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How do we rehab the diastasis recti?

Foto abdomen mujer

 Have you ever experienced an injury in your life that you had to rehabilitate from?

I certainly have! Whether it was wrist tendonitis, pelvic floor hypertonia, or lower back pain... Almost all of us have experienced things like this.

At Viviane Pilates, a large part of our work focuses on the rehab of clients after an injury, surgery, some kind of illness, etc. It is one of my great passions personally, because I love seeing the progress and the great results that each body achieves.

Without a doubt, the most powerful rehab I've experienced was helping a pregnant woman who had undergone spinal surgery to walk again. It was so rewarding on a professional level! 🥹

But these are unusual cases...

Today I am coming to talk to you about a very common injury that we see very often in our online studio: DIASTASIS RECTI.

It doesn't only happen to women after childbirth, but also to men for different reasons.

DIASTASIS RECTI.

A few days ago I was asked: what exercise is not recommended for diastasis recti?

You probably thought that the famous 'crunches' or 'curl-ups' were the first thing you should avoid.

❌ FALSE ❌
This is a myth.

It is just another movement that we do every day, like when we bend over, get up from the sofa, pick up a bag from the floor, etc. We do that trunk flexion all the time.

Until recently, classic abdominal exercises were demonised under the context that they could worsen diastasis recti and injure the pelvic floor. Does this sound familiar?

However, scientific evidence from 2022 and 2023 shows that doing those curl ups improves abdominal strength, closes the linea alba, and brings the rectus abdominis muscles together.

It's due to the direction of the muscle fibers of the different muscles, but I'm not going to go into an anatomy class, because I'll bore you... 😂

Is it the only way to strengthen the abdomen? Not at all. But it is recommended to do those curl ups, because it is functional.

The key is to do them with good technique and reducing intra-abdominal pressure. Basically, the way the instructors teach in our studio.

⚠️WARNING⚠️

If there is a professional (gynecologist, pelvic floor physiotherapist, Pilates instructor, yoga instructor, hypopressive instructor, or whoever) who tells you not to do "curl ups", to only train your transverse (the deepest muscle that acts as a girdle/corset)...

I'm afraid to tell you that this professional is not up to date with scientific evidence.

And believe me, there are many health professionals who handle old information (still).

Please choose well the professionals who accompany you, check their certifications, training, and if they are up to date. It is key to the health of your body!

Foto abdomen mujer

What is an diastasis recti?

A diastasis occurs when the rectus abdominis muscles of the abdomen separate at the linea alba due to damage to the connective tissue, leaving the central area of ​​the abdominal wall weaker.

It is common in women after pregnancy, but it can happen due to other reasons in men as well.

Likewise, during and after pregnancy, other injuries may be experienced, such as urinary incontinence, prolapses, pelvic floor dysfunctions, etc.

Why am I telling you this?

Because abdominal diastasis is something we encounter a lot among our clients, and many women are unaware that it can (and should) be treated to avoid future complications. 🥴 Even if 5, 10 or 20 years have passed since giving birth, IT SHOULD BE TREATED.

To give you an example, our client Pepa trained with us during her pregnancy and postpartum in group classes. She also has a diastasis recti.

Currently, she also combines group classes with private 1:1 classes, as she wanted to treat her diastasis through exercise with a 100% personalised programme, as recommended by her women's health physio.

Pepa una alumna del estudio
Alumna del estudio

If she was already making progress with her group classes and was able to close her rectus abdominis, you can't imagine the great results we've seen in just 4 private sessions! 😍

The work we've done with breathing techniques and muscle activation to get her to know how to use her muscles in a functional way, and without bulging out her abdomen or increasing intra-abdominal pressure, has been spectacular!

Pepa en su sesión privada

A follower asked me: "If I sign up for group classes, will I be able to treat my diastasis?"

If you have an injury such as diastasis, you have the option of doing:

  • Private 1:1s
  • Pre/Postnatal Pilates group classes (even if you are not pregnant or postpartum)

This depends on your specific case. You would have to talk with me about it, show me the state of the injury, and we would see which one is most suitable for you. This applies to all injuries.

Our classes are all super personalised to your needs. And therefore, there is no generic answer for any injury.

If you want, us to help you treat your diastasis or another injury, you can write to me on my Instagram account and I will be happy to assist you personally.

We are here to help you! 💜

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