postpartum repair exercises fullest tips /4 MAGICAL EXERCISES| POSTPARTUM | BEING WOMAN………….EBUILD CORE STRENGTH AND REPAIR DIASTASIS RECTI (DR) WITH THESE 8 DIASTASIS RECTI EXERCISES. THIS 10 MINUTE POST BABY AB WORKOUT IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU REBUILD YOUR ABS AFTER BABY BY SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THE TRANSVERSE ABDOMINALS AND PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES (BOTH OF WHICH ARE WEAKENED DURING PREGNANCY).
You can also view this Diastasis Recti Ab Workout on YouTube here! While you’re there, SUBSCRIBE to our to get all the newest workouts!
My 30 Minute Advanced Pregnancy Workout is my most popular workout video on YouTube (and how you might have discovered NML).
You might have even followed my Pregnancy Workout Plan (note, I also have a FREE, 30 Day Postpartum Workout Plan).
But how do you get safely get back into exercise after having a baby?
I remember being so over AND underwhelmed with the amount of information available around how to care for my body after baby.
If you’re pregnant, bookmark this page to come back to postnatal.
And if you’re post-pregnancy (whether 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years or more) — keep on reading, this 10 minute abs after baby workout for you!
abs after baby exercises for Diastasis Recti
When can I start working out after baby? Or how soon after giving birth can I exercise?
Every body, every pregnancy, and every birth is so different. It’s hard to give a black-and-white rule about when it’s safe to return to exercise postpartum.
If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it’s generally safe to begin exercising a few weeks after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth, talk to your health care provider about when to start an exercise program (MayoClinic).
I personally started using these 8 Diastasis Recti exercises around two weeks post-baby.
I started with the first four exercises for diastasis recti repair. I progressed up to all eight post-baby ab exercises around 6-8 weeks postpartum.
Diastasis recti exercises: Leg Extension for abs after baby
What is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis Recti is the separation of the right and left ab muscles at the midline of the abdomen. If the ab separation becomes greater than 2 cm, then you have DR.
DR is also commonly referred to as the ‘mom pooch’ or ‘lower belly pooch.’
In my case, and in the case of most women who develop DR, this happens when the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy. According to this study on Diastasis Recti up to 66% of pregnant women will experience DR by their third trimester.
This happens when the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy. The growth of the belly stretches the linea alba (you can see what abdominal separation looks like after pregnancy in this diagram from Mayo Clinic).
If you’re wondering…
How do I know if I have Diastasis Recti?
Learn how to check for Diastasis Recti at home here. I filmed this video with my pelvic floor physical therapist (Dr. Jenn).
Diastasis Recti Workout
Sympoms of diastasis recti include:
Low back pain
Urinary or bowel problems
Poor posture
Difficulty performing load transfer tasks necessary for bending, reaching, lifting, carrying, squatting, walking, and stair climbing (all the activities that new moms quickly become experts in)
Sometimes, Diastasis Recti will heal itself, but other times it may require physical therapy (I suggest seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist).
I also highly recommend check out this interview I did with Dr. Jenn: 10 Things You Need to Know About Your Pelvic Floor After Baby!
8 Diastasis Recti Exercises Post Baby Ab Workout
10 Minute Abs After Baby
This postnatal ab workout is specifically designed to heal Diastasis Recti, strengthen your core and pelvic floor, and rebuild deep core muscles after pregnancy.
Let’s be honest, Diastasis Recti workouts aren’t very exciting.
That’s why I created a guided, follow along workout video for this post-baby ab workout. I’ll coach you through each exercises, offering form cues and modifications for everyone depending where you are in your Diastasis Recti repair journey.
THIS WORKOUT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS THE DEEP TRANSVERSE ABDOMINALS AND PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES (BOTH OF WHICH ARE WEAKENED DURING PREGNANCY) TO REBUILD YOUR CORE!
Workout Equipment:
No equipment needed, just your bodyweight.
Workout Instructions:
Let me be your certified personal trainer for the day! Click here to follow along with the guided workout video at the top of this post.
Alternatively, work through the 8 best diastasis recti core exercises below at your own pace:
8 Ab Exercises
30 Seconds Per Exercise
Repeat x2 Sets
*Note: Start where you are and do what you can! Maybe you start by performing the first three exercises for 20-30 seconds, rest and repeat. Then slowly add on exercise 4, then 5, and progress your way up to completing all eight exercises. You can always work up to performing these exercises for…
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