Exercises for diastasis 1. Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles: exercises for women and men. Treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth

Date of writing: 12.04.2022

Reading time: 27 minutes

Diastasis is a divergence of tissues along the white line of the abdomen. The problem is typical for women in the postpartum period. You can solve the pathology with facilitated training, massage, breathing exercises. Let's take a look at what exercises are allowed for women together.

Diastasis: what is it and how does it appear

Diastasis is a disease familiar to women in the postpartum period. It is characterized by a divergence of muscle tissue along the white line of the abdomen. In addition to this change, a number of modifications occur with the female body:

Gaining extra pounds.
Weak abdominal muscles.
Cellulite appears.
The tone of the buttocks decreases.
Loss of the former shape of the breast.

In the postpartum period, women want to put their body in order. This requires complex exercises for diastasis. The most exciting topic for girls is the lack of abs. A flabby and sagging stomach is difficult to cover with anything, so training is needed.

A problem appears against the background of the growth of the fetus, so the muscles weaken. After the uterus has pressed on the abdominal cavity, the elasticity of the connective tissue decreases. The wall of the peritoneum can no longer hold the internal organs, as it was before childbirth. Therefore, the woman loses her former form.

Within the normal range, if the change does not exceed the threshold of 2 cm. When the abdominal wall is stretched, young mothers experience pain in the spine. Absence flat stomach worsens the moral state, there are complexes.

Often the defect occurs in girls with a thin physique. After giving birth, they definitely need sports, but after consulting a doctor. If you do exercises to strengthen the abdominal wall, you can remove the bulging belly.

How can a woman identify the problem?

To determine diastasis after childbirth, you can look at the photo and assess your condition with what is in the picture. Or you can do a self-diagnosis. To do this, you need to make several movements:

Lie down on the floor.
Bend your knees.
Put your hand behind your head.
Raise your torso and tighten your abs.
Find a straight line.
Put your fingers to the navel and see how many of them fit.

If there is no distance between the muscles, then there is no problem. In case of detection of diastasis, you do not need to worry. You can increase the elasticity of muscles and give the figure its former shape. A set of training is selected depending on the degree of development of the disease:

1 - discrepancy by 1-2 cm.
2 - dip more than 2.5 cm.
3 - discrepancy above and below the navel.

Exercises for diastasis of the abdomen are needed not only for women after childbirth. The problem may appear in people who are overweight, who exercise incorrectly, with a passion for heavy sports. All changes in the figure occur due to the pressure of the uterus on the peritoneum.

Within a few months after childbirth, the body itself recovers and returns to its former shape. However, if there is a problem, it will not solve itself. You need to start training, but not active. This is also the mistake of many. Pulling will be safe for young mothers. They allow:

Get rid of the ugly belly.
Return muscle tone.
Reduce pain.
Take the load off your spine.
Remove the risk of suture separation after caesarean.
Correctly arrange the internal organs.

Before any exercise with diastasis of the abdominal muscles, you should consult a doctor.

If you comprehensively and correctly influence the muscles, then it is possible to give them their former tone. Experts give such recommendations for the recovery period:

Nutrition - to clean the stomach you need to eat often and a little bit. You need to add protein and plant foods to the diet, choose foods with useful substances.
Breastfeeding - this natural process is important not only for the baby, but also for the mother. Sucking releases oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions.
Breathing exercises - you can start exercising a week after giving birth. Exercise oxygenates the uterus and shrinks it.
Physical activity - after 2-3 months you can run, swim, do yoga, fitness. Correction of the figure is recommended to begin when the hormonal background improves.

There are also a few tips to follow every day. They touch all spectrums of life. You need to take the baby in your arms smoothly and without jerks. It is recommended to wear a postpartum bandage if the baby falls asleep in his arms.

When coughing and sneezing, the stomach should be pressed down with your hand so that it does not swell. It is recommended to get out of bed sideways. They get up from the chair, straining their legs, and not at the expense of the stomach. You also need to sleep properly. At first, it is advised to continue falling asleep on your side or on your back.

Unwanted Workouts

With diastasis of the rectus muscles, there are prohibited exercises. Women mistakenly think that the classic pumping of the press will help to cope with the problem. But it's not. Training cannot be built on such movements:

Twisting - the sagging stomach increases, but there is no proper effect.
Leg raises are forbidden for all women after childbirth. From it, the work of the spine is disrupted, you can get injured and aggravate diastasis.
Raising arms and legs is a big load on the female body. The pressure on the walls of the abdomen only increases it, not reduces it.

It is impossible to conduct classes on a fitball, complex elements from.

Home is the easiest way to train. You can take any posture, feel relaxed, no worries about awkward body positions. The load should be given gradually. At first, exercises can be done in one approach with 10 repetitions. With the improvement of physical form, sets are added.

The complex consists of simple movements:

Lie on the floor, legs bent. Slowly the pelvis opens from the floor and lingers at the top point. The head stretches in front, and the tailbone up. Breathing should be even and calm. The press almost does not strain.
The position of the "cat" - on four limbs and with outstretched arms. As you inhale, the head drops and the back rounds. The lower back stretches up, and the stomach tightens. When you exhale, return to the starting position and relax. It is recommended to perform the exercise at a calm pace.
Starting position "cat". On exhalation, one leg straightens and lingers parallel to the floor. The back is straight, without deflection in the lower back. The toe of the involved leg stretches inward, the foot is tense and even. For complication, you can extend the opposite hand.
We lie down on one side, resting our elbows on the floor. We put the other hand, bent, on the waist or on the shoulder. You need to raise the body so that a straight line appears from head to toe. Fix the position and relax. The same on the opposite side.
Bike. You need to perform a lightweight version, where the movements are done slowly and evenly. You need to straighten your legs completely and at the same time strain the transverse muscle.

Features of classes after cesarean

Exercises for diastasis of the abdomen are needed for women with cesarean. But can they be done?

The operation is performed when a girl is unable to give birth naturally. After caesarean, stitches are placed on the stomach. It takes up to a year and a half for them to heal. At this time, heavy loads, exercises and weight lifting are prohibited. Despite the fact that intense training is undesirable, a woman can do it in a light mode.

Balance nutrition.
Walking.
Make wraps with blue clay and algae.
Use cosmetics.
Do a belly massage.
Walk with a bandage.
Do breathing exercises.

After a cesarean, you can do light exercises. This complex is aimed at giving the original shape to the abdomen, sides, buttocks and hips:

We lie on our backs, hands along the summer. The legs are raised along with the forearm. Hold for a few seconds.
Plank. The position of the body should be even and parallel to the floor, the butt and stomach are drawn in.
Tilts to the sides and back and forth.

Other body shaping methods

As mentioned earlier, in order to improve the overall body, you need to learn how to breathe correctly. These exercises can normalize the muscles and return them to their former tone. The following techniques are recommended:

Gargle - a deep breath, sharp exhalations in jerks with pressure on the stomach. Hold your breath and start over.
Vacuum - inhale through the nose, exhale it quickly and draw in the stomach as much as possible. Delay such a position. New breath.
Abdomen - when inhaling, the press relaxes, and when exhaling, it tightens.
Burning - inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. For efficiency, you can strain and relax the muscles of the peritoneum.

You can also go for a massage. With special movements, it will be possible to remove body fat and adjust the waist area. Also, the woman's emotional state rises, she comes out of depression. Gets rid of chronic fatigue, constipation, intestinal cramps and high gas formation. It is recommended to do massages 2-3 weeks after childbirth.

You need to gradually return to ideal shape. You can walk fast. Such light cardio will improve health and lactation, help to tighten the stomach, reduce the waist and reduce diastasis. This will give the body the first preparation for further stress.

Carrying a little human is a huge test for female body and in particular for the abdominal muscles. The baby grows, the tummy of the expectant mother increases in size, intra-abdominal pressure naturally increases. Plus, during pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called elastin, due to which the ligaments and connective tissues become softer, more elastic, and supple. The rectus abdominis muscles are connected by the so-called "white line" - a strip of connective tissue that becomes thinner under the influence of elastin and stretches as the tummy grows. As a result, the rectus abdominis muscles diverge. In most cases, after childbirth, the muscles gradually converge and after a couple of months they take their usual position ... But, unfortunately, this does not always happen. Approximately 25-30% of young mothers are faced with the fact that former forms are returning, excess weight leaves, and the stomach stubbornly does not want to give up its positions! Outwardly, such a belly looks flabby, a little (or not a little) fallen out, not amenable to any weight loss and anti-cellulite tricks. If you observe a similar picture in the mirror, there are two options - 1) you have problems with nutrition; 2) you have diastasis.

What is diastasis? DIASTASIS is a divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles, as a result of which a cavity forms between the right "cubes" of the press and the left ones. Diastasis is an unpleasant and very insidious thing. And it is insidious in that, firstly, it has a number of consequences (if nothing is done with it), secondly, the body with diastasis looks unaesthetic (a disproportionately wide waist, a rather large and loose belly), and thirdly, standard training of the abdominal muscles, contrary to the expected result, only exacerbates the picture ... But you should not despair! There is a way out, the main thing is to set a goal and believe in your own result.

Do not rush to panic. Before taking any action, check if you have this same diastasis. It's very easy to do this:

lie on the floor, bend your knees, put your feet close to you;
put one hand behind your head, raise your head and shoulders, as if you are going to do crunches on the press;
With your free hand, feel the belly along the white line. First from the navel down, then up. The fingers should be placed across the abdomen.

If in the process of "research" you find that your fingers fall inward - there is reason to think.

But there is no need to panic now. If you have a discrepancy of less than 3 cm (3-4 fingers) - you do not have diastasis. And the surgeon, to whom you run with frightened eyes, pulling up your blouse on the go, will smile condescendingly at you and send you home without a diagnosis. Because a discrepancy of less than 3 cm is just that same strip of connective tissue - a white line, but not diastasis.

So when to run to the surgeon?

Diastasis has 3 degrees of severity. Grade 1 - discrepancy from 5 to 7 cm, Grade 2 - from 7 to 10 cm, Grade 3 - more than 10 cm. Unfortunately, grade 3 diastasis can only be eliminated surgically (abdominoplasty). Diastasis of the 1st and 2nd degree can also be removed with the help of special exercises and a bandage.

If you still haven’t figured out whether you have diastasis or not, it’s better to play it safe and make an appointment with a surgeon. because Only a specialist can make a diagnosis with 100% accuracy.

What to do if the surgeon diagnosed you with diastasis?

First, adjust your diet! Don't delay, get started today! Only proper nutrition will allow the body to start the process of fat burning and save you from the first unwanted centimeters in the abdomen. The second step is special exercises.

And before moving on to the exercises, I will tell you about what absolutely cannot be done:

lifting the body or legs (twisting on the press);
exercises based on 4 points with the stomach down (plank, push-ups);
Exercises in which tension increases intra-abdominal pressure (deep squats, weighted squats, weighted deadlifts, weighted lunges);
arches in the lower back.

Well, here we finally got to the coveted list of exercises allowed for diastasis:

✅ Ripple (Vacuum)/ Lying, standing or sitting. On exhalation, we pull in the stomach by force (press it against the spine), keep the stomach pulled in for 15-30 seconds, while inhaling, we relax, but do not inflate the stomach. If it is difficult to hold your breath for 30 seconds, you can take a short breath (without relaxing your stomach). You can also help yourself with your palms to feel the exercise as much as possible. Vakkum is a tedious exercise, but extremely effective! It is the vacuum that strengthens the deep transverse abdominal muscle, which is responsible for ensuring that our stomach is always drawn in and does not relax (do not roll out). You need to do at least 50 times per day (there is no maximum! The more the better), which can be divided into several approaches. For 1 approach we do at least 10 times.

✅ Glute Bridge/ Lie on your back, feet on the floor parallel to each other. Exhale - raise the buttocks as high as possible, draw in the stomach, tighten the press. Inhale - lower the buttocks, relax. 3 sets of 20-25 reps. If the glute bridge is very easy, you can do the glute bridge on 1 leg: we take the starting position, lift one leg up, do 10-15 times and change the leg.

✅ Cat/ We stand on all fours. Exhale - arch your back in an arc, stretch your spine up, strongly retract your stomach. Inhale - we bend strongly, look up, the press is relaxed. 3 to 20-25.

✅ head lifts/ Lie on your back, feet on the floor parallel to each other. Exhale - raise your head, without tearing off your shoulders, forcefully pull in your stomach. Inhale - to the starting position. DO NOT RIP THE SHOVEL! 3 to 20-25.

✅ Bicycle “Light”/ Lie on your back, knees bent, feet slightly off the floor. Exhale - straighten 1 leg above the floor, draw in the stomach. Inhale - to the starting position. Exhale - the same with the other leg. Inhale - initial / 3 to 20 (i.e. 10 for each leg).

✅ side plank/ We stand on one arm (or on the elbow), the opposite shoulder looks up, we put the free hand on the belt (or straighten it up), the legs are straight, the hips are looking forward, the feet are standing one behind the other. One straight line from head to toe. We stand for 30-40 seconds on one hand, turn over to the other side and stand on the other hand for the same amount.

USEFUL ADVICE:

Before training, wear a bandage that will not allow the rectus abdominis muscles to diverge even more. It can be a regular postpartum bandage, or an orthopedic lumbosacral corset, or a sports waist corset.

I really hope that girls who are faced with diastasis will find useful information for themselves in this article and, with the help of a well-functioning diet and conscientious performance of special exercises, get rid of it once and for all! Good luck to you! Believe in yourself, and everything will definitely work out for you;)

The problem of stretching the rectus abdominis muscles is familiar to many, especially women who have given birth. However, even some men have experienced similar diagnoses. Many are interested in whether it is possible to play sports after such a phenomenon, whether it is necessary to perform abdominal exercises with diastasis, or whether it is generally better to postpone physical education until better times. It is not only possible, but also necessary, to choose suitable classes, not forgetting to take extra care so as not to aggravate the situation.

Most often, this phenomenon can occur in women after childbirth. Due to the high load on the muscles during the period of bearing the baby, they completely relax. The rectus abdominis muscles diverge, the skin becomes flabby, greatly stretched, sagging, and its appearance becomes, to put it mildly, unaesthetic.

Diastasis occurs only among women, but can occur even in men. For example, this may indicate an individual genetic predisposition, or exogenously unbearable physical activity with overly weakened abdominal muscles. That is, they can hardly withstand the additional load. Therefore, exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles must be gentle, and they must be performed very carefully.

According to statistics, one third of all women who have given birth may experience diastasis. Most often it happens with repeated births, polyhydramnios or multiple pregnancies. In a man, diastasis is much less common, but many athletes are faced with such a problem, especially those involved in power sports. Most often, after the excessive load on the press disappears, the body recovers on its own, but not always. Then special exercises are required for the treatment of diastasis.

A simple test for a problem

If you notice that the skin of the abdomen is very sagging, has become flabby, less elastic, ugly, there is reason to worry. To determine if you have this disease, it is best to contact your doctor. However, if this is not possible, you can even decide on your own by passing a small test.

Lie on your back on a fairly hard and flat surface, for example, you can lay it on the floor.
Bend your legs at the knees, and place your feet parallel to each other, as close as possible to the buttocks, but not so that it causes discomfort.
Place the fingertips of one hand on the midline above the navel, and the other below it.
Trying to relax the abdominal muscles as much as possible, raise your head, and if possible, also your shoulders.

If at this moment you feel a hollow under your fingers, then most likely you have diastasis. The deeper and wider this depression, the higher the degree of divergence of the muscles. There is even an official classification.

From 5 to 6-7 centimeters - the first (mild) degree.
From 7 to 8-10 centimeters - the second (average) degree.
More than 10 centimeters - the third (severe) degree.

Basically, diastasis does not cause any discomfort, except for the aesthetic moment. However, at high degrees, it can cause pain in the spinal region, be distinguished by an excessively wide waist, changes in the shape of the navel (its bulge), and a progressive increase in the size of the abdomen itself. In addition, with the advanced third degree of the disease, no exercises, most likely, will be able to get out. Will have to turn to plastic surgery. Despite the fact that it sounds very impressive, there is no need to be afraid - this is an ordinary operation that even novice specialists perform.

The duration of the recovery period

Many young mothers are interested in how long it takes to perform exercises for diastasis after childbirth, how long it will take in total to completely forget about the problem. It is worth starting the complexes after you have discovered a similar problem in yourself, however, in no case neglecting the precautions.

Professional physiotherapists do not advise starting gymnastics from diastasis on their own, without consulting a doctor. In addition, for each workout, it is recommended that you first put on a special tightening bandage or elastic belt. It will help to avoid injury and so dispersed muscles.

How long the recovery will last, after which everything will fall into place, depends on many factors and is very individual. Here, a preliminary, correctly selected set of exercises, methodicality and regularity of classes, as well as the degree of diastasis itself, will play a role. On average, the process can take anywhere from six months to one year.

Contraindications

It is extremely important to understand for yourself which exercises cannot be done with diastasis, which should definitely be left out of your attention so as not to aggravate the situation. First of all, you will have to carefully avoid actions that strain the abdominal press, put pressure on it. At the household level, it is completely forbidden to lift weights, suddenly start laughing or coughing, sleeping on your stomach, and doing classic workouts for the press. But there is also a list of classic exercises that will have to be abandoned.

Any exercise that involves emphasis on the elbows or arms (plank, push-ups).
Raising the body from a prone position (classic "swing" of the press).
Raising and lowering legs while hanging or lying down (bicycle, scissors).
Jumping rope and regular.
Power twists.
Squats or lunges with weights.
Yoga, which implies pressure on the middle of the abdomen.
Tilts to the side, excessively strong backward bends.
Pull-ups on the bar.

These movements need to be removed from the set of your constant exercises, forget about them until the diastasis completely disappears. In addition, at first it is recommended to observe special precautions. You will have to get out of bed, first turning over on your side, and from a chair - transferring weight to one buttock, and then to your leg. You need to control your posture, forbid yourself to slouch, make it a habit to wear a controlling corset or belt.

Principles of implementation: a set of exercises for diastasis

To make it extremely clear, you need to be aware that the white line, due to its structure, will never be able to grow back completely. However, it is quite realistic to take diastasis under complete control and abandon the surgical way of solving the problem in the early stages of the disease. When choosing the right exercises, you should be guided by special criteria that are best learned by heart.

The complex must be selected so that, first of all, it works out the deep muscles: the pelvic floor, the transverse muscles of the abdomen. Everything in the body is connected, and these movements will help to set up the coordinated work of all groups.
Only after the first tip has been completed, and you have pumped all the deep muscles with high quality, you can proceed to training the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.
Be aware that this functional training, that is, you need to gain self-management skills that will be applied in the future. Therefore, it is very important to deal with proper breathing, which is very important for the correct execution of movements.

Our article proposes to consider exercises for women and men with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. Let's figure it out together.

Breathing exercises

First you need to learn how to properly relax the stomach, and at the same time other muscle groups, which modern people usually do not know how to do. Only after that it will be possible to train deep muscles, without relaxation nothing will simply work.

As you inhale, slowly expand your chest. At the same time, the stomach should be as relaxed as possible, calm, and mentally straighten the lower ribs to the sides, imagine how your body fulfills your commands.
As you exhale, return to the initial position, without any tricks, but almost as slowly.

This type of breathing can be practiced anywhere: at home, at work, during a break between couples at the university, on a bench in the park during a walk. You can do the exercise in a sitting position, lying down, standing, whatever you like.

Tadasana or alignment

We borrowed this exercise from Indian yogis, although it also takes place in traditional gymnastics. With it, the load on the abdominal cavity is distributed as evenly as possible.

Stand up straight, set your feet at the width of your own pelvis, slightly turn your socks to the sides.
With the help of muscles, slightly pull the kneecaps up, and point the ischial bones clearly down. In this case, the coccyx is slightly twisted down, but the natural deflection of the back is still preserved.
Relax your shoulders, pull them back slightly, hands are free, stretch your crown to the ceiling.
It is recommended to stand in this position from 5-10 seconds to 1 minute.

It does not hurt to combine this simple exercise with the previous one. The more often you do such movements, the easier and sooner you will be able to return to your usual form.

Another gift from the Indians, which helps to stop the symptoms of diastasis with the help of breathing exercises.

Inhale and concentrate all your attention on the rectus abdominis muscles. Slightly tighten them, and then relax again.
Form a static "muscle wave" while holding your breath.
Try to move the muscular wave formed in this way from left to right, as if across the abdomen. Try to complete as many repetitions as possible in one breath hold, but do not overload. Everything should be as comfortable as possible.
As you exhale, return to the starting position.

For beginners, it usually comes out to do about ten, sometimes twelve, waves of a similar plan. Experienced people who have been practicing yoga for a long time can easily do up to a hundred or even more waves in one breath hold.

Work with the musculature of the pelvic floor and Kegel exercise

In addition to breathing practices, it does not hurt to master the exercises for diastasis in men and women to work out the muscles of the pelvic floor. As a result of an increase in abdominal pressure, they can move slightly, which should not be allowed.

You need to sit down so that it is really comfortable, comfortable, but not overly soft. It would be optimal to use a hard chair or stool for this. If convenient, you can sit on the floor cross-legged, but only experienced gymnasts or yogis “know how” to sit in this position for a long time.

Relax as much as possible by placing your hands on your knees.
The back should be straight, eyes closed. Perform several cycles of diaphragmatic breathing, which we have already studied.
At the same time, men compress the perineal region, concentrating on it, while inhaling, and relaxing it on exhalation. With women a little differently, they must imagine the cervix and try to tighten it up.
You can perform about two dozen stages of inhalation-exhalation.

In some cases, the exercise can be varied - squeeze the perineum (cervix) and try to keep the muscles in tension as long as possible.

Skittles

In any position (sitting, lying, standing), tighten the muscles of the perineum. This must be done while inhaling. The time to be held is approximately 10 seconds.
Relax slowly and exhale at the same time.
Perform exactly five repetitions, while increasing the time of muscle contraction so that the last one has a duration of 25 seconds.

This exercise works well on the pelvic floor. Also, organ prolapse can usually be prevented by just such manipulations. Do not forget that when combined with breathing practices, this exercise will be many times more effective.

Julia Tapler system

A midwife from the United States named Mrs. Tapler came up with special exercises that are aimed at tightening and strengthening the abdominal wall, pelvic floor. To do this, you need to prepare a sufficiently long towel.

Lie down on the floor, on a pre-spread yoga mat.
Bend your legs at the knees, place your feet parallel, as close to the buttocks as possible.
Place a towel under your lower back, cross it around your waist, and take the ends in your hands.
As you exhale, slightly raise your head and shoulders, while pulling together the edges of the towel to compress the waist and diastasis area.
Hold your breath and hold this position for 2-5 seconds.
Return to starting position.

You need to perform the system daily, while doing ten repetitions at a time.

This exercise will not only get rid of the symptoms of diastasis, but is also recommended for a significant improvement in well-being, in the prevention of diseases of the spine, for example, a hernia.

Get on all fours. In this case, the back should be straight, it should not be rounded or excessively bent.
As you exhale, arch your back up, rounding it like a cat, while mentally pressing your stomach against your back and tensing its muscles.
Keeping your belly taut and in, inhale and arch back slightly.

You can perform 10 to 15 repetitions at a time. At the same time, make sure that in the intervals between exercises the back is even, and the breath does not go astray. It is recommended to do the movement daily, and if there is an opportunity and time, then it is better not just once, but several times.

This simple movement will help not only correct the problem of diastasis, but also help to work out the muscles of the back, as well as pump up the buttocks.

Lie back down on a yoga mat.
Bend your legs at the knees, feet parallel to each other, as close as possible to the buttocks, but firmly pressed to the floor.
The arms are relaxed, located along the body, palms down.
As you exhale, lift your pelvis and point it as high as possible. In this case, it is necessary to tighten the abdominal muscles, draw in the stomach and buttocks. Keep your back straight.
On an inhale, return to the starting position and relax.

Repeating this exercise also does not hurt daily 10-15 times.

Twisting and stretching the lower back

This exercise will require special care. In general, it is better for beginners to refuse to perform it until the symptoms of diastasis become less noticeable. In any case, it must be done very carefully, without straining too much, so as not to aggravate the problem.

Starting position, as in the previous movement - lying on your back with bent knees.
Pulling your stomach in as you exhale, turn your head to one side and your knees to the opposite.
Hold the position for a few seconds.
On an inhale, return to the starting position.

You need to repeat this exercise about 10-15 times, and do it every day, or even several times, if there are no unpleasant or painful sensations in the diastasis area.

Bending and stretching legs

The exercise can be divided into two separate ones, or you can combine it into one, as it suits you.

Take a standard prone position with knees bent.
As you exhale, bend the leg and pull it towards the stomach so that the knee is clearly above the pelvic bone.
As you inhale, lower and straighten your leg so that your foot slides along the surface of the floor.

Repeat the exercises alternately with one or the other leg. In total, you should get 20-30 repetitions.

Precautions for postpartum diastasis

In the presence of such a disease, first of all, you should try to give up everything that can increase abdominal pressure. You will have to re-learn how to lift weights correctly, even the most minimal ones, get out of bed after sleep or even after a chair, brother in the arms of a child. From now on, you will also have to sleep and cough with special care, at least until the moment of relative recovery.

Lifting anything heavy, weighing more than five kilograms, is strictly prohibited. But even small weights need to be lifted through bending the elbows, and not by lifting with straight arms.
Do not grab the baby in your arms as soon as he starts crying. If you can’t calm him down, first put on a postpartum bandage, or you can tightly wrap yourself in a sheet or diaper.
If you have a cough of any nature, whether it is an illness or you just choke, always put the palm of one hand on the press and hold it.
Try to keep your posture correct at all times. You can not slouch and bend excessively.

We have already mentioned getting out of bed, as well as from a chair. For some time you will have to do it slightly sideways, but the muscles will not disperse even more, and for this it is worth suffering inconvenience. In addition, do not forget to sleep on your side or back, otherwise aggravating the problem cannot be avoided.

Diastasis of the rectus muscles is a divergence of the abdominal press. In simple terms, the white line has expanded. There are three stages of the disease. The reason is the increased load during pregnancy and contractions. Muscular structures move away from each other at a distance of 10 cm. The norm is 0.5-2 cm. 40% of young mothers face the problem.

With the onset of pregnancy, the figure changes and excess fat accumulates. After the birth of the baby, mothers try to get in shape and regain their figure. But it happens that nothing helps to remove and pump up the stomach.

The abdominal wall consists of two paired rectus muscles surrounded by a kind of sheath consisting of tendon sprains and wide lateral muscles. The white line is under the chest, and the end stretches to the pubic symphysis. Above the distance is greater, towards the bottom it decreases. If the connective tissue is weak as a result of a hereditary factor or for other reasons, then diastasis develops during childbirth.

30% of cases require surgery, but in the initial stages, recovery is achieved through simple measures. Doctors recommend regular exercise according to a special program for the press, which will help get rid of sprains.

How to independently determine diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth?

Testing: lie on a hard surface, bend your legs, feet should stand straight. Place one hand under the head, and the other on the press so that the fingers are above the navel and perpendicular to the line. Now relax and dip your fingers inward. Without moving your arm, begin to slowly lift your upper body, as if you were about to pump your stomach. Freeze at the maximum point, without lifting your lower back from the floor, and begin to move your fingers along the center. The goal is to feel the edges of the muscles and measure the distance between them.

Disease stages:

I - the discrepancy reaches 5-7 cm.
II - the distance is more than 7 cm.
III - a severe pathology that will inevitably lead to sagging skin.

Only a doctor can diagnose diastasis and determine the stage. At the slightest suspicion of changes in the condition of the abdominal wall, contact a medical facility.

Causes and symptoms of diastasis

For 2-3 weeks after the birth of a child, mothers experience pain for various reasons - episiotomy, caesarean section, ruptures, etc. It is impossible to immediately identify a violation in the structure of the abdominal wall by pain. And the discomfort itself does not appear immediately, but over time. Perform a body examination as soon as possible. To identify discrepancies, do not feel the middle of the abdomen, the place where the line visually passes.

Causes of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles:

pregnancy, childbirth, including caesarean section;
a severe cough or cold, due to which the abdominal muscles were constantly in tension;
obesity or rapid weight loss, as a result of which the muscles and skin did not have time to adapt to changes in the body;
congenital weakness of the connective tissue on the abdomen and a tendency to hernia;
repeated pregnancy. If a woman gave birth to her first child at a young age, then the chances of a quick restoration of the skin on her stomach are greater than those of a 30-year-old.

Effective press exercise for diastasis

If the muscles have dispersed, then you must know how to return the body to normal and not harm yourself even more.

Abdominal exercises are strictly prohibited! These include tasks in which you need to perform leg raises, body lifts, shoulder lifts, push-ups, twists, and work with free weights.

Eliminate the disease and lose weight is not easy. You will need daily painstaking work for six months - a year.

A set of exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles:

No. 1 Starting position - lying on your back, knee joints bent. At a slow pace, we tear off the pelvis from the floor, fix at the top point, count to 10, and lower ourselves. We pull the crown forward, and the tailbone up. Try not to hold your breath and do not give a strong load on the press.
No. 2 Get on all fours, emphasis on straight arms. We exhale and lower our head down, and round the back in the lower back and stretch it up, at this moment we tighten the stomach. Exhale, raise your head, bend your back and relax. Perform at a slow pace. The number of repetitions is 10. Periodically, this number should increase.
No. 3 Starting position, as in the previous task. The body is straight, the stomach is drawn in. As you exhale, straighten your left leg and try to raise it parallel to the floor. Do not bend in the lumbar! The toe on the working leg stretches inward, the foot is tense, even. Repeat 10 times for each side. Further complicate your task by stretching the opposite arm at the moment of lifting.
No. 4 Lying on the back, the lower back is firmly pressed to the floor. The knees are bent. Now raise the lower leg on the right side until a right angle is formed with the body. Do the rise on the exhale, pull in the stomach strongly to turn on the press. Try not to tear off your buttocks and hips, slightly raise your head. Inhale - return to the starting position. Change of leg. Run 10 times per side. The exercise is aimed at deep study of the transverse muscles.
No. 5 Turn on your left side and rest your elbow on the floor with your bent arm. Bend the opposite arm and place it on your waist or on your right shoulder. Raise your body so that it forms a straight line from head to toes. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds, keeping the gluteal muscles and abs in tension. Now repeat the same on the right side.

To get results from classes and know how to remove the stomach, you need to learn how to breathe correctly.

Rinsing technique. We take a deep breath and fill the lungs to capacity, and then we release the air with jerks and light pressure from the abdomen. We hold our breath and start the circle again.
Vacuum. We sharply draw in oxygen through the nose, and then also quickly expel it from the lungs and strongly draw in the stomach, driving it under the ribs. Don't breathe for a few seconds. Inhale.
belly. This technique is perfect for young children. During air intake, they relax the press, and when exhaling, they strain. This is a gentle, but at the same time effective abdominal workout.
Burning. We deeply draw in oxygen through the nose, and expel it through the mouth. Help the body with the abdominal muscles by quickly contracting and relaxing them.

During training, the exercise is done on the exhale, and return to the starting position on the inhale.

Remember, no diet against fat can return the muscles to the correct position. And if you ate to pump the press with diastasis, you can earn complications. Get a medical diagnosis first.

Twisting.

The essence of the exercise: a person rises by twisting the upper body, thereby forcing the muscles of the direct press to work. This exercise will only increase the sagging stomach and will not give the desired effectiveness.

Leg lift.

Exercise is forbidden for women who have recently given birth, regardless of whether they suffer from diastasis of the abdominal muscles. Instead of a flat stomach, you can get a back injury and aggravate the disease.

Raising arms and legs.

The exercise is similar to the previous one, but with the addition of hands. You can use it only 6 months after giving birth, and then with the recommendation of a doctor. For a weakened woman's body, such a load is too great. You can cause pressure on the walls of the abdomen and increase it.

avoid stress on the press and anything that affects intra-abdominal pressure;
do not lift objects weighing more than 5 kilograms;
get up from the sofa or bed from a position on your side so as not to use the press;
walk straight and do not stoop your back;
don't lie on your stomach. The best option would be to sleep on your side or back;
avoid grueling workouts, especially strength training;
it is allowed to perform exercises against diastasis on the lateral abdominal muscles;
do Kegel exercises. They tighten the skin and abdominal muscles, and the man will thank you for it;
don't overeat. Proper nutrition- the basis of everything. A person who expends more calories than he consumes will return to his former form.

Diastasis rectus abdominis is a condition that is common among pregnant women. It also occurs in men who are forced to work in heavy physical conditions. Pathology is also common in other individuals prone to the formation of increased intra-abdominal pressure: weightlifting, obesity. In the treatment of diastasis of the rectus muscles, various types of physical activity are very effective.

Gymnastic exercises for illness

It is necessary to deal with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles carefully, without excessive tension and fatigue. It's better to under-do than to over-load. Excessive physical activity can contribute to stretching. Women after childbirth need to be engaged only after 2 months.

Cat

Exercise "Cat"

A simple and pleasant exercise that relaxes the muscles of the back and lower back. It must be performed on a hard surface:

They kneel, focus on the palms.
It is necessary to ensure that the legs and arms are 90 degrees relative to the ground.
Inhale, draw in the stomach, begin to arch the back from the coccyx, lowering the head.
Then they make the opposite movement, exhaling and bending in the lower back.

The abdominal muscles must be kept in constant tension. Do up to 10 repetitions.

Abdominal retraction

The result of daily exercises of retraction of the abdomen

One of the most effective exercises in the complex from diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles for men and women. You can perform it standing, sitting, lying down. The stomach is drawn in and the breath is held for a few seconds, repeated 30 times. During the day, you can do 3-4 sets.

head lifts

Lying on your back, stretch your arms along the body. Slowly raise their head, pause and lower down. The muscles of the press should be in tension. Repeat up to 15 times.

Butt lifts

Butt lift

Lying on your back with arms extended along the body, bend your knees. Raise the hips on the exhale, straining the stomach, then on the inhale lower the buttocks and hips down. Repeat 15 times.

Knee straightening

To perform the exercise, you need to lie on your back, raise your legs above the pelvis, straining the abdominal muscles. The legs are held in the air, lowering each limb to the ground in turn. Repeat 10 times.

Exercise with elastic band

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place them at shoulder level. Shoulder joints should be firmly in contact with the ground. An elastic band is fixed in the knee area. On exhalation, the knees are spread to the maximum width, and on inspiration they return to their original position. During the gymnastics, you need to monitor the tension of the abdominal muscles.

Touching the heels of the ground

Lying on your back, raise your legs up and bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees. On exhalation, one leg is placed down, touching the floor with the heel, straining the stomach. Then return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the second leg. For each limb, do 10-15 approaches.

ball exercise

Take a gymnastic ball or children's sports equipment. Lying on your back, hold the ball between your legs with your knees. On exhalation, they begin to compress it, trying to use the force of the press. Relax on inhalation. Repeat at least 10 times.

Support exercise

Lying on your side, rest your elbow on the floor. The opposite arm is bent and placed on the waist or shoulder. Raise the body, forming a straight line with the head and feet. Hold the position for 30 seconds, straining the press and gluteal muscle. Repeat with the other side of the body.

They begin to engage in physiotherapy exercises only after the permission of the doctor. You should not select exercises on your own. At first, patients are allowed to do no more than 2-3 sets of all types of exercises. The load is increased gradually, every week.

Plank in a standing position

Static loads are included in the exercise therapy program for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, but they must be performed carefully. If the classic bar is prohibited, the patient can use a simplified method with support from the wall:

Standing facing the wall, they lean on it with their palms, fully straightening their arms and shoulders.
They draw in the stomach and tighten the press, pulling the navel to the spine, leaning on the hands.
Hold the position for 10 seconds, relax.

You need to repeat at least 10 times, gradually increasing the load.

Breathing exercises for diastasis

A set of exercises "Bodyflex"

It is very useful to engage in breathing exercises in case of illness, however, bodyflex with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is prohibited, unless the doctor recommends otherwise. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the the best views gymnastics:

On inspiration, expand the chest, relaxing the stomach.
Trying to straighten the lower ribs.
On exhalation, they return to their usual position.
Make sure that breathing occurs with the stomach, the lower part of the chest.

This gymnastics can be performed anywhere. But it is best to practice in a calm environment with good oxygen access.

There are many breathing practices to improve abdominal muscles, including yoga. But you can not create a vacuum when doing these exercises.

Kegel exercises for diastasis

In the complex of therapeutic exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, women should include Kegel exercises, which are responsible for strengthening the pelvic floor:

strain and hold in this state the muscles of the perineum for 10 seconds while inhaling;
then relax and exhale;
work out 5-10 times, gradually increasing the hold time to 30 seconds.

Such a warm-up is also responsible for the prevention of prolapse of internal organs. Ideal to combine with breathing practices.

Forbidden exercises

Forbidden for diastasis

With diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles in women and men, exercises that cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure are prohibited:

any full twisting and swinging of the press;
deflections and stretching of the body: bridge, reverse bridge, stretching of the abdominal muscles;
raising legs to any point;
squats with weight;
lifting the legs and torso from the slope;
push ups;
yoga poses that stretch muscles;
fitball exercises on the back;
vacuum and bodyflex system.

You can determine if an exercise is suitable for diastasis as follows: start doing it, and if a muscle roller appears on the abdomen, then such gymnastics is prohibited.

Prevention of diastasis

To avoid the development of an unpleasant disease, you must remember the following rules of prevention:

strengthening the abdominal muscles, especially the transverse;
work on the muscles of the pelvic floor and back;
diaphragm strengthening;
posture improvement;
normal food without harmful products.