Are you struggling to get rid of an abdominal bulge that just won’t go away? If you’ve tried diet and abdominal exercises and nothing seems to work, you may have a condition called diastasis recti. This is a common problem among women who have been pregnant. It basically means the rectus abdominus muscles, the two parallel muscles that run along each side of the abdomen, have separated where they join in the middle. This creates a tummy bulge that can’t be corrected through abdominal crunches or traditional abdominal exercises.
What Causes Diastasis Recti?
As a growing fetus expands in the pelvic cavity, it places pressure on the abdominal wall and causes the wall to st
retch. This stretching can cause the rectus abdominus muscle to separate, leading to a tummy bulge that doesn’t respond to exercise or weight loss. Many women aren’t even aware they have this problem. They simply assume they’re carrying too much fat around their tummy. Weight loss or standard abdominal exercises will have little benefit if the abdominal musculature is separated.
Women who have had multiple pregnancies and smaller, thinner women are at greater risk for abdominal wall separation due to diastasis recti.
How Do You Know If You Have It?
If you have separation of the rectus abdominus, you can usually feel it. Lie down on a mat with your knees bent. Lift your head and chest off of the mat as if you’re doing a crunch. As you do so, run your hand along the midline of your abdomen near your navel. If you feel a separation or a ridge, and it’s more than three fingers wide, you likely have diastasis recti.
Can You Treat Abdominal Separation Due to Pregnancy?
No treatment is necessary from a health standpoint, but many women are bothered by the appearance of their bulging tummy. Diastasis recti can also put stress on the lower back and lead to back pain. Doing crunches, Pilates and other common abdominal exercises can actually make abdominal wall diastasis worse. There are special exercises that can help though.
There is a group of exercises called the Tupler Technique that can help to correct this problem. Some personal trainers are familiar with these exercises and can show you how to do them correctly. If you have this condition, bend your knees when you pick things up. Taking steps to improve your posture may also help. Bending over to pick things up from the waist and slouching can make the abdominal separation worse.
The Bottom Line?
Not all tummy bulges are due to fat or weak abdominal muscles. If you’ve been pregnant, your bulging tummy may be due to the separation of the rectus abdominal muscles where they join in the middle. Doing standard abdominal exercises such as crunches could make the separation worse. If you think you have this condition, see your doctor for a diagnosis, and look for a trainer who can show you the proper exercises that can help correct this condition.
References:
Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy Volume 29, No. 1, Spring, 2005.
A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. “Diastasis Recti”
Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy Volume 29, No. 1, Spring, 2005
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