How to Heal From Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy

By Patrick Banks

Posted 4 years agoHEALTH

Diastasis recti is a common condition that happens to most women after pregnancy. It refers to the separation of abdominal muscles which normally leads to belly bulging and weak pelvic floor. 

Diastasis recti may end up destroying women’s self-confidence especially when there is little information about post-pregnancy fitness. 

Fortunately, this text is a complete guide to fixing diastasis recti without surgery. Thus, you don’t have to worry about how your body will look like after delivering your baby.

But you need to accept the fact that diastasis recti will not heal in just a one-day workout. It usually takes time to fix this condition. 

So, here are the 4 steps of fixing diastasis recti after pregnancy:

  1. Improve Your Body Alignment

Your body posture can either weaken or strengthen your core. A poor and weak body posture may weaken your core too. Therefore, you need to find a good body alignment with will enhance the strength of your core

The right body alignment is referred to as the neutral spine position. This position allows the diaphragm to be stacked on the pelvic floor muscles hence achieving stability in the core system. 

To get a neutral spine position, stand straight with your legs a bit apart, and locate your ribcage over the top of your hips.  Allow your lower back to curve slightly while maintaining a tall thoracic spine as possible. 

Then allow the top part of the spine to round gently forward by stretching your hands straight in the front side.

  1. Strengthen Your Core and Pelvic Floor Muscles

Strong pelvic floor muscles are vital in healing from diastasis recti. If you want the pressure system in your abdominal muscles to work well, you must learn how to engage and relax your core and pelvic floor muscles.

There are a lot of workouts that can help you strengthen your core. The most effective ones are pelvic tilts, diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragm breathing targets your deep abdominal muscles. Strong ab muscles will further rebuild your core.

  1. Do Diastasis Recti Exercises

Although it requires effort and dedication, practicing safe exercises is a great way to treat diastasis.

You need to ensure that you do the right exercise as some workouts can only worsen this condition. Here is a list of the most recommended diastasis recti exercises;

  • Core Engagement
  • Vacuum Breathing
  • Seated Side Bend
  • Opposite Reach
  • Side Knee Drops
  • Glute Bridge
  • Side Balance
  • Pelvic Tilts
  • Side plank

You can choose to do a few of these works daily for better results. Specialists endorse that restoring the core should be done as soon as possible. The most suitable time to begin exercising is from the sixth week after delivery.

However, you should avoid exercise that involves inserting pressure on the abdominal muscles as they could make the separation to be more severe. These include; Full push-ups, most crunches, Yoga poses, and any exercise that makes your stomach muscles bulge and strain.

  1. Focus on the Right Diet 

Your diet actually affects how you heal from any illness. Good nutrition can accelerate the healing process and vice versa. 

While fixing diastasis recti, you need to eat foods rich vitamin C, soluble and insoluble fibers, iron, and essential fatty acids. Such nutrients will boost the production of collagen fibers which makes up the abdominal muscles. 

While the above methods are the best way to fix the abdominal separation, other practices like wearing an abdominal brace can also be helpful. If you wear it immediately after delivery, you have a better chance of healing soon. 

The sooner you fix diastasis recti, the more you reduce the side effects of this condition including urinary inconsistencies, back pains, and so on.

About the author Patrick Banks

Patrick is a Berlin-based dating advisor, motivational speaker, a huge fitness and vegan diet enthusiast and the main editor at Wingman Magazine, specialised in men's health. His ultimate goal is to share with men around the world his passion for self-development and to help them to become the greatest version of themselves. He believes a healthy body and successful social interactions are two main keys to happiness.

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