Do you ever go to get out of bed and notice a little pooch on your tum? Or push yourself up out of the couch after lounging around and feel a strain in your middle? Or maybe when you’re practicing a sit up to strengthen those abs you realise that there is a cone or a pyramid poking out that looks a bit out of place?
It might be diastasis recti.
Surrounding and between muscles is something called fascia, it’s a web like collagen fibre that allows muscles to slide and glide and between the 6 pack muscles (yes you do have them) is a line of fascia called the linea alba.
If you put on a lot of weight around the belly, if you have a beer belly or if you have been pregnant then you are a candidate for diastasis recti.
And while it is more common in women in the 2nd and 3rd term of their pregnancy, ultimately any excessive stretching of the muscles can be the cause.
When the linea alba stretches it can result in too much space between the 6 pack muscles and when a person with diastasis recti does something to put loaded pressure on the tummy muscles like chest lift, hundreds prep, double table top legs, supine arm work then the pressure can cause a hernia or that cone like pyramid.
Now we all know how important good core strength is so if you or your instructor notices this in your body it is important that you stop doing the exercises that is causing the issue and work with your instructor to heal.
The beauty about Pilates is that you can heal from diastasis recti even if it’s been with you for a long time and choosing exercises that help are key.
5 things you can do to help yourself:
👉 avoid sit ups/hundreds/chest lift
👉 practice 4 point kneeling exercises on the machines & at home (think cat/cow)
👉 enjoy mermaids
👉 try standing roll downs
👉 give your body time to heal and be consistent with practice
If you think you may have diastasis recti or too much space between that 6 pack then check out The Pilates Lounge for my online classes which have you covered. The Pilates Lounge gifts you 2 weeks for free so you can decide if it is for you.