Exercise for Diastasis Recti?

Hello, Diastasis Recti is a separation of the bands of the Rectus Abdominus muscle. It commonly occurs in pregnant women, but can appear in others as well. Affected people typically have a line that protrudes along the center of their tummies (especially above the belly button) with increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This is an area bare of muscle between the bands of the Rectus Abdominus muscle. Exercise for this reason will not improve it. This problem requires surgery to correct.... more

 Diastasis recti is an anatomic problem which requires surgery - most often repaired during abdominoplasty.  You can build up your abdominal muscles to help compensate, but you will not fix or correct the problem.  Good luck.

Feel free to continue exercising as it is good for the heart and body. However, separation of the rectus abdominus muscles (the "6-pack") is common.. especially after pregnancy. The only way to bring the muscles back together in the middle is to stitch them back together. In order to do that, the skin and fat of the abdomen has to be lifted off the muscles. That is essentially one part of a tummy tuck and unfortunately the only way to repair a diastasis (or separation of the... more

A shoe may be made of elastic material ("weak muscles") or very stout leather (strong muscles"). Regardless, unless the shoelaces are tied, the shoe will not hold its shape or your foot ("abdominal contents").

Besides the stretch marks and loss of skin elasticity within the abdomen, some also experience a separation of the sit-up muscles, and a very few will develop an actual hernia in the umbilicus or belly button. This separation called a diastasis of the rectus muscles is a natural relaxation that takes place and does not cause a problem with exercise. Many patients don't notice that the diastasis has occurred unless the space is pointed out to them, sometimes it will show clearly. In order to... more

Many patients think that the separation of the muscles if a muscle problem and that exercisiong will fix it. Not the case! The muscles are encased in a covering called fascia. It has the consistency of a thick canvas. When this is stretched out it can stay stretched and lead to a separation in the middle where the left and the right are connected. The treatment is surgery for sewing this layer tighter. This can be done through small incisions.

Exercise can strengthen the rectus muscles but will not correct the diastasis which is caused by stretching of the strong tissue between the two rectus muscles.