How do I tell If I Have Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti is commonly seen in pregnant mothers but men can suffer from it too. In women, this condition can present during pregnancy or after delivery. Initially, people often notice a dome on their tummy when engaging their abdominal muscles, especially when getting out of bed. Some people also complain of feeling like their organs are falling out or feel their tummy is loose and unstable.
The most common question I get from people is: "Will the gap in my tummy close at any point?"
My answer to people who ask whether the gap will ever close is "I'm not sure". The severity of Diastasis Recti varies significantly. If the connective tissue that holds both sides of your abdominal muscles (also known as the "linea alba") is stretched out too much then you may need to consult with your surgeon to address that. However, regardless of how severe your diastasis recti is, everyone needs to strengthen their transverse abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to improve the ease of performing daily activities. The transverse abdominal muscle is the main muscle responsible for creating tension in your linea alba. Having proper linear alba tension helps to create a firm midline instead of a gap.
I’ve been doing a lot of ab workouts and core strengthening, but why isn't it getting better?
*If you’ve been doing core exercises for 6 weeks or it’s been 6 months after your delivery and you still haven’t seen any improvements, please consult a pelvic physical therapist for further assessment and treatment.
There could be many factors preventing you from getting better:
1️⃣Your body hasn’t fully recovered from hormonal changes during pregnancy.
Your body needs at least 1 year to let your connective tissues (Linea Alba, muscles, ligaments) recover. *Please be patient! Your body has experienced a lot during pregnancy and we need to be nice to our bodies to help with recovery.
2️⃣You’re not using the right abdominal muscles.
We have two layers of muscles, the superficial layer consists of the external and internal abdominals, and the deeper layer consists of the transverse abdominals. Most people overstress their abs and engaging the superficial layer more instead of the deeper layer.
How would I know whether I’m using the right muscles?
When you contract the transverse abdominals properly, you will see a flattened tummy from your ribs down to your pelvis instead of seeing your rib cage flare-up.
3️⃣The exercises that you are doing are not designed to help you return to your everyday activities. In other words, your exercises are not activity-specific.
We mainly performs activities in an upright position, but many people only train their muscles lying down. For example, only doing reverse crunches will not help you engage your whole abdominal wall when you have to carry your baby.
You should incorporate upright positions in your work outs, such as lunges and squats with weights, to help you train your muscles in different positions.
4️⃣Your exercises are not challenging enough or too challenging.
How do I know whether my exercises are too hard?
If you see a dome in your tummy while performing core exercises.
How would I know whether my exercises are too easy?
I want you to take a second to think about the frequency and reps you do per week. I understand it’s hard to find the time to do exercises because your life is occupied by your baby and you are very busy. However, I also want you to spare some time for yourself and your body. The exercise dosage should be 3-4 times/week. The intensity should make your muscles feel fatigued. *Please watch out for the dome!
5️⃣You still need to lose some fat tissue from pregnancy.
I normally tell my clients this when discussing their diet and nutrition intake. Most of the time, moms don’t have enough time to eat regularly and properly, and thus don’t get enough nutrition. This makes it harder for your body to recover and get back into shape. Please don’t compare yourself with moms on Instagram with beautiful bodies. Everyone’s body is different and we all have different healing times. We need to listen to our bodies. Focusing on yourself is the most important thing to do now. 😊
