Can You Fix Tummy Muscles Without Surgery?

Muscles separate after surgery because of two reasons.  One is ripping of the fascia.  No amount of exercise fixes this.  The other reason is inactivity, causing loss of tone of the abdomen.
If you have exercised and don't see the abdominal tone improving, it may time for surgery.

It is not possible to fix separation of the tummy muscles without an abdominoplasty.  The muscles once stretched out need to be plicated to achieve the flat abdomen you are looking for.

Thank you for your question.  Separation of the abdominal muscles, commonly called a diastasis recti, often requires surgical intervention which can be performed at the time of a tummy tuck.  Pregnancy stretches out and often tears the fascia of the abdominal muscles and unfortunately exercise alone is not able to correct this.  Abdominal exercises will help to tone the abdomen but surgery is your best bet to correct the separation of your abdominal muscles.  

As stated by previous surgeons, muscle laxity after pregnancy usually requires an abdominoplasty for optimal correction. The procedure addresses not only the muscle laxity, but a tummy tuck also addresses the stretched, damaged skin as well as excessive fat if indicated. However, if the "apparent" muscle laxity is really protrusion from intraabdominal fat, weight loss alone may suffice.Down time is about two weeks and the procedure is performed as an outpatient in the large majority of cases. The surgeon re-shapes the torso, optimizing the curvateous physique.

                  The
abdominal wall undergoes significant changes during pregnancy.  During pregnancy the abdomen expands
and the muscles weaken, stretch, tear and in some cases separate from each
other.

                   In
the vast majority of cases surgery will be necessary to reverse these
changes.  Non-surgical treatments
won’t reverse structural changes which are usually present.  When muscles have been weakened,
occasionally exercise can impact the abdomen by strengthening these muscles,
but in most cases more significant structural changes have occurred.

                   In
your case, it appears that your muscles have separated in the midline.  This condition known as a rectus
diastasis is common following pregnancy and will require surgical correction
during abdominoplasty surgery.  In
this case non-surgical treatments won’t be effective.

                   If
you’re concerned about abdominal wall changes following pregnancy,  consultation
with a board certified plastic surgeon is appropriate.  This surgeon should be able to
formulate an appropriate treatment plan.

The only way to correct this is with surgery. The procedure involves tightening fascia to bring the muscles together. The surgery isn't necessarily  a tummy tuck. 

There are some individuals that claim they can achieve improvements in the rectus muscle diastasis through special exercises. Having a good understanding of the anatomy, I don't understand how this is possible.

Hi there-
Diastasis recti, the condition common to mothers produced by pregnancy and characterized by the separation of the rectus abdominis (situp muscles) in the center of the body, can only be repaired through surgery.
There is no amount or intensity of exercise, or non-surgical treatment that will return the muscles to their pre-pregnancy condition and your abdomen to the appearance you likely desire.
While this is not, I'm sure, what you wanted to hear, I do think that if what you want is your pre-pregnancy body back, once you have gotten comfortable with the fact that surgery will be required you will be very happy with its result. Mommy makeover surgery and tummy tucks are so common and associated with such high patient satisfaction for good reason.
If you are at a loss for how to best find a surgeon you like and can trust, please read this:
http://orlandoplasticsurgery.blogspot.com/2009/11/choosing-plastic-surgeon-part-2.html#f562

 If you have separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis), then you would need a surgical operation to repair this.  There are no medications or exercise which are an  alternative solution.  

If your vertical stomach muscles are separated, they will not go back on their own. Often after pregnancy, those muscles are pushed apart, and do not return to their original position.
I believe your options are to leave it alone, or consider a procedure to sew the muscles back together. The most important part of getting a good result from plastic surgery, is the surgeon you choose.

No exercise will help bring separated abdominal wall muscles back together. Abdominal wall crunches and sit-ups can help strengthen the muscle, but will not bring them closer to the mid-line. Tummy tuck is the optimal surgery for correcting this; the incision is placed in a well-camouflaged location and the entire abdominal can be visualized and repaired.
Hope this helps. Best of luck.