Diastasis recti exercises: what to know before you start

If you have been told you have diastasis recti, or you think you might, the first step is not an exercise. It is an assessment. Check with your OB or midwife before you start, and ask whether you should see a women’s health (pelvic floor) physiotherapist. This page is general information, not medical advice.

What diastasis recti is

Down the middle of your belly, two long bands of muscle run from the ribs to the pelvis, joined by connective tissue. As the belly grows in pregnancy, that tissue stretches and the gap between the two sides can widen. That widening is diastasis recti.

It is very common during and after pregnancy, and it is not something you caused. For some people the gap narrows on its own after birth. For others it stays wider, and they may notice a ridge or dome down the centre of the belly when they sit up, cough or lift. How it affects you, and what to do about it, is something only an assessment can tell you. Gentle yoga in the months after birth can come once you have that assessment and your OB’s clearance.

Who assesses it

Your OB can check for diastasis recti at your postpartum check-up. A women’s health physiotherapist, also called a pelvic floor physiotherapist, can go further: they look at the gap, the tension in the tissue, your breathing and your pelvic floor, and then give you exercises that suit you. That prescription is theirs to give. A yoga teacher, a video or a web page cannot do it for you.

Yoga does not treat diastasis recti, and nobody should promise you that it closes or changes the gap. What gentle yoga can offer, once you are cleared, is a calm space to move and breathe inside the advice your physiotherapist has given you.

Gentle work after clearance

If your OB or physiotherapist has said gentle movement is fine, these are the kinds of things many people are shown first. Treat them as awareness, not a workout, and follow your physiotherapist’s version if it differs.

• Breath. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, or on your side if that is more comfortable. Breathe in slowly and let the ribs widen to the sides. Breathe out slowly and notice the belly soften back.
• Noticing the pelvic floor. Some physiotherapists teach a gentle lift of the pelvic floor on the out breath. Ask yours whether this suits you and how to do it.
• Getting up the side-lying way. Roll onto your side and push up with your arms instead of sitting straight up. This keeps everyday strain off the middle of the belly.
• Soft, small movement. A slow, small cat-cow on hands and knees, or resting in child’s pose, may be fine for many people after clearance. Keep the range small and watch for doming.

What to be careful with until you are assessed

Until someone qualified has looked at your belly, it is sensible to be cautious with:

• Crunches, sit-ups and loaded curl-ups
• Long plank holds and full push-ups
• Lifting heavy things, and holding your breath to lift
• Deep backbends that stretch the front of the belly hard
• Any movement that makes your belly bulge, cone or dome down the centre

This is a general list, not a rule for you. Your physiotherapist may say some of these are fine, or add others.

When to see a professional

Ask your OB for a check, or book a pelvic floor physiotherapist, if you:

• See a ridge or dome down the middle of your belly when you move
• Have back pain or pelvic pain that is not getting better
• Leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or move
• Feel heaviness or dragging in the pelvis
• Are simply unsure whether it is safe to exercise

How postpartum lessons fit in

I am certified in prenatal and postnatal (postpartum) yoga through Doula School International. I am not a physiotherapist or a medical professional, so I do not assess or prescribe for diastasis recti. If you have been assessed, tell me what your physiotherapist said and we work inside it, slowly and close to the floor. You can read how postpartum lessons work on their own page. For building back more broadly, read postpartum exercise.