Abdominal separation, or diastasis recti, is a condition that affects 2/3 or women postpartum. One tale-tale sign, the belly “pooch,” may be an aesthetic annoyance, but the resulting muscular weakness is a bigger problem.
Diastasis Recti: A Multi-symptom Problem
When the separation is more than 2 fingers’ width, the abdominal muscles cannot operate at full strength. When major core muscles are damaged or weak, other parts of the body attempt to compensate. Those muscles–trying to fill a role that they weren’t designed to fill– begin to fatigue. It becomes a chain reaction of distress resulting in pain throughout the shoulders, back, hips, and knees.
Repair Diastasis Recti by Changing Your Movements
The actions that women perform each day can exacerbate abdominal separation. Asymmetrical weight balance (like holding the baby on one hip) and inappropriate core exercises (anything that causes your belly to bulge under stress) are two of the main reasons why diastasis recti doesn’t heal on its own.
Remember: whenever you’re bearing a load, you have an opportunity to heal or hamper healing for your DR! The 3 simple tips in the video below can help you heal while performing daily tasks.
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