Taking the Right Approach to Heal Diastasis Recti

Simone Muller

Contents:

  1. What is Diastasis Recti?
  2. Re-evaluating your old routine
  3. Why Hypopressives is designed to heal Diastasis Recti
  4. Asymmetric poses are highly effective for Diastasis Recti
  5. Getting Started
  6. FAQs

What is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis Recti is when the connective tissue called Linea Alba that binds the two halves of the Rectus Abdominis - the muscles making up your "six-pack" - becomes overstretched and doesn’t come back together. This is completely normal. As a matter of fact, every single woman will experience some level of this separation when she gives birth. It's part of the natural journey of childbirth.

Re-evaluating your Old Routine

Dealing with Diastasis Recti can be a long and challenging journey for many women. It is important to re-evaluate the exercises you did before having a baby as these may not be right for you postpartum.

The more conventional abdominal workouts many are familiar with, such as crunches and sit-ups, fail to provide the necessary support and recovery for Diastasis Recti (the separation of the abdominal muscles). Instead of aiding, these types of exercises may actually make your condition worse as they put more pressure on the Linea Alba, the connective tissue that becomes thinned out during pregnancy.

Why Hypopressives is Designed to Heal Diastasis Recti

Hypopressive exercises are gaining traction for their effectiveness in postpartum recovery, and specifically for Diastasis Recti. Unlike traditional abdominal exercises that focus on strengthening the external muscles, Hypopressives target the deep core muscles and the thinned-out connective tissue of the Linea Alba.

Hypopressives engage the key core muscles, like the transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, and internal obliques, through a series of postures and breathing exercises that generate a vacuum effect in the abdomen - what we call an Apnea. This approach helps strengthen the linea alba, which links the two halves of the rectus abdominis, resulting in a stronger, flatter core.

Asymmetric Poses are Highly Effective for Diastasis Recti

Asymmetric poses are simply a unique set of Hypopressives postures and they are particularly beneficial for those recovering from Diastasis Recti. Asymmetric poses are particularly effective as they engage the body's oblique lines in a crossed pattern. This type of engagement is crucial for providing balanced strength and support across the entire pelvic floor and abdominal region, ensuring that the healing process is robust and holistic. Among the many asymmetric poses, three stand out for their effectiveness in Diastasis Recti recovery: Asymmetric Demeter, Freya, and Persephone.

1. Asymmetric Demeter: Inspired by the nurturing yet powerful Greek goddess of agriculture, this pose focuses on grounding and stability.This pose facilitates gentle engagement of the core muscles, promoting healing and strength.

2. Freya: Named after the Norse goddess is associated with love and beauty, the Freya pose embodies strength and grace. It challenges the core muscles gently, encouraging them to knit back together while maintaining a focus on balance and poise.

3. Persephone:Drawing inspiration from the Greek goddess of Spring, this pose represents transformation and rejuvenation. It has a strong focus on rebalancing the abdominal muscles, as well as alignment and strength.

These poses can all be found in the Diastasis focus category on re-centre.

Integrating these asymmetric poses into your recovery and healing process can make a significant impact. I have seen many of my clients repair their Diastasis Recti and restore core strength using these unique postures. As with any postpartum exercise approach, it's important to consult with healthcare professionals to ensure that the chosen exercises are safe and appropriate for your individual recovery journey.

Getting started with Hypopressives

For the Hypopressives classes it is important that you learn the Breathing/Apnea technique properly so that you can get the most out of the classes and the time you invest in yourself. Each week Simone runs Fundamentals sessions on Zoom where she explains the technique and guides you through all the steps.

She will also give you feedback to make sure that you're doing it correctly. For some, the technique may come more quickly than others. Some of her clients, who are tighter in the ribs and thoracic spine do tend to take a little longer. And here's the golden rule - for impactful change, Simone recommends at least three 15 to 20-minute workouts per week. Consistency is your best friend on this journey towards wellness.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Pilates is an excellent technique for bringing stability back to a destabilised postpartum body, but a lot of the traditional Pilates exercises, specifically curl ups (used often in mat-work repertoire) can be detrimental if pelvic floor dysfunction and diastasis recti are present. Unfortunately, at the 6-week postnatal checkup these issues are not properly assessed, and many women may not even realise they themselves are affected by these concerns.

There is a general acceptance of pelvic floor dysfunction with mothers often accepting that they may leak when running, sneezing or coughing. Also, the term “mum-tum” leads many women to unwillingly accept their new relationship with their bodies. LPF is a completely safe way of working a postnatal body and many of the women I work with have managed to reverse prolapse and drastically improve a diastasis.

I did the LPF training before having my second child and started practising postpartum after my second child. The difference in my recovery after my first labour where I only did Pilates was markedly different to when I practised LPF with my second. Within a few weeks my core was stronger than it had been before being pregnant with my second, and my pelvic floor was as strong as it was pre-kids!! If I hadn't seen the change with my own eyes or felt it in my body, I wouldn’t have believed it. It literally felt like the more I practised the more internal strength I developed. This was something I hadn’t felt since I was a professional dancer. I also loved that the technique doesn’t require hours of training. Only 10-20 minutes, three times a week will get visible results.

It is recommended at least 6-8 weeks after a vaginal delivery and 12 weeks after a c-section.

You will start to see results by practising 2-3 weekly sessions of 10-20 minutes. It is safe to practise daily once your body has adjusted to the practice which will take around 2-4 weeks.

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Hypopressives is an effective technique toward relieving symptoms related to Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Diastasis Recti and Urinary Incontinence. Hypopressives also improves poor posture, pelvic floor weakness and back pain. I offer a flexible approach to memberships and a 14-day free trial.

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About the Author

Simone Muller is the founder of re-centre and has over 15 years of teaching experience across Pilates, Low Pressure Fitness and Yoga.

She launched the online platform to make Low Pressure Fitness and Hypopressives more accessible to more women around the world so that they can become the strongest and most functional versions of themselves.

Originally from South Africa, Simone's dance and Pilates career evolved when she faced post-childbirth challenges, prompting her to explore Low Pressure Fitness in Spain.

As the first level 3 instructor in London, she has witnessed transformative postnatal rehabilitation results in clients, addressing issues like Diastasis Recti, prolapse and incontinence.

Simone has written articles for the re-centre blog 'Kegels not Working?', 'The connection between menstruation and prolapse symptoms' and 'Why I love teaching postnatal rehabilitation?'.

Simone has also written guest posts for The Shala 'What is Low Pressure Fitness', Yana Active 'Prioritising your Pelvic Floor Health After Giving Birth and Nurturing the Core' and for The Pelvic Academy 'Empowering Women's Health - The Power of Collaboration Between Hypopressives, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths'.

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