In pregnant and postpartum people, Diastasis Recti is a prevalent condition. If you want to know what Diastasis Recti is and what exercises can help you deal with it effectively, read this blog until the end.
Diastasis recti generally happen when the two muscle bellies of your rectus abdominis are separated. The separation between the right and left sides of the muscle is widespread during pregnancy when the tissue or linea alba between your rectus abdominis muscles stretches to assist your body in giving room to the baby.
After you deliver the baby, the linea alba might restore and come back together. It is highly elastic and retracts back. When the tissue loses its elasticity from being strained, the gap in the abdominals cannot close as much as it needs. This problem is known as diastasis recti.
Before you start doing an abdominal exercise, it is necessary to perform an easy self-test to know whether you are suffering from diastasis recti or not.
Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Now place one hand on your tummy and lightly press down with your fingertips. Next, perform a mini crunch by bringing the head upwards. Make sure your shoulders remain on the ground only.
If you feel separation along the sides of your rectus abdominis muscles, this might signify diastasis recti.
Symptoms of Diastasis Recti
Most people cannot notice the symptoms of diastasis recti unless they are postpartum. You might have diastasis recti during pregnancy, but it is difficult to recognize as your abdomen stretches.
Some of the common symptoms of diastasis recti during the postpartum period include:
• Low back pain
• Poor posture
• Feeling weak in your abdominals
• Softness or jelly-like feeling around the belly button
• Pelvic or hip pain
• Urine leaking at the time of sneezing or coughing
• Constipation
• Pain during sexual activity
• Coning when your ab muscles contract
If you experience these symptoms, immediately contact the doctor and get medical help.
Exercises to treat diastasis recti
Getting back into an exercise routine will depend upon different factors like the type of pregnancy, your delivery, and other complications during pregnancy.
However, here are some practical exercises that can help you to treat diastasis recti:
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most vital exercises that you can perform at the time of postpartum. This exercise teaches you to how to breathe by making use of a diaphragm and how to stimulate your transverse abdominis muscles.
Abdominal braces
The second exercise to deal with diastasis recti is an abdominal brace. This exercise often forms the basis for improving your diastasis. Start this exercise by exhaling, drawing your belly button, and squeezing the deep abdominal muscles together.
Heel slides
To do this exercise, you must lay on your back, feet flat, knees bent, and spine against the ground. Now, inhale, relax your muscles, exhale, and lift your pelvic floor. In this way, you can get relief from the diastasis recti problem.
Therefore, if you suffer from diastasis recti, get medical help and start performing the exercises recommended by the doctor or a certified fitness coach.