump that we want to be mindful of during your pregnancy so the ab separation heals as well as possible post-delivery. This is why a specially designed prenatal programme is a great way of supporting you throughout your pregnancy as general workout programmes won’t necessarily focus on this area.
All the work that we do around mastering the basics in our prenatal workouts will be the best possible starting point to begin to heal your ab separation post-delivery. It’s all about using breathwork and engaging your core in the right way to build the strongest possible foundation for further movement. This is not only about being aware of proper core engagement during exercise but also taking that into everyday life. That consistent approach to core engagement is amazing for helping you heal ab separation even while you’re not spending dedicated time rehabbing it.
If you are/were able to follow these exercises throughout your pregnancy then your awareness of how to engage your core throughout everyday tasks will already be good and you can feel really confident that you’re always moving your body in a way that will really support your postnatal recovery.
More severe / prolonged ab separation postnatally is something we’ll want to dedicate some more time to healing. I’d recommend you reach out to a women’s physio to assess how your abs and pelvic floor muscles are naturally healing once your little one is here. Once you have that information we can work together on a tailored workout plan, focusing on exercises that will help you rehab in all the right areas.
Your experience with The Bump & Beyond Movement Series will always start with a complimentary 1:1 so we can spend time together to understand exactly where you are in your pregnancy / postpartum journey. This personalised approach means your workout programme will focus on getting you strong in a way that is specific to your needs.
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