Diastasis Recti - Abdominal Separation
Most days we are asked by mums...
"Why does my tummy still look like I am pregnant?"
Or
"How can I lose my mummy tummy?"
Loads of mums tell us they feel like they are doing all the right things - exercising daily, eating really well but they just can not shift the weight around their tummy no matter what they do.
If you are early days postpartum or even years down the track reading this and thinking this is me too, then keep reading mumma!
The 'mummy tummy' is often because of Diastasis Recti or more commonly known as abdominal separation.
Ab separation is when the connective tissue (linea alba) between your 6-pack muscles stretches becoming wider and often thinner.
Ab separation is totally normal and happens in all pregnancies for our baby to grow. It's actually really amazing!
Post birth for some women this connective tissue comes back together quite well within a few months or even weeks of giving birth but for many many mums it can remain stretched.
See the below 2 images...
The image on the left is without abdominal separation.
The image on the right is with a separation.
You can really see the difference right?
All tummy separations are different some women have a split right down the middle like in the picture, while others have a split just at the top point or just the bottom.
A positive test for separation is 2cm however can be up to 8cm. The depth of the separation is also really important to understand.
So why does the separation cause the mum tum feeling?
A tummy with separation has a reduced ability to contract and hold in. Imagine all your internal organs pressing up against that connective tissue (linea alba), when your core and linea alba is not functioning well it can feel like everything is just pushing outwards.
So what should you do about it?
Firstly there is so much you can do and we would love to be able to support you on this journey!
Step one is understanding if there is in fact a separation or not. Stay tuned for another blog on how to do an at-home test.
Once you know that yes you have a separation it’s important that you start doing correct exercises to rebuild that strength and integrity in the connective tissue. We do this by creating tension at the linea alba through deep abdominal exercises.
In most instances you want to avoid the planks burpees and traditional abb work - these exercises place too much pressure on the linea alba and can potentially make a tummy separation and your whole core system worse off.
You want to go to exercises that work your transverse abdominals (TVA)- deep core muscles. The deep core is connected to the linea alba and these types of exercises will help it get stronger, regain its integrity, hold in well against the pressure of your internal organs and improve the gap.
It's all about doing the right exercises!
If you want help with navigating your abdominal separation and want to learn the right exercises to fire your deep core then you are in the right place!
Every week as part of our She Moves membership we run a class called She Restores - Pelvic Floor & Core Restore. This class is endorsed by a number of Women’s Health Physios and is designed to support women in healing their abdominal separation.
The class is delivered live on a Friday morning at 10 am with a highly qualified She Move trainer, you can join in live or do it on demand anytime that works for you. There are hundreds of classes available and membership is just $13 per month.
If you are after a more individualised approach we can do that too! Please just email hello@she-moves.co.nz and we will set up a call with you!
